The Struggle to do Good

[brokenreflector]

If God doesn't exist, then that would just be your opinion that may or may not be shared by the majority of people.

An opinion produced by a bag of skin and bones. A bag of skin and bones that didn't have to exist that is the byproduct of a mindless natural process that didn't have to exist that just so happens to be pointed towards increasing the survivability of species rather than what is true.

On the other hand, if God does exist, then these principles that you admit are "not just our opinion" would be ultimately grounded in the first, necessary, and maximally powerful being.

Your god existing doesn't solve the problem your raising, because all you've done is say that right and wrong would be a matter of god's opinion instead of our opinion and that doesn't change the fact that it's just an opinion.

It wouldn't be merely an opinion if it is grounded in God's existence because God is by definition a necessary being. In philosophy, a necessary being is one that cannot fail to exist. In other words, if God were intrinsically different in any possible world, then He wouldn't be a necessary being. This means God's moral values are the same in every possible world.

To use an analogy, 2 + 2 = 4 is true in all possible worlds, including the actual world. That's why 2 + 2 = 4 is objectively true. Its truth isn't contingent upon anything external.

The same is true for God and His properties.

But if God doesn't exist, then there's no such kind of foundation for moral values. What's odd is The Grand Nudger seems to think there is such a foundation, despite not believing in the existence of God.