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The christian morality derives from God, and God is benevolent so whatever he commands is morally good. Does that mean that anything God does or commands is morally right? Or does God only act and command that which is morally good?

If it is the former, would any act, no matter how despicable it would be to our current moral standards, be morally good, because God commands it? Or is there a moral standard independent from God, and God only commands what is morally good according to that independent standard?

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Related Is murder allowed if God tells you to do it? – Richard Sep 12 '11 at 17:36
Also, related What is the essence of sin? – Richard Sep 12 '11 at 17:43
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Why not ask Plato or check out Philosophy – Peter Turner Sep 12 '11 at 18:19
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I think the answer to the title question is, "Yes." – Joel Coehoorn Sep 12 '11 at 19:06
Also known as Euthyphro's Dilemma – Richard Sep 13 '11 at 18:25

4 Answers

up vote 9 down vote

There is no moral standard apart from the person of God.

God is not Himself subjected to some outside standard of reference, He is the standard that we reference. Since we also know that He is good, we can be certain that nothing He commands will ever bee morally despicable. @Joel Coehoorn nailed in in a comment. Yes, actions are morally good because God commands them and what God commands is morally good because it was Him that commanded it.

If something comes up that bothers our consciences we have several possibilities to consider.

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The moral standard to which God is subject is internal to Himself, not external. The question poses a false dilemma. – Benjamin Jun 10 '12 at 0:45
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This is what is commonly known as the Euthyphro's dilemma

I can show everyone to the excellent podcast on Dr. William Lane Craig's podcast on it on his website.

It is a common objection that atheist have against the moral argument for his existence.

Here is the link to the podcast

http://www.rfmedia.org/RF_audio_video/RF_podcast/Euthyphro_Argument_Revisited.mp3

The dilemma in the end is not really a dilemma because the Christian can posit a third option that defeats the horn of the dilemma. It is in the end a false dilemma

How can people say that philosophy is dead when people still talk about a 2500 year old philosophical problem?

In a nutshell.

The Euthyphro dilemma is actually a false dichotomy. That is, it proposes only two options when another is possible. The third option is that good is based on God’s nature. God appeals to nothing other than his own character for the standard of what is good, and then reveals what is good to us. It is wrong to lie because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), not because God had to discover lying was wrong or that he arbitrarily declared it to be wrong. Therefore, for the Christian, there is no dilemma since neither position in Euthyphro’s dilemma represents Christian theology.

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Do you have a citation to the suggestion that philosophy is dead? I've never heard that. What is the 3rd option here? Could you quote a bit of the podcast or summarize it? – wax eagle♦ Sep 14 '11 at 13:33
I was thinking of Stephen Hawkins he begins his book the grand design with that statement anyhow not important. – Neil Meyer Sep 14 '11 at 14:47
This answer makes it sound like God does not have free will. – Benjamin Jun 10 '12 at 0:46
up vote 1 down vote

This question is a false dilemma. Moral law originates in God's mind, not in His will. It is neither arbitrary nor independent of Him.

"Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:22)

"it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things" (Acts 15:28)

God has knowledge of what is valuable and is therefore obligated by the law of His own mind.

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up vote 0 down vote

God certainly does what is morally right, but he certainly has the freedom to do what is not good. Even a person with no ethical training has a notion of what is fair and what is not (moral standard of the conscience). Hence I am of the opinion that God only acts and commands that which is morally good.

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Welcome to Christianity.SE. There is not a hard requirement but this community really likes to see answers defended with either Scripture or some sort of doctrinal statement other than personal opinion. When you answer, please consider demonstrating how you came to a particular belief or who else holds that belief. – Caleb♦ Sep 17 '11 at 14:56
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In light of this view, how would you interpret Hebrews 6:18 where it makes a comment about it being "impossible for God to lie"? – Caleb♦ Sep 17 '11 at 14:57
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Asking someone to murder their child (Abraham) is morally good? How? – Marc Gravell♦ Sep 17 '11 at 15:11
@Marc Gravell - Murder is unlawful killing. God has authority over life and death. Abraham was not acting unlawfully seeing he had God's command. Abraham also knew God could raise the dead (Heb 11:19). And Abraham was even willing to question God when he feared there might be good people in Sodom (Gen 18:24-25). If there was something morally wrong about it, Abraham would have been the first man to speak up. – Benjamin Jun 10 '12 at 0:56
@Caleb - Even George Washington supposedly said he could not tell a lie. God is unable to sin because of His voluntary benevolent intentions. The same is true for Christians. "Whosoever is born of God ... cannot sin" (1John 3:9) – Benjamin Jun 10 '12 at 1:00

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