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Objective morality as a proper basic belief
RE: Objective morality as a proper basic belief
(July 10, 2017 at 8:44 pm)SteveII Wrote:
(July 10, 2017 at 1:33 pm)TheBeardedDude Wrote: If a god exists, its mere existence can't logically define morality. Might doesn't make right. No one being defines the morality of every single living thing because rules and laws aren't morals. [1] Morality doesn't have an "opt-out" option either. So either the god that supposedly exists is subject to the same moral principles, or it is doesn't behave morally considering the stories attributed to it. [2]

What then is more likely? 1) humans assigned the morals/rules/laws that they wanted to govern their society to a god so as to try and assign their morals/rules/laws to some sort of unquestionable authority? or 2) a god exists but created a set of objective moral standards that aren't actually able to be objective in practice and that change through time in such a way so as to conform to the evolution of moral values through time? [3]

1. That's completely wrong.  If God exists, then by definition, his nature is the only objective source of morals. All questions then have an explanatory ultimate. Without it, all you have is subjective morality. No one made any 'might makes right' argument. 

2. A point of clarification (I was not clear in previous posts). God is bound by his nature. We are bound by God's commands. They are not the same thing.

3. None of your choices are correct. God could not create a set of moral objective standards. They would not be objective. The first horn of the Euthyphro dilemma. Lastly, moral values have not evolved--then they would have been subjective and again, you would be stuck with the first horn of the dilemma. If you are going to lay out the options for the opposing view, you should understand it.

Why do you think that nearly everyone believes there is a such thing as objective moral truths yet can't really articulate where they come from?

(July 10, 2017 at 4:36 pm)TheBeardedDude Wrote: "If God's actions are constrained by his infinite nature..."

By definition, something that is infinite is unconstrained. Your god has paradoxical qualities

Infinite is clearly modifying nature in that sentence. His nature had no beginning. 

By definition, something that is infinite most certainly could be constrained. Infinite is a measure of duration, not ability.

(July 10, 2017 at 4:40 pm)JackRussell Wrote: Morality is tied to wellbeing, a VERY strong component of that is harm. Secular morality, well done, seeks to reduce harm and increase wellbeing. It ain't easy, but morality by divine fiat, that includes immorality by modern standards, fails ever time.

Good luck with your bible, I prefer an honest discussion about difficult stuff.

Isn't well being just a scientific measurement? That is decidedly a non-moral measurement and use of the word good and not a matter of moral value. Seems to be you are just redefining the word good in non-moral terms. With the redefinition, you cannot ask the question "is the pursuit of human well-being good?" because you would really be saying "is the pursuit of human well-being the pursuit of human well-being?". 

Secondly, such a foundation of morality does nothing for the what ought to be question, What, if any, are our obligations? Science can tell us how we are but it does not tell us what it wrong with how we are. It cannot tell us that we have a moral obligation to take actions that are conducive to the pursuit of human well-being.

1. That's completely wrong.  If God exists, then by definition, his nature is the only objective source of morals. <- this argument is this argument -> 'might makes right' argument. 

You've not demonstrated that objective morality must exist if a god exists. 

2. A point of clarification (I was not clear in previous posts). God is bound by his nature. We are bound by God's commands. They are not the same thing.

Then your god is not infinite if it is bounded by anything. And we aren't bound by god's commands since we are able to make our own decisions and choices.

3. None of your choices are correct. God could not create a set of moral objective standards.

There are things that exist that your god does not control and/or did not create? Then your god is not all-powerful nor all-knowing. If it could not create a set of objective moral standards then it is also not all-powerful or all-knowing. Your god is losing power very quickly from the way you keep describing it.

Why do you think that nearly everyone believes there is a such thing as objective moral truths yet can't really articulate where they come from?

Because people are generally stupid. Believing in objective morality but being unable to show that objective morals exist, suggests to me that they don't exist despite the desperate attempt people make to special plead them into existence (which is especially interesting if in their special pleading they end up defining their god into obscurity, as you've done).

Infinite is clearly modifying nature in that sentence. His nature had no beginning. 


By definition, something that is infinite most certainly could be constrained. Infinite is a measure of duration, not ability.

If your god is infinite in any way, then it is not bounded or constrained. You don't know what infinite means and you're making your argument look like even more BS than it is as a result.
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Messages In This Thread
RE: Objective morality as a proper basic belief - by TheBeardedDude - July 12, 2017 at 1:12 pm

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