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Euthyphro Dilemma

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Phage0070

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What is the Christian solution to the Euthyphro Dilemma?

For those not familiar with the dilemma, the original question way proposed by Socrates in Plato's dialog Euthyphro. Socrates asks Euthyphro "Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?"

A version in more modern language and adapted to monotheism is: "Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is morally good, or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?"
 

Yekcidmij

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One response that you might see , in fact the most common one I have seen, would be to say that something is morally good because it reflects God's own nature.

Also, it's worth noting that this same difficulty arises so that you could pose a simliar sort of question when trying to examine God's relation to any necessary being (ie, morals, numbers, propositions, sets, laws of math, laws of logic, etc..).
 
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ebia

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"Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is morally good, or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?"

Yes.

What is good and what is of God are one and the same thing. The problem is that in talking about God one has always hit the boundaries of human language, which always defines things in relation to other things.
 
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elman

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What is morally commanded by God is morally good because God can be trusted to be good. If something is said to be commanded by God that is not morally good, it is not commanded by God.
 
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drich0150

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Both dilemmas center around a secular understanding of Morality, and of Love. Our "solution" is to not work or place ourselves under the secular definitions. For instance Morality is a concept created by man. Because scripture tells us none are righteous/moral no not one. Because of this revelation those who believe in Christ know that none will find righteousness through "Morality."

The same holds true a your/Socrates understanding of a "Pious love." God does not love the "Pious" as witnessed by Jesus's struggles and rebukes with the most "Pious" of His day, for simply being Pious. This holier than thou concept as a way to earn God's love, is the secular understanding of How God works.. Neither definition you have presented is outlined or supported by scripture.
 
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