Discovering Religion: Ep 22 - Moral Absolutes and The Motivation to be Moral (1 of 2)

The twenty-second installment of my original series, "Discovering Religion". In this two part episode I examine the concept of moral absolutes and ultimately where our sense of right and wrong is derived. To illustrate this concept, I pose two question to theists:

"Why is adultery immoral?" and "Would it be moral to kill your child if God command you to?"

If morality is solely derived from God, do theists believe actions are right or wrong merely because God says so? These questions serve to highlight a famous philosophical debate found in the "Dialogs of Plato", known as the Euthyphro Dilemma.

If it is possible to know something is wrong, despite the fact God has commanded it, then where is one's sense of morality truly derived?

Episode 22 Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq0PvkB9jdY

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VIDEO CITED:
Is God Necessary for Morality (Debate) William Lane Craig vs Louise Antony
http://youtu.be/9n0lqWPaIuM

128. What is The Euthyphro Dilemma? With William Lane Craig
http://youtu.be/IgGB4Oxs5VU

That Mitchell And Webb Look (S03E06)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499410/

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MUSIC CITED:
Tudors - 15 - Buckingham Plots For Murder
Tudors - 08 - More's Love Of A King
Tudors - 06 - Cardinal Wolsey's Secrets
Tudors - 11 Lovers
Silent Hill - Promise (reprise)
Silent Hill - Le Tourment de Laura

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WORKS CITED:
Euthyphro Dilemma
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/plato/euthyphr.htm

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BIBLICAL CITATIONS:

Featured Stories:
David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 and 12)
http://tinyurl.com/m3y59j

Abraham Tested (Genesis 22)
http://tinyurl.com/44zctaz


Biblical Atrocities:
Murder, rape, and pillage at Jabesh-gilead (Judges 21:10-24)
http://tinyurl.com/3chb5vg

Murder, rape and pillage of the Midianites (Numbers 31:7-18)
http://tinyurl.com/4yt6c29

Murder Rape and Pillage (Deuteronomy 20:10-14)
http://tinyurl.com/3f2v5gn

Making Sex-Slaves of Female Captives (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
http://tinyurl.com/3uccacg

Rape and the Spoils of War (Judges 5:30)
http://tinyurl.com/4y4cz8g

God Assists Rape and Plunder (Zechariah 14:1-2)
http://tinyurl.com/3umlgs7

God Kills 1st born of Egypt (Exodus 12:29-30)
http://tinyurl.com/3fp58sb

God kills children for ancestor' sins (Isaiah 14:21)
http://tinyurl.com/3ouwq57

God kills offspring of enemies (Hosea 9:11-16)
http://tinyurl.com/3dlhg2n

God promotes murder, looting, and rape (Isaiah 13:15-18)
http://tinyurl.com/4xnbbht

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TRANSCRIPT:
http://discoveringreligion.net/?p=504

PLAYLIST:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=70E757541E8576D7

WEBSITE:
http://www.discoveringreligion.net

FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Discovering-Religion/143122652390020?ref=ts

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Euthyphro
• Dilemma
• William
• Lane
• Craig
• ultimate
• accountability
• moral
• absolutes
• secular
• morality
• adultery
• Abraham
• Isaac
• David
• Bathsheba

[halflifeproductionz]

Something Andy you have to admit is that human intelligence far surpasses any animal in the world. Could there have been a god that guided us to this position of great intelligence?

[DiscoveringReligion]

@halflifeproductionz

Any thing is possible. However, in my experience I would say that a God specifically guiding our evolution is highly unlikely. Humans just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Our intelligence almost appears to be a fluke, for if certain environmental pressures had not been present at particular stages in our evolution we would be no smarter than Chimpanzees or any other primate.

[DiscoveringReligion]

@DR

I always found it interesting that theists believe humans are SO special that God singled out our species for intelligence, providing us with a soul and with an ultimate reward or punishment for our deeds. What makes humans so special that we get tortured for eternity, yet animals are let completely off the hook? Nothing I observe about the world allows the plausibility for such a belief. Natural Selection has occurred naturally, therefore we must assume a higher power was not involved.

[frank3976]

WLC is sooooooo full of shit.

[DiscoveringReligion]

@toolworks

I agreed w/ him, but humans are natural killers, just like lions, wolves, etc. From an evolutionary standpoint it doesn't make sense to kill members of your own clan, b/c you depend on each other, but it does make sense to kill members of rival groups for resources and territory. The reason we now have laws against killing anyone is because of our ability to intellectually reason. Evolution is part of the answer, but without moral reasoning we would be no better than wild animals.

[ZeerosFate]

Every time I this hack's voice (WLC's), I suffer from nausea.

[Maggynus]

The circularity of Craig's claim is disgusting. Why is God good? Because his actions are good. But then what makes his actions good? Because he is God and God is good. Completely unrelated but I really love your videos, I wrote a letter to God for my ap english class and used many of the concepts said in your videos to help me out. I ended up getting a 100, and so I just wanted to thankyou for making these enlightening videos.

[EnnoiaBlog]

The Logos is the personification of rationality and logic, and the physical laws of the universe. If you read enough of the philosophers of the time in question, you'll see the arguments made which lead the ancients to agree on the primacy of the Logos. If you cannot agree on the use and value of Logic in a debate, you get absolutely nowhere. If they think force is every bit, if not better, than your Logos, then how do you prove them wrong? With force? You'd be proving them right!

[jccarbunkle]

@frank3976 Not as much as hovind.

[HybridD91]

Moral objectivists are one until shit hits the fan.

[HybridD91]

WLC doesn't do his side any favors. He's pretty much saying he couldn't find a basis for morality without a god. All he's doing is showing how morally superior we are.

[PeeGeeBeeDee]

@DiscoveringReligion I Agree With Everything You've Stated Both In Your Videos And In Your Responses To These Imbeciles, Andy, But On One Point I Disagree With You. And That Point Concerns Evolution's Creation Of Reasoning And Emotions. Without Mutation, Natural And Sexual Selection Humans Wouldn't Have Aquired The Genes Necessary For Morality (As Well As Emotions Like Empathy And Compassion) And Wouldn't Have Evolved Into The Moral, Conscious, Altruistic, Etc. Animals That They Are Today.