Morality Without God
I'm not saying it doesn't happen. It does. All the time, in fact. Right now, at the school I'm sitting in, while some amazing students participate in MUN, there are people doing it all around me. They're practicing morality. Just like the poster says on their bulletin board next to their really nice lounge - they're playing nice, working hard, and staying kind.
But why?
Why do these things?
I can remember before I became a parent I vowed never to say to one of my children, "Because I said so!" Of course, reality came with a lot more dirty diapers, dishes, and exhaustion than anticipated so, I've since broken that vow (more than once). But I still like the reason for my initial resolve. That's why I usually take the time, eventually, to explain carefully the "why" behind anything I ask my kids to do.
I think the kids at this school deserve the same respect, wouldn't you agree? If you think their poster is correct - play nice, work hard, stay kind - I'm sure you do.
Well then, I wonder what reason they usually give around here for obeying these three important moral mandates? After all, we can't expect students to obey them simply because we said so. That's totally unreasonable. If one of their friends hands them a bag saying, "Here, try this." We would expect the student to at least ask, "Ah, why?" And hopefully, whatever great reason Mr. drug pusher friend comes up with, our inquisitor will say something like, "Ya, not a good enough reason. Go flush that crap." We expect students to ask "Why" and then assess the reason for integrity, consistency, and sense.
Now, you may say, "Well, taking illicit drugs is not intuitively right. Being kind is." Here's where I challenge you to really think hard. Is being kind, working hard, and playing nice, really intuitively right? I submit to you that only if there is an Objective Dictate Giver (ODG) :) (I know, you see it. Lit, huh?) can it be said that these moral mandates are in any way intuitive. In fact, without an ODG (okay, okay let's move the letters around a bit), or a GOD, whose very being or essence is the cause of the "rightness" of these mandates, there would actually be intuitive reasons NOT to follow these mandates. Playing nice does not get me ahead in this world. Working hard is the last thing I want to do if I can cheat my way to results without much strain. And staying kind work's only as long as it works for me. As soon as it doesn't, I'm not kind.
Here I am at a school, where, like many, many schools, they want nothing to do with an ODG. Oh, sorry, did it again. I mean, a GOD. So, what reason do they give to their students for following the advice of these mounted moral mandates that are hanging all around me? I really wonder. I do.
Like many of the students here, there are plenty of people practicing morality without God. But why? Because someone said so? Because it's simply the right thing to do? Because this is obviously how humanity thrives? Nope. Sorry. These answers are far from satisfying. In fact, they fall hopelessly short.
At Logos, we believe that you should play nice, work hard, and stay kind too. But our reason is not that these are the obvious, most intuitive things to do. And our reason is certainly not because we say so. No, we believe that there is a GOD whose very goodness defining image we were created in. An image we are created to shine. An image that, when honed, polished, and glistening we find ourselves living out an abundant life. Our God is the Creator being from whom we derive concepts like "nice" or "kind" or "honest" and whose divine nature and commands to be fruitful and make known His glory, are the reasons we work hard and strive honestly. No other reason makes more sense. No other reason sets such a solid foundation for morality.
Honestly. Without a GOD, moral mandates are arbitrary. They're void of any potency needed to stir the soul to obedience. In fact, without God, moral mandates are so lame, you may as well just hang em on posters all around a school and hope that people will obey "because I said so."
