Do laws define morality?

Question

Quote:

All laws and systems of law are religious in origin. They are inescapably religious, because laws establish standards which define justice and morality for society.

The source of law in any society is its god. If a society makes its own laws, based upon human reasoning, then Humanism is its religion, and man is its god. If its laws are made by a single ruler, then he is the highest god of that society. If a nation's laws are made by a group of people, then we can say that this group of legislators are the gods of that society.

The source of law is the god of any society. Thus, legislators are gods by definition.

Quote continued:

The ancient Greeks believed that man's body was the prison house of the soul. They believed that material things were inherently evil, and spiritual things were inherently good. Man's mind, they said, was part of that spiritual class, even though it was said to be imprisoned in the material body. Thus, they believed that man's mind was of a higher order and was capable of discovering perfect virtue, or ultimate moral law.

As a result, Greek laws were humanistic, based upon the reasoning of their minds. Their god was man, and their religion was Humanist Philosophy.

Answer 1

God is th only AUTHORITY on morality.
Follow God's New Testament Laws , be obedient and serve only God you will have no morality problem.

The laws are totally based on the fact of what God says
KILL=MURDER
STEAL=ROBBERY
FALSE WITNESS=PERJURY
and so on and so on......

God will not disappear and His word shall not pass away!


Christian in PA

Answer 2

Law is a set of rules enforced by a set of institutions, usually the government and the police. It defines the way most people live their lives. People who disobey the law are normally punished by their government in various ways. These include corporal and capital punishment, imprisonment, rehabilitation, deterrence, restoration and retribution. Most countries only use a few of these, mainly because they see the ones that they don't use as being unethical. Laws differ depending on what country you live in. Ethics and morals are pretty much the same thing. Yes there are minor differences but for the most part there the same. Morals are a set of rules that determine how humans should behave. Although they are rules they are not openly enforced. I mean most morals are seen to be common sense. They are the things that tell you not to kill someone for instance. There are many views on if morals are built into humans or if morals are just a concept made by society. Religion is an organised set of human spirituality. It usually involves a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practises with a supernatural or transcendant quality. They give meaning to the believers life and/or experiences through out life. It's often expressed through prayers, rituals, music, art and meditation depending on what you believe and how you practive your belief.

Answer 3

Quite simply this is not correct. Thus:

Laws can be immoral. A country or government can impose laws which the world at large or even it's own citizes can perceive to be immoral, such as slavery or torture if it "threatens the state". And a country's religion is not dependent on it's laws, a country does not renoucne it's religion or alter it with every law that is passed. Many citizens of a country grow up aware of only the basic legal system they live within and their religion is decided outside of the law.

Also, is a man without religion immoral? By no means, disbeleif in divine punishment or reward does not make him oblivious to inherent rewards in doing moral deeds, he can believe that if he treated others unkindly then he gives permission for people to act how they want and treat him in a similar fashion. And a person who restricts from theft because he thinks he is being watched, by the police or by God, is not moral, merely prudent and intelligent not to get caught. A moral person doesn't steal even if he knows he could get away with it.

This seperates religion from morality, that morality is possible without religion. hence a legal system is a country's code for social obedience and civic growth, not morality. And a country demands it's laws followed regardless of religios belief. Country's have changed their rulers from kings to democracy to communism and basic laws have stayed the same, murder, theft, rape or tax evasion.

Answer 4

1)
Laws do not define morality, morality defines laws. Murder is illegal because as human beings we generally think that it is a bad thing to end the life of another human being.

2)
The source of law in a society is not god. The source of law is the government. These are not gods and we do not worship them in any sense. In fact, if we decide we don't like them any more, we get rid of them and put someone else in their place.

3)
Morality isn't exclusive to religion. I don't follow a religion, yet I still believe that I should lead a reasonably moral life, not because I want to please a deity, but because I am human.

Answer 5

> All laws and systems of law are religious in origin

Not necessarily true. Laws are also based on economic and business and political concerns. Laws on tax, congestion charges for traffic, immigration laws, laws on agricultural subsidies that give local crops a competitive advantage on the world market, laws against political opposition, for example.

I agree that laws seem to be taken as defining morality, here in the West people seem to be more concerned about whether something is legal or illegal than about whether it is right or wrong, moral or immoral, but that is probably because in the absence of religion people here have nothing else to measure moraliy against than laws made up by fallen humans which are themselves sometimes flawed.

As for ancient greek philosophy, what about it, why should we base our laws on their philosophy?

Answer 6

Sure. 10 Commandments certainly define morality.

Answer 7

It forces morals on us because without morals we would be as the barbarians were. Religions brought about the age of enlightenment, art, poetry, philosophy and higher learning.

Answer 8

For the immoral laws define morality. For the rest of us morality defines laws.

Answer 9

No, morality is morality.

Good is good and evil is evil.


For laws to be just, they have to be in accord with objective morality - allowing things that are good and forbidding things that are evil.





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Answer 10

Yes, religious laws define morality.
Drinking water is natural, but drinking water during fasting time is sin.