The Search for God Page 2.1.4.2
So far we have examined laws of logic and laws from experience, all of which apply 100% to all things in existence. Now, we’re going to examine laws that just apply to humans, as far as we know.
These concepts are probably better functional laws of humanity. The first of these concepts is the idea of right and wrong or the law of morality. The universal “ought”.
How ought we to behave? How ought we treat one another?
No matter what culture you visit, no matter what human you talk to, everyone has a standard, a “line in the sand” where that person will say it is wrong to cross. There is a moral code. This is not just ethics or societal standards but a hardwired rule.
Whether we are dealing with property, physical boundaries, or intimate activities, everyone has developed a moral standard. Where do these ideas come from?
Morality and Society
Even when eight-year-old children hit another child or steal something, they understand the concept that if the roles were reversed, that activity would be wrong. The thief who has something stolen from them thinks the other thief is wrong.
The judge who takes a bribe thinks corporate greed is wrong. The man who has an affair thinks rape is wrong. The rapist thinks child rape is wrong. The child rapist…. The list goes on and on.
- Where is your line in the sand?
- Are those just societal standards?
- Why do we even have societal standards?
- Who makes those up?
Society is made up of individual groups who agree that these issues are the standard. If society says slavery is okay, is it?
If society says stealing from a billionaire is justified, is it? If society says it is okay to hate another because of the color of skin, nationality, sex, the color of hair, geographic location, or political belief, is it?
Societies can be wrong because they are just groups of people. Where does our standard come from? Is there justice for the wicked, to those that harm another, or to those who take advantage of the people around them? The powerful abuse their strength over the weak.
In a world of subjective morality, where each person and society sets its own standard, conflict arises because individuals set different bars for morality, but we all have them. Society comes together when a majority finds agreement on where to set collective bars.
Violation of an individual law produces guilt, regret, and various other emotions. When we know we have done something wrong, we might lower our bar to rid ourselves of guilt. Maybe we apologize.
If our bar (we think) says it is okay to steal $1000 in California, but societal law only allows $750 in theft, we might be put in jail or given a fine. Morality cannot come from a single individual. Watch the video below for an expanded view on moral relativism.
Still, every human has a sense of right and wrong; whether the bar is set high or low, the standard exists. Where does that standard come from?
Morality and God
So, we know morality is true, we know there is a sense of right and wrong. Humans can make moral judgments as a society. The question becomes, “Where does morality come from?”
Just like the other laws of logic and experience, we witness and discover these facts, but from where do they arise? The video below is a great explanation of the moral argument for God.
- Why would God be the moral lawgiver?
- Why does God care about morality?
- If God is a judge, why does evil exist?
These are the questions we become worked up by, even angered by. Even though we recognize morality exists, we don’t want God’s justice, but in the same breath, we wonder why God has not dispensed his justice to others.
Morality is a 100% functional human law that should prompt us to ask:
- What are the laws?
- Where did the laws come from?
Most of the time, morality produces a visceral, emotional response. There is a larger problem. When we explored the law of identity, we realized that an all-knowing being should exist to answer questions about death.
The issue of morality is often asked by people who say, “Why is there evil?” But I want to put that question aside for a moment and accept the fact that evil exists. Let’s now ask, “Should evil be punished?” Who will punish evil?
The idea of morality suggests judgement should occur when a violation of a standard occurs. Humans recognize the authority of the human judicial system, so what is the problem of an all-knowing, unchanging God dispensing justice?
Morality and Justice
We have all heard the slogan “No justice, no peace.” We live in a world of pain and hardship. Evil and death are frequent occurrences. Through inept words, neglect, greed, lust for power and outright violent trauma we damage future generations, our children, the poor, and vulnerable humans.
In the case of mass murder, does a life sentence or the death penalty satisfy justice? Do the family members think justice is served? Are the defrauded investors made whole by twenty-five cents on the dollar and Bernie Madoff in jail?
We seek justice for those wronged and those who commit such acts. But it seems that nothing is truly satisfactory to rectify those harms unless an all-knowing, all-powerful, righteous judge exists to dispense justice. The following video discusses moral justice.
So if we find this being, if we find God, we should expect God to be a righteous judge. If God speaks and is not a judge, might we have a claim that God is unjust? Or if God never speaks to humankind, but yet knows all these events happen, we would determine that not only does God not care, but again, God is unjust.
So on our search for God, we should expect if God speaks that He is a righteous judge. If we don’t find this being, then we have to question or adjust our theory of God and our hypothesis.
What Next?
- What is the crucial concept?
- Morality is woven into the human conscience and mind telling us how we “ought” to behave.
- Why is that significant?
- Based on the law of morality a righteous judge with the power to dispense justice should exist.
- If you agree, the next steps.
- If you disagree, please consider reading.
References and Links
- The Human Basis Of Laws And Ethics
- MORES, LAWS, MORALITY AND ETHICS
- Natural Law
- Moral Epistemology
- Deep ethics
- Kant’s Moral Philosophy