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Eric’s third question.
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Eric’s third question.
Copying the following question of Eric’s into its own discussion. I will reply in a separate post.
Eric said:
“Third Question
This question centres around the problem of evil. Essentially it questions how morality can be even be used against theists, for objective morality is a theistic idea. When anti-theists bring up the problem of evil, does their argument not rely on objective morality? The argument goes as follows
1. To call something objectively evil, we require an objective moral standard
2.Atheists state there is objective evil
3. Objective evil is more likely under theism than atheism.
At least in theism, there is an explanation of evil, whether it be through the Devil or an interplay between forces of Good and Evil or the idea of original sin. However, how does a materialist or atheist even conceive of where an objective morality can come from?”
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3 Replies
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I see the problem of evil as something that often does (and in my subjective opinion should) cause theists to reconsider the internal coherence of their views.
I don’t have any need for objective morality to be a part of my worldview, in order to point out internal coherence problems that can pop up for theists, in response to recognizing the sort of things that go on in the world.
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“How does a materialist or atheist even conceive of where an objective morality can come from?”
The real question is how does<i style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”> a theist even conceive of where an objective morality can come from?
Objective morality cannot possibly come from God. If “it is wrong to rape a little girl” came from God, then God could make it the case that it is not wrong to rape a little girl. If He can’t then there is something necessarily and intrinsically wrong about raping little girls, but that would be the case whether God exists or not.
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If God made morality, then it is as objective as rules of cricket. If God did not make it, then it is uncaused, therefore it does not need God to exist.
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