Morality – Where does it come from?
Recently, New York Apologetics hosted a debate at Stony Brook University between Dr. Michael Shermer and Dr. Frank Turek. The topic, which better explains morality? God or Science.
Dr. Turek asked Dr. Shermer the following question, “Why is Hitler’s moral sense worse than your moral sense? You can watch for yourself at www.newyorkapologetics.com during the first part of the cross-examination period.
The standard of morality seems objective when we think about it. What is meant by objective? An objective law exists independent of individual minds and is binding on all, not just some.
Here is a version of the Moral Argument (Hastings Rashdall), which is a rational argument for the existence of God from the moral law.
- An absolutely perfect moral ideal exists (at least psychologically in our minds).
- An absolutely perfect moral law can exist only if there is an absolutely perfect moral Mind: (a) Ideas can exist only if there are minds (thoughts depend on thinkers). (b) And absolute ideas depend on an absolute Mind (not on individual [finite] minds like ours).
- Hence, it is rationally necessary to postulate an absolute Mind as the basis for the absolutely perfect moral idea.[1]
In support of the objectivity of the absolute moral idea Rashdall offers this reasoning:
- Morality is generally understood as objectively binding.
- Mature minds understand morality as being objectively binding (i.e., binding on all, not just some).
- Moral objectivity is a rationally necessary postulate (because something cannot be judged as better or worse unless there is an objective standard of comparison).
- Objective moral ideals are practically necessary to postulate.[2]
To answer Dr. Turek’s question reasonably, one should point to an objective moral standard, which cannot be accounted for without the existence of GOD!
[1] Geisler, N. L. (1999). In Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics (p. 498). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[2] Geisler, N. L. (1999). In Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics (pp. 498–499). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.