Veritas Forum Lecture: Is God Necessary for Morality?

Introduction

• The Veritas Forum engages university students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all aspects of life.
• The topic of the debate: Is God necessary for morality?
• Two perspectives:
  • Shelley Kagan: Argues that belief in God is not necessary for morality.
  • Bill Craig: Argues that God is necessary for objective moral values, duties, and accountability.

Shelley Kagan's Argument

Main Points

• Morality does not require belief in God; atheists can be moral just like theists.
• Morality can be grounded in reasons that do not involve God.
• Secular Basis of Morality:
  • Right and wrong are based on whether actions hurt others or fail to help them.
  • Objective morality can exist without God; moral claims are not merely opinions.
  • Contractarianism: Moral rules are those we would agree to under conditions of perfect rationality and ignorance of personal circumstances (veil of ignorance).
  • Morality does not need a lawgiver; reasons themselves can impose moral requirements.

Objections Addressed

• Why harming others is wrong without God: Humans' capacity for reflection and reasoning differentiates them from animals.
• The objection that requirements need a requirer: Moral requirements do not necessitate a divine commander.
• Determinism and Free Will: Supports compatibilism (determinism and free will are compatible).

Bill Craig's Argument

Main Points

• Objective moral values, duties, and accountability require God.
• Without God:
  • Moral values are not objective; they become mere human conventions.
  • There is no moral lawgiver, thus no objective moral duties.
  • There is no moral accountability; actions lack eternal consequence.
• Moral Values and Duties:
  • Objective moral values are grounded in God's nature.
  • Moral duties are derived from God's commandments.

Objections Addressed

• Naturalism lacks explanation for intrinsic moral worth of human beings.
• The existence of God provides a coherent explanation for moral accountability.

Q&A Highlights

• Rationality and Morality: Kagan argues rationality is sufficient for moral behavior once humans can reflect on their actions.
• Cosmic Significance: Debate on whether actions require eternal significance to have value.
• Free Will and Determinism: Craig argues determinism undermines moral choice; Kagan holds a compatibilist view.
• Contractual Morality: Kagan's view that social contracts hypothetically agreed upon under rational conditions provide moral rules.
• Moral Education: Both agree on the importance of moral education and community.
• Cultural Differences: Differences in moral codes explained by varying levels of societal development.
• Animal Ethics: Kagan argues for vegetarianism based on harm principle; Craig supports stewardship of creation.

Closing Statements

• Bill Craig: Emphasizes theism as providing a strong foundation for objective morality and moral significance.
• Shelley Kagan: Argues that while theism offers cosmic significance, it is not necessary for objective moral values and duties.