What about Morality?

Strong and Courageous

We have spent a considerable amount of time in this blog talking about evidence that points to God as the most likely and best explanation for all of the vast complexity of design found in our universe. Today I would like to focus on another aspect that needs to have God present in order to make sense out of life. The topic is morality.

The first question that would come to mind for many people is, can a person be “good or moral” without believing in God? The short answer is yes of course an atheist or agnostic can do good benevolent things. However, there is a deeper question as to where morality comes from. What is the basis for determining what is actually right or wrong, good or bad?

This creates a problem particularly if a person tries to leave God out of the equation. If there is no God, then how does one determine what is truly objectively right or wrong? The reality is that If God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist either. The reason for this is that a certain reference point as to what is good or bad is necessary.

God’s nature reveals many points of value in reference to morality, He is good, just, holy, gracious, merciful, true and full of love. His grace and mercy are complete and full in character and nature.  Look at it like this, if God is metaphorically like a compass that points north, then life without God is like having no compass to have any sense of direction. A person is only left with their own personal viewpoint and is based on relative perspectives rather than objective ones. Even in a collective society, the problem of subjective or personal choice is that it is still personal preference over objective moral values.

Richard Dawkins, leading atheist author of the book titled The God delusion explains it like this, “In a world without God, there can be no evil and no good. Nothing but blind pitiless indifference.” If we are nothing but surviving and fit molecules in motion, then there is no evil or good, right or wrong, only the will to survive. How depressing is that! No purpose or meaning in life, no hope, no real reason for doing anything good.

Then why do so many people try to be benevolent and good? Hmm, maybe God is really real and He has placed this innate desire to be good and moral people within the heart of humanity. We are not always good, but that is another matter for discussion. At the end of the day, in life  without God, there is no adequate explanation for morality in a blind pitiless indifferent universe.

Video Link: The moral argument by Dr. William Lane Craig