The relationship between religion and morality

Question 1

What are the three main positions on the link between religion and morality?

Answer 1

1. Theonomous ethics- morality stems from god. 2. Autonomous ethics- morality is decided by the moral agent. 3. Heteronomous ethics- morality is defined by an external force.

Question 2

What three positions are held by theonomous ethics?

Answer 2

1. God is the creator of moral goodness. 2. God is the source of moral knowledge. 3. God is our motivation for being good and doing good.

Question 3

Describe divine command theory

Answer 3

Something is good because god wills it, all moral truths are god given. To be moral is simply to follow god’s commands.

Question 4

Give three major issues with demand command theory

Answer 4

1. How can moral truths be eternal and unchanging if religions disagree on what they are? 2. If to be moral is to follow god’s commands, the non believer has no moral accountability. 3. DCT is circular, what is good is what god commands and what god commands is good.

Question 5

Give an example of an immoral divine command

Answer 5

Deuteronomy describes how if a betrothed virgin in raped by a man, both of them are to be taken outside of the city and stoned to death.

Question 6

How does Philip Quinn defend divine command theory?

Answer 6

God moves the goalposts to make them applicable to the situation, allowing moral standards to adjust to circumstances. He initially ordered the Israelites not to kill, but changed this in Deuteronomy when they entered the promised land and he commanded them to kill.

Question 7

What two questions does the euthyphro dilemma ask?

Answer 7

Is something good because god commands it? Or does god command something because it is good?

Question 8

What is the problem with the first answer to the euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 8

If god is the source of moral goodness then it makes no sense to praise him for his goodness. Goodness relies upon his arbitrary feelings and he could will us to do unjust acts which would be against our moral intuition.

Question 9

What is the problem with the second answer to the euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 9

If he commands things because they are good, he is conforming to an external standard of goodness, meaning he is not omnipotent, so it makes no sense to worship him.

Question 10

How does Robert Adams answer the euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 10

God may appear to command us to do immoral things (Abraham and Isaac) but he would never ask us to do things that would harm us in the long term. We are just unable to see this as we are at an epistemic distance from him.

Question 11

What is autonomous ethics?

Answer 11

We have a sense of conscience and moral obligation which can be accounted for without appealing to the existence of god.

Question 12

Explain the underlying principle of Kant’s autonomous ethics

Answer 12

Humans are rational and can discover moral rule through reason. If god exists, he abides by the same rational principles as humans.

Question 13

Explain the five points of Kant’s autonomous ethics

Answer 13

1. Humans ought to strive toward moral perfection, a good person is one who acts out of good will. 2. To act out of good will is to seek summon bonum. 3. We can’t ensure that we will reach this summon bonum. 4. There must be a rational and moral being who has the power to bring moral worth and happiness together. 5. As this reward for happiness does not happen in this life, it must be attained in an afterlife.

Question 14

What is the problem with Kant’s view?

Answer 14

It does not really work as proof that god exists. But it is clear that we are moral beings and ought to believe in god out of morality, not logic.

Question 15

How does sharpe make a moral case against religious belief?

Answer 15

He says religious institutions have no authority on moral matters, to be religious does not entail being moral, religion can get it wrong and there is nothing moral about following commands just for the sake of following commands.

Question 16

Which religion does Sharpe attack?

Answer 16

The Roman Catholic Church. They consider moral practices immoral, pope Paul VI stated that artificial contraception was immoral, Sharpe asks if it is really conceivable that god would care if a couple used artificial contraception or the rhythm method.

Question 17

Describe the westboro baptist Church’s beliefs.

Answer 17

An american Christian hate group founded by Fred Phelps who argue that events such as 9/11 are god punishing america for tolerating homosexuals. They believe god chooses a few select people to save and the rest will go to hell.

Question 18

What does the westboro baptist church base their beliefs on?

Answer 18

They strongly belive in god’s hatred of homosexuals and support this using select quotes from the Bible which they take a literal interpretation of.

Question 19

Describe the quiverfull movement

Answer 19

An evangelical Christian group that opposes contraception and abortion. The purpose of sex is reproduction and children are a gift from god. It is a Christian duty to have as many children as possible to build an army of god.

Question 20

What does the quiverfull movement think of women

Answer 20

The group is inherently patriarchal, they belive that women are defined by the fact that they have a womb and carry children. The term woman means ‘womb-man’ and the only duties of a woman is to mother and nurture children.

Question 21

What does Dawkins say about religion and morality?

Answer 21

Humanity would be better off without religion. Teaching religious positions on morality to children is a form of indoctrination.

Question 22

What type of morality does Dawkins advocate?

Answer 22

One based on reason, which values autonomy. He wants to see a secular, relativist and consequentialist ethics.

Question 23

What are moral choices based on according to Dawkins?

Answer 23

Evolution, selfless actions and working with others happen because they have helped us to survive. We are moral because it helps us to flourish and reproduce.

Question 24

What are Hell Houses?

Answer 24

Haunted house like attractions where fundamentalist Christians depict sins and the consequences of being immoral to convince children to follow their moral codes. Children come away terrified and brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality will lead them to eternal damnation. For Dawkins, this is a form of child abuse.

Question 25

What is Dawkins’ position on terrorism?

Answer 25

Religion is a huge motivator for terrorism, it is the main driver of terrorist attains across the world. Extremists interpret religion in a way that justifies violence.

Question 26

What is the problem with Dawkins’ view on Islam?

Answer 26

He has been accused of islamophobia for his comments on the 2015 Charlie hebdo terrorist attack in Paris. He generalizes the actions of a few to a whole religion and believes that Muslims suffer because of their ‘cruel’ religion.

Question 27

Why do religious people follow moral codes, according to Dawkins?

Answer 27

They want to score points in heaven, Islamic terrorists often believe that because of their actions, they will be the first to be rewarded in heaven.

Question 28

How does Dawkins criticize Islam?

Answer 28

In Saudi Arabia, women can’t have bank accounts without a male relative’s permission. Islam condones immoral actions such as stoning adulterers and advocates backward looking and intolerant moral codes.

Question 29

Give two criticisms of Dawkins

Answer 29

1. He ignores religion as a force for good, religious people have made tremendous contributions to humanity in times of war, famine and poverty. 2. He assumes that religious morality is stuck in the past and not evolving, but this is not the case.

Question 30

Give two more criticisms of Dawkins

Answer 30

1. He is very selective in his examples and generalizes the actions of a few to an entire religion. 2. He ignores the fact that many believers are obedient to god out of love, loyalty and respect, not just a want to go to heaven.