Consciencebound

In my previous post, I started to discuss my questions and thoughts on the moral argument for God’s existence.   In that post i dealt with my question about the differing moralities that we find in this world between different people.  In this post I would like to discuss something else which is another question which makes me doubt or at least question the idea that there is objective morality which exists in this world and is a clue to lead us to belief in God.

Question #2.  If we are born with a moral sense from God, shouldn’t we see evidence of this from birth or at least from very early on?

I have four children and I don’t think I saw a NATURAL morality in any one of my kids.  In fact, when I was a practicing and believing Christian, I recall looking at the innate, disobedient nature of my young children to be a proof that what the Bible says about humans being born with a sinful nature to be true.  Ironically, I saw my children’s lack of a moral law to be a proof for God and I also saw mankind’s apparent adherence to a moral law as also being proof for God as well.

As I think about this idea and as I reflect on my own experience with my kids it seems that the moral convictions that we have are something that is learned.  We learn it from our parents, extended family, friends, the culture we live in, and from our own experience.  In fact, as a parent, it seems that for many many years, all you are doing with kids is drilling into them what is wrong with doing this or that action.  “Don’t hit your sister”  “Treat others the way you want to be treated”  “Say please” “Don’t take your brother’s toy” “Be nice to the new kid at school, how would you feel if you were new?”  And if you are religious you may (as I did for a while) attempt to formally catechize your kids in knowing what the Bible says is true and right and wrong.  Sure some kids seem to be naturally helpful and caring at an early age but I don’t know if any baby every thinks twice about taking a toy that they want which another kid is playing with.

Why would this be the case if we were built with a moral law with our hearts that we all “know”?  One answer might be that we have this moral nature inside of us which is implanted by God but we just have to realize it and come to understand it which is what takes time and maturity.  And from a certain perspective, I can see how this could be the case.  But as I mentioned in the last post, my point is not whether we can explain this observation from our particular world view, rather it is to question the premise of the moral argument for God.  If, as the moral argument states, we are saying that we all have a moral nature and that this only makes sense if there is a God to give it to us, then why is it that young children are not more moral or at least more consistently moral?

You see, it seems to me that if we truly observe human behavior and experience, we will see that our morality is something that has to be learned.  It is something that we have to come to an understanding for the REASON to call this or that good or bad.  Why is it good?  Why is it bad?  Who says so?  What happens if I do bad thing X?  Will I be punished for this deed?  If not then is there another reason to call it bad?  And this seems to be why our moral conscience seems to change and evolve over time as we walk through life.  We have an experience that shows us something about the world and we interpret that in a way that gives us a reason to think it moral or immoral.  We hear someone tell us that something is bad and if we respect them, we might adopt what they say in our own morality.  If we don’t respect them, then we disregard what they say and move on.  Then you run into times when you are forced to rethink WHY you believe what you believe (as I have done over and over again) and you question your reasons.  And you might even end up changing your moral beliefs in many areas (I have).  And you feel just as dogmatic and certain about your new morality as you did with your own one which may have been totally opposite.

Keep in mind, these are just observations.  I am not stating that there is IN FACT no morals.   All that i am stating is that if you look at young children and their apparent lack of morals, it seems that making an argument for God from morals is pretty difficult to get off the ground.  There may in fact be a God and there may in fact be absolute morals in this universe, but the argument from morals might not be the best way to prove this.

Jeff

Similar Posts:

• A Look at the Moral Argument for God. Part 1
• Questioning God’s Moral Character
• Book Review: The Language of God by Francis Collins
• A Skeptical Look at the Bible
• Who Would You Rather Trust: God or Man?
• The Science of Raising Good Kids
• Happiness is a Moral Obligation?