The Meta-Ethical Foundation For Morality
In his writings and debates, and to the disdain of many atheists, Dr. William Lane Craig has rightly, aptly and correctly stated the following:
In his writings and debates, and to the disdain of many atheists, Dr. William Lane Craig has rightly, aptly and correctly stated the following:
In 1994, shortly before his own murder, NBC's Stone Phillips sat down with the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and his family (Mother & Father) to discuss and try to uncover the cause and details of Jeffrey's sick and sadistic criminal acts and murders that he perpetuated on individuals since he was approximately age 18."Are the values we hold dear and guide our lives by mere social conventions akin to driving on the left versus right side of the road or mere expressions of personal preference akin to having a taste for certain foods or not? Or are they valid independently of our apprehension of them, and if so, what is their foundation? Moreover, if morality is just a human convention, then why should we act morally, especially when it conflicts with self-interest? Or are we in some way held accountable for our moral decisions and actions?
Today I want to argue that if God exists, then the objectivity of moral values, moral duties, and moral accountability is secured, but that in the absence of God, that is, if God does not exist, then morality is just a human convention, that is to say, morality is wholly subjective and non-binding. We might act in precisely the same ways that we do in fact act, but in the absence of God, such actions would no longer count as good (or evil), since if God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist. Thus, we cannot truly be good without God. On the other hand, if we do believe that moral values and duties are objective, that provides moral grounds for believing in God." ~ Dr. William Lane Craig "The Indispensability of Theological Meta-Ethical Foundations for Morality"
At the time of the crime, Jeffrey was a materialist, an atheist. What is interesting is that at the time of the interview, Dahmer himself alluded to the fact that his worldview was sufficient foundation for his actions. Here is some of what he said:
"...I always believed the lie that evolution is truth..the theory of evolution is truth...that we all just came from the slime, and when we died, y'u-know, that was it. There's nothing. So The whole theory cheapens life"...
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