The Moral Argument
In this episode, we'll discuss the Argument from Morality. It's a philosophical argument that suggests humans have moral because a moral god gave it to them.
Among the moralities provide by god are the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), such as not to steal, not to kill, not to believe in other gods, honor your parents, and use the correct bible(lol).
Another example is the Golden Rule - "Do unto others what you would you would like others do to you; or love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 7:12), (Matthew 22:37-40).
The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that we should be compassionate and helpful to others, especially those who are in need, regardless of their beliefs, race, or status (Luke 10:25-37).
However, morality is not universal, as there are cultures with their own moralities that may seem wrong to others but are considered right for them.
Such as non-religious countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Sweden, that have their own moral laws. Non religious cultures that do not believe in a god, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism, and Confucianism, with their own moral codes as well. Even religious countries that are secular, which have no official religion and are neutral on religion or accepts different religions, like the US, Canada, China, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Philippines have varying rules on morality. In the Philippines, many government officials do not understand that Philippines is a secular country. The Philippines is not a Catholic country. It is also a Christian, Muslim, and multi-religion country.
Here, let us discuss some moralities that are acceptable in one country but not in another?
In the Bible, such as in the Old Testament, Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon were allowed to have many wives. Today, there are also cultures where this is still permitted. There are also cultures that allow cousin marriage, uncle-niece marriage, or marriages among relatives to further their family's wealth. Suicide is also permissible to maintain family honor. Female circumcision is acceptable as well. Cannibalism, or the act of killing and eating people, is not wrong in some cultures.
All these examples show that morality depends on the culture of the people and not on god. We have shown that non-religious and religious cultures who believe and don't believe in god have their own moral values and laws. Therefore, the idea that morality comes from god is a big misconception.
Now, if god, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and moral, is the source of morality, why is there so much wickedness, evil, and immorality in the world today? The answer lies in the Bible. The Bible brings evil into the world because it is full of immoralities, such as:
1. Adultery (Exodus 20:14).
2. Theft (Exodus 20:15).
3. Lying (Exodus 20:16).
4. Coveting (Exodus 20:17).
5. Murder (Exodus 20:13).
6. Dishonoring Parents (Exodus 20:12).
7. Greed (1 Timothy 6:10).
8. Drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18).
9. Pride (Proverbs 16:18).
10. Gluttony (Proverbs 23:20-21).
11. Sloth (Proverbs 19:15).
12. Gossip (Proverbs 20:19).
13. Sorcery (Galatians 5:20).
14. Envy (Galatians 5:21).
15. Anger (Matthew 5:22).
16. Deceit (Jeremiah 9:5).
17. Injustice (Isaiah 10:1-2).
The disobedience of Adam and Eve to god (Genesis 3).
Cain's killing of his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1-16).
God killing all humans except Noah (Genesis 6-9).
The killing of all infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18).
Moses destroying a tribe (Midianites) on god's orders (Numbers 31), (1 Samuel 15).
Peter's betrayal of Jesus (Luke 22:54-62).
The beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:17-29).
The daughters of Lot having sex with their father (Genesis 19:30-38).
Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac because it was god's command (Genesis 22).
The ten plagues and the killing of the firstborn children on god's orders (Exodus 7-12).
The extermination of the people of Canaan on god's command (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).
Jesus cursing a fig tree because it did not bear fruit (Mark 11:12-14, 20-21).
Job having smallpox inflicted by Satan because it was god's command (Job 1-2).
In the Bible, God killed billions of millions of people, animals, and plants, while, Satan did not kill even one person in the Bible. If there was, it was the infliction he did to Job on god's command.
Also if there is morality in heaven, why did Lucifer rebel against god in heaven? Maybe perhaps he did not believe in god's goodness. Well, I did not know that heaven has moral conflicts too. I thought it was a paradise. a place of peace, love, and morals.
In my personal work, I discovered that morality does not come from god. Morality comes from our mothers. Our mothers are the original or the first to instill morality on us. Love is the first morality we learned from our mothers. We first felt this when we were in their arms as a newly born child . Care comes next. Our mothers took care of us wholeheartedly, protected us deeply, attended to us purely, and guided us toward good manners and right conduct; what is right or wrong. These are the first two lessons of morality we learned from our mothers: love and care. Love and Care originated from our mothers and not from a god.
I discovered this idea when I examined how morality emerged in animals. In this study, I used the help of two kinds of dogs and discovered that dogs have the capability to be good without sorting to a god.
Now, if you think donating money to the church is a moral act, imagine the warmth you'll bring by spending that money on a lovely bouquet of flowers towards someone who has always been there for you—your mom. Instead of giving to the church, buy a beautiful bouquet of flowers for your mom and see the joy in her eyes.
Have you ever thought about the last time you surprised her with flowers or told her how much you love her? It's easy to devote time and resources to spiritual beliefs, but don't forget the simple joys you can bring to the person who's always been there for you. She has been your constant source of love and care, and she deserves your time, affection, and appreciation more than anyone else. Making her smile, even just for a moment, is worth more than you can imagine. I think she deserves your love and care more than god.
In this episode, we have proven that human morality depends on cultural background. It could be a culture that is religious and believes in god, or religious but does not believe in god, or those that are non-religious and do not care if there is a god or not. Three types of cultures with their own moral values and laws. We also have proven that morality comes originally from our mothers and not from god. I should also add that morality comes from our environment just as like the saying goes, "tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are." Thus, if your friends are bad, you will become bad too. If the books you read are all about evil, subconsciously your mind will be filled with evil thoughts as well. Just saying !
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