The Moral Argument

The relationship between religion and morality is, for many people, taken for granted. However, the link between the two is a complex one: are religion and morality linked and does morality therefore prove the existence of God or are they totally separate?

Are morality and religion linked?

"Are things good because God commands them or does God command that which is good?" (Plato's Euthyphro Dilemma).

The link between religion and morality depends on whether morality comes from God or humans. Newman argued that moral laws had their origin in a personal lawgiver who imposes moral demands on us; our experience of morality leads us to conclude the existence of a lawgiver, otherwise our moral experience makes no sense. God gives commands and what he commands is good because God is the perfect form of the good, and all lesser standards of goodness (such as human goodness) are judged by reference to him. Newman refers to God as "the voice of God".

How do humans discover God's moral law? Believers will look in the Scriptures to establish God's will- e.g. the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), God's law given to his people many centuries ago but relevant and applicable today. These commandments are very general, e.g…