Originally posted by Charles
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Presumably, if this god exists and is "all powerful," then this god will be in a position to win every such contention - and be able to punish those that do not follow the moral code they have set down. To Seer (and many others), this makes this being's moral code somehow "more objective" than anyone else's moral code. Couple that with rthe claim that this god is "all knowing" - and the argument is that no other being can have a better moral code than this god - so it would be folly for limited beings (such as ourselves) to ignore this code.
From the perspective of the belief that this god-being actually exists, the second part of the argument has some merit. Unfortunately, it is badly weakened by the reality that there are several competing such claims, some even based on the same sources (e.g., the bible), all claiming to be the "authoritative" code. The moral code this god apparently wants all to follow is badly muddled. This is explained as a by product of "sin." The whole thing is a bit odd to me. I can see how a god cannot limit "action" without compromising free will - but knowledge? Why is it that the failures of a limited being (humans) - designed to be limited and therefore imperfect (finite creation) - prevent an all-powerful being from clearly and unambiguously communicating this code? Why is it not "hardwired," as was earlier claimed, so that every person has the same moral code, knows intrinsically when something is right or wrong, and then is judged on their actions in light of that moral; code? Instead, we have this odd system that people can be judged for doing what they sincerely believe to be the right thing, simply because they chose the wrong competing claim to follow. It's a very odd system for a "perfect" god to preside over.
Of course, from the perspective of someone who believes this god-being does NOT exist, the entire thing falls apart. Instead, what we see is a group of people attempting to insist that their communal moral code is "absolute" and "objective" and everyone else ought to follow it. It has all the appearances of an attempt to concentrate power and define all those with competing moral codes as "other" and "outside."
Of course, atheists are just as prone to THAT phenomenon as theists...
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