Suppose a god exists. Is an act immoral because he says so, or does he say so because it's immoral?

Question

If the former, then why does he say so?
If the latter, then where does moral 'wrongness' come from?

I'm referring to the standard kind of creator deity from any of the monotheistic religions.

Mystine: Not so. Morality is subjective, obviously.

white dove: So "might is right", is that what you're saying?

SG: Thanks for the tip!

Alice: Doesn't explain why or how he makes his decisions.

Maurice H: So it's just selfishness on his part... I see :-)

larissa: So true, thanks.

Acid: Ha ha... yeah good point!

James: You only answered the first part, not the second.

deckape: Yeah. I think.

Lazar: So just on a whim then, eh? Just an arbitrary choice. Not much of a morality... :-)

arewethereyet: Problem with that argument is: who is it bad for? If I kill all disabled people, society as a whole will be better off, because of not having to care for them and spend money on them. However, they probably wouldn't be too happy about it. Things may be good for one person and bad for another. I think your answer is too simplistic.

Johnny: Good answer.

gls: So what does he base his decisions on? Are they arbitrary? Selfish? Altruistic?

Will W: Doesn't explain why some things are defined to be 'good'.

Answer 1

I like this one because of the suppose defined in the On line dictionary as:CONJUNCTION: - Assuming that: Supposing we're right, what should we do?

In this position,and with this stated definition, will you do something if my answer is fully clear and justified? I bet you will not My Friend!!!!

You used the term "Godf" which is defined in the on line dictionary as: NOUN: - God A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and "ruler of the universe"?, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions.
The force, effect, or a manifestation or aspect of this being.
A being of supernatural powers or attributes, believed in and worshiped by a people, especially a male deity "thought to control" some part of nature or reality.
An image of a supernatural being; an idol.
"One that is worshiped, idealized, or followed" Money was their god.
A very handsome man.
A powerful ruler or despot"

Does not the dictionary answer your question without a lot of explanation? I did place quotation marks on the important items stated such as: . "ruler of the universe"?, "thought to control" "One that is worshiped, idealized, or followed"

It seems reasonable that one that is ruler, thought to control, worshiped, idolized, and followed would not be questioned in respect to anything that He did with what does belong to him and what rules or standards He did put in place in one view.

To me your question is likened to which is correct - Is the cart to be pulled by the horse or pushed by the horse. In this supposed position and seeing what is stated in the dictionary, I am of the opinion that the standards are put in place by the supposed God because such is his right which is accepted in this supposed position. He need not do this by force or by using his power for all who suppose He exists accept this as a fact.Thus with the cart bering pulled by the horse, the standards are put in place meaning "An act is immoral because Her says so".
In the stated position of using the word"suppose" coupled with using the word "God" and then question the supposition is incomprehensible. Such is pure reasoning in the darkness by denying the fact that the meaning of the word "God" is not the standard defined meaning. To do such, you must post your meaning of the word you used in "God" clearly so a proper supposition can be put in place.

I stated "reasoning in the darkness for truth can be assumed. accepted. and/or agreed upon, but it can not be varified without the light.

Do have a good day, smile and why not just change some of your views my friend. It makes life very simple OK

Answer 2

Wow!!! This is a REALLY GOOD question!!!!
You also didn't leave room for an argument unless its really, really good! *LOL* I'll try my best here though.

Okay I believe a God exists, one true God, and I believe that an act is immoral because he "possibly" said it so, but I believe that he truely says it is immoral because he saw the immorality of the situation.
I believe that immoral "wrongness" comes from not God per say, but how others saw the repercussions of their actions on the whole after a period of time. I also believe that is why He says it is wrong, he saw the affect of how one bad action by a single person had affected the whole.
If you let a serial killer go, and they kill just for the enjoyment of killing, not only does it cause fear, but it also causes entire families emotional and physical pain. The longer the killer is allowed to remain free the more pain and loss it causes people.
I think that is why some things are wrong and somethings are right. I don't think all people who steal are doing wrong. I have been really poor, but I have known families that are poorer yet, and sometimes the only way they could feed their children was by stealing the food. I never saw the adults who committed the act eat the food themselves until after their children had ate their fill. In circumstances such as that stealing is not "wrong" but it was a necessary means of providing for their families. When you steal because you just desire the item(s) than that is morally wrong because you are not only hurting the business, but you are causing people to have to pay more for things and that hurts the ones that may not have the money to pay more.
Basically I believe that conciousness of moral wrongness has developed as we have, because at some point in time when we were finally able to add two and two to make four, we also saw the figured out the cause and effect of our acts. We could see if others benefitted from these actions and we could see if they harmed others, and that is how we determined as a species if it was right or wrong to do something or not to do something.
Hopefully I have been able to explain what I have been trying to explain clear enough for someone else to understand, and I am hoping that this expalins to you why I believe some things are wrong and some things are right, and in my opinion where the history of those actions and the determination of them has come from. I believe that there is the possiblity that Men said that God said it was wrong, because then they would not have to explain how they came to those conclusions, because with some people, all you have to do is say "God, said so," and they follow it no questions asked, but I also believe that my God had the wisdom to see these things before we did and told us to spare us some pain and heartache, personally, in the long run of things.

Answer 3

Some thoughts on Objective and Subjective Morality you may read with the following link ..

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhirHliwMfahKZHCqDVITonty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071127025529AA9UHn1

VALUE (Varified and Aligned Link within with the Ultimate Entity ), may be subjective for the so called Higher Classes and Objective for the so called Lower Classes according to the class theory in Hinduism. Here point to be noted that classes are formed not just with Birth, but also with actions and tastes performed and moving upward and downward happens for any body at any time and its not something to be felt guilty or disgusted with. The innocence of a child acting in various ways is liked by all. Perhaps this is the way to look upon various classes.. Here one story into miracles and values of a child ..

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvUZ.AdhBhhlkO.V6qf.dA3sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071203215410AAA7WsK

One more link into the aspects of Four Races ..

http://athmavidya.tripod.com/The%20Four%20Races.htm

But the Sathya Sai Thought for the Day states .. perhaps indicating a Higher and Deeper Purpose ie Is and Beyond the Objectivity and Subjectivity of analysises ..

"The person who is a slave to the mind will not find peace or happiness in life. The body is a mansion which has been projected by the mind for its own joy. Some waste their lives by expending their energy in looking after the body. Some others increase their attachment through thoughtless repetition of spiritual exercises, reducing them to mere ritual. The wise man is he who controls the mind and purifies the heart by filling it with good thoughts."

- BABA

http://www.radiosai.org/pages/thought.asp#

SAI RAM

Answer 4

You talk of morality yet how can the creature be extra ethical that its writer? Worse, lots worse, How can sinful and constrained guy be extra ethical than the ideal and limitless God? it is easily impossible. yet you utilize your constrained morality and understanding to decide God and fake you realize extra powerful than He. it is merely it seems that absurd. you're in a completely impossible place. for sure the failure to comprehend the depths of your sin blinds you and takes away your information and reason. God is righteous and can decide sin. What you write refuses justice, fairness and opposes the upkeep of risk to be added from sin. All you go with is gross self indulgence, on the cost of others, which isn't in uncomplicated terms valueless yet pernicious. You prepare your self with out reason. Edit : If what you say is from Dawkins then it applies to him.

Answer 5

Morals are SUBJECTIVE (based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions and dependent on the mind for existence).

Even the dictionary says that morals are conforming to accepted standards of behaviour.

Society sets morals, not a cloud.

Answer 6

For the sake of argument, God as a creator sets the standard for all reality and morality. This includes physical law and moral law. Our concept of moral and immoral only exists because God exists and creates such absolutes (else good and evil are only our perceptions and thus relative). Thus if God exists it is impossible for any Good to exist apart from Him/Her/It.

God does exist. As to what God says, one must exam any claim that a statement comes from God with some common sense.

Answer 7

the latter.
the wrongness comes from a necessary survival mechanism hard wired into us. we form complex relationships and set standards for morality, then create gods who claim responsibilty for them.
I think pain, suffering, cruelty is wrong.
I think pleasure, happiness, and love is right.
that is at least a good place to start. I want my two dollars.

Answer 8

For a suppose god to exists and judge what is immoral in all aspects of all human existence, that supposed god would have had to live all of theses lives to understand the true underlying
of what was taught as truth is a lie, but a lie that takes years to understand, that there is an unforgiving society that also drives us like a "carrot & Stick" so therefore we can not all account for our meaningless lives of existence among a society that continues to lie for the truth of what does not exist in a form that can be identified as the source.

Edit

A bit confusing, but the suppose god would have to fight itself constantly as new generation evolve and per ones understanding of what to do that is seen as good in the eyes of god and not act or play on emotions, which is impossible at time.

Answer 9

Well, to most people right and wrong are common sense, an immoral act is self-evident. God says so for the same reason.

Grey areas are invented by humans to justify that which they want to do and still seem as though they are moral.

Answer 10

Morality is a social concept. It is not from god, it is from people's wish to live together in (more or less) harmony, just like laws. So, it is moral cause it's moral. But if you look at some of the believers, who think atheists have no morals, maybe they need a book to tell them what's moral.