What IS good, and how do we determine it?

[Catholic_Lady]

Good night then Thanks for answering my questions.

When you rejoin us, maybe you could define what "good" and "morality" actually mean to you, specifically? Are they about wellbeing versus harm, and if not, why should I care about them? If they are, isn't it pretty obvious on the whole what causes harm and what aids wellbeing? You admit we all differ on the finer points, that is to be expected from subjective but not objective morality. Also, "what God says is good" is subjective to God, not objective. If it was objective, it would also apply to God, and he couldn't change it.

Also, what logic did you use to decide Christianity is true? You've already discarded most of the bible as irrelevant. If I picked up a book and wanted to learn something from it and I was three quarters of the way through and so far it was getting it all wrong, why on Earth would I read any more or expect it to suddenly be right?

There's not a lot to say from our perspective. On the whole, we use empathy and reason. Not a lot more to it. We know what hurts us, so we don't do that to other people. The more general explanation is evolution, the natural selection of those who cooperate. All religion does is try and credit "God" with all this.

I'm back.

Yes, I can explain that to you. In the simplest form, morality comes down to treating others the way you would want to be treated. I believe that going against this moral law is always wrong, whether you do it by killing, stealing, disrespecting, etc. It doesn't matter who you are or what you believe. If you murder someone, you have committed an immoral act. Period. I believe this is a moral truth.

(Of course, there are instances in self defense or in justifiable war where you have the right to exert as much force as is necessary to stop an aggressor. If that amount of force causes death, it is justified and not immoral on your part. But even in these cases we must be very careful.)

The question isn't so much *what* is moral. I think we'd all agree on what I said above. The question is *who or what* has established this moral law? Well, I believe God has. I believe God created human life as a sacred thing, and so to destroy or mistreat or hurt something sacred is always going to be objectively immoral. I do not believe this is subjective. I believe it is a moral truth.