Morality Evidence for God?

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wpthird
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Morality Evidence for God?

Post by wpthird »

I have been reading CS Lewis Mere Christianity and I am struggling to grasp the concept of the origination of Good and Evil and how know for sure that it is not a human convention.

For example, Lewis states:

"In the same way, if the Rule of Decent Behaviour meant simply ‘whatever each nation happens to approve’, there would be no sense in saying that any one nation had ever been more correct in its approval than any other; no sense in saying that the world could ever grow morally better or morally worse."

But couldn't this be based on your own culture? If I decide the moral values of some other country are inferior to mine isn't that only because my moral laws originated from my culture different from the culture I am comparing to? And further couldn't that prove that morality is a cultural convention?

Also, for instance if you were to go to a less civilized area where people weren't taught the traditional moral values you would notice that their moral values are much different than what one would experience in a western civilized area. Actually some of the moral values taught in the Bible wouldn't exist in those areas. Doesn't that further prove that people are taught moral values, not born with them?

I hope I don't offend, I'm just trying to clear some stuff up and the way my brain works is kinda crazy :P
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Kurieuo
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Re: Morality Evidence for God?

Post by Kurieuo »

Why read, when you can watch? CS Lewis deals with different cultures. Perhaps, sometimes, when reading people don't process it as well as watching helpful animations in today's age which is so visual. Anyway, check out the CS Lewis doodling videos on Youtube -- I found them quite neat and easy to digest.
"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
crochet1949
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Re: Morality Evidence for God?

Post by crochet1949 »

I've read one of the books by C.S. Lewis -- Mere Christianity. I found that I'm not that impressed with him even though he is highly regarded.

Morality needs to be based on Christianity -- God's Word. Not especially cultural norms of 'the day'. Based on the fact that many countries allow for same-sex unions -- homosexuality is accepted as a 'norm'. Does that make it Right? No.

Biblical morality / ethics is Not popular, but it Is God's Word.

From what I've heard -- there are or have been cultures where the tribes are head-hunters , canabalistic in nature -- does that mean it's okay? No. And, from what I've heard, when they have been reached with the Gospel - they change to Godly behavior.
PaulSacramento
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Re: Morality Evidence for God?

Post by PaulSacramento »

wpthird wrote:I have been reading CS Lewis Mere Christianity and I am struggling to grasp the concept of the origination of Good and Evil and how know for sure that it is not a human convention.

For example, Lewis states:

"In the same way, if the Rule of Decent Behaviour meant simply ‘whatever each nation happens to approve’, there would be no sense in saying that any one nation had ever been more correct in its approval than any other; no sense in saying that the world could ever grow morally better or morally worse."

But couldn't this be based on your own culture? If I decide the moral values of some other country are inferior to mine isn't that only because my moral laws originated from my culture different from the culture I am comparing to? And further couldn't that prove that morality is a cultural convention?

Also, for instance if you were to go to a less civilized area where people weren't taught the traditional moral values you would notice that their moral values are much different than what one would experience in a western civilized area. Actually some of the moral values taught in the Bible wouldn't exist in those areas. Doesn't that further prove that people are taught moral values, not born with them?

I hope I don't offend, I'm just trying to clear some stuff up and the way my brain works is kinda crazy :P
You are doing what so many skeptics tend to do to justify their "flexible morals" and that is confusing what is Good and right and so forth with the fact that there IS Good and right and so forth.

Through our human history ( if we want to use anthropology as a starting point), all societies had things that were considered good and bad, there has always been a notion of good and bad.
What those things were may be different and may have changed over time BUT the notion that this is a good and bad is objective and absolute, so this understanding is the FIRST part of understanding Morals ( and the moral argument).
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