Why do some christians think that morals come from god?

[Angelquill]

A few of them even seem to be able to hold on to Him on the outside.
Unfortunately, the majority seem to lose Him again as soon as their feet hit the street...

 

[Joshua260]

Because the amoral natural processes of evolution have no mechanism by which to supply us with morals.

I totally agree with aiki.

Even Richard Dawkins agrees:
"there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference. . . . We are machines for propagating DNA. . . . It is every living object’s sole reason for being”

and also Darwin:
"If … men were reared under precisely the same conditions as hive-bees, there can hardly be a doubt that our unmarried females would, like the worker-bees, think it a sacred duty to kill their brothers, and mothers would strive to kill their fertile daughters, and no one would think of interfering."

Read more: Is the Foundation of Morality Natural or Supernatural? The Craig-Harris Debate | Reasonable Faith

God, then, makes the most sense as the origin of the objective moral values and duties we all possess. A Moral Law requires a Moral Law Giver.

Absolutely. So atheists who instinctively know that raping little girls and slavery is wrong should question where their sense of these objective moral values are actually coming from. Neither Dawkins nor Darwin believe that objective moral values and duties could have arisen from natural evolutionary processes.

 

[Angelquill]

Ever watch small children at play? They don't care about "morals and ethics"...all they care about is "she has the toy and I want it" so they snatch it and run.
Would an older child snatch candy from his baby brother or sister? You betcha. I've seen kids up in their teens do this.
Morals and ethics are something that have to be taught...they do not occur naturally in us.

Ever read "Lord of the Flies"??

So, where do such notions as "ethics and morality" come from?

I submit that they come from God...

 

[Hetta]

Yes, you could call it that. In borne ideas of right and wrong, you can see that in small case studies with small indigneous tribes as well as modern society.

In fact, the DNA idea reminds me of an idea put forward by Frank herbert in the novel Dune, when referring to a master geneticist race called the Bene Tlailax, who were also closest religious fanatics.

They saw no issue between sciene and their faith, going so far as to call DNA, "The language of God."

Maybe a bit more simplistic in the scheme of total evoultion but it does have a kernal of truth in there.

You think that a sense of right and wrong is genetic?

 

[ebia]

Ever watch small children at play? They don't care about "morals and ethics"...all they care about is "she has the toy and I want it" so they snatch it and run. Would an older child snatch candy from his baby brother or sister? You betcha. I've seen kids up in their teens do this. Morals and ethics are something that have to be taught...they do not occur naturally in us. Ever read "Lord of the Flies"?? So, where do such notions as "ethics and morality" come from? I submit that they come from God...

Come from god via what media?

 

[Angelquill]

Come from god via what media?

Why would an Almighty God need a "media"??
I seem to recall a promise that He would write His law upon our hearts...

 

[ebia]

Why would an Almighty God need a "media"?? I seem to recall a promise that He would write His law upon our hearts...

But only on adult hearts?

 

[Angelquill]

I don't think I said "only on adult hearts"...
One of the finest Christians I ever knew was three years old. Yes, her mother was a Christian, but her father was not.

 

[Angelquill]

What I said was that ethics and morality do not come naturally to us. They have to be taught.
Perhaps I should have said "outside of God, we have to be taught."

My question is, if we don't have it in ourselves by nature, where did it come from? It isn't something that evolved...

 

[Angelquill]

Why would an Almighty God need a "media"??
I seem to recall a promise that He would write His law upon our hearts...

'


Let me hasten to add here, that while God does not necessarily need a "media", He does sometimes use other means, such as people, to get His point across.
And then, there is always the bible...

 

[bhsmte]

This question has always puzzled me:

Why do some christians think that morals come from god?

If one convinces themselves that morals come from God, it helps to keep them believing in a God.

In other words, it can be used as a means to self justify their belief.

 

[bhsmte]

Because the amoral natural processes of evolution have no mechanism by which to supply us with morals. God, then, makes the most sense as the origin of the objective moral values and duties we all possess. A Moral Law requires a Moral Law Giver.

Selah.

As man evolved, he needed to get along socially in his environment to help survival. Going around killing others because you can, ends up getting you killed, when someone comes for revenge. Not all too good for survival, in the long run.

Personal psychological satisfaction also plays a role in being moral.

 

[Angelquill]

"Personal psychological satisfaction also plays a role in being moral."

Why??

 

[bhsmte]

"Personal psychological satisfaction also plays a role in being moral."

Why??

Do you think it is beneficial to one's psyche to be considered a good person and accepted by society? Do you think this may help self esteem?

If one acts immorally, much more difficult to be accepted by society.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs | Simply Psychology

 

[workmx]

If one convinces themselves that morals come from God, it helps to keep them believing in a God.

In other words, it can be used as a means to self justify their belief.

And a method of othering: claiming that those without faith in their particular god are bad people.

Sickening.

 

[bhsmte]

And a method of othering: claiming that those without faith in their particular god are bad people.

Sickening.

Yes, that does happen, as I have been told I have no way to live a moral life, are being led by evil, I really know God exists but I reject him and all sorts of other labels and assumptions.

But, when you really examine that type of behavior, it is really just an attempt (and a somewhat desperate one) for those people to protect their belief, by labeling those who disagree with them, in a negative light.

 

[workmx]

Yes, that does happen, as I have been told I have no way to live a moral life, are being led by evil, I really know God exists but I reject him and all sorts of other labels and assumptions.

But, when you really examine that type of behavior, it is really just an attempt (and a somewhat desperate one) for those people to protect their belief, by labeling those who disagree with them, in a negative light.

Yeah. I have been there too.

 

[98cwitr]

Morality is a learned, environmental trait. It is either nurtured or it is not. There are small anomalies that point genetics to the lack of morals (sociopaths and psychopaths), but for the most part it's basically how you're raised and with what peer groups you are influenced by.

 

[workmx]

Morality is a learned, environmental trait. It is either nurtured or it is not. There are small anomalies that point genetics to the lack of morals (sociopaths and psychopaths), but for the most part it's basically how you're raised and with what peer groups you are influenced by.

Interesting. I think that it is empathy that sociopaths lack though.

 

[ebia]

What I said was that ethics and morality do not come naturally to us. They have to be taught. Perhaps I should have said "outside of God, we have to be taught." My question is, if we don't have it in ourselves by nature, where did it come from? It isn't something that evolved...

Why can't it be "something that evolved"? Or something we created?