Divine command theory was presented by John Calvin, St Augustine, and many other famous philosophers. Its followers argue that “ethical principles are simply the commands of God” (Pojman & Fieser, 2011, 188.4). The theory that appeared in the era of early Christianity and has been dramatically transformed since then has many followers in the modern world. Its supporters argue that religion adds meaning to morality; according to their claims, without the former, the latter loses much. In particular, they say that God ensures the victory of good over evil and equality between people. Moreover, God is the one who cares about humanity by giving everyone what he or she deserves. The main arguments for the added value that religion gives to morality are centered around these claims. However, there are some serious counter-arguments, some of which will be discussed below.
The first secularist counter-argument is related to the fact that people have done much evil under the guise of religion. The phenomenon of religious violence, one of the most striking manifestations of which is the Crusades in the 11th-15th centuries, still plays a vital role in modern society. One of its examples is Jihad, a concept by which Islamic extremists justify their terrorist acts. Islamic terrorism is a severe social problem that causes much destruction and loss of life around the world.
The phenomenon of religious violence is connected with another compelling argument against the idea that religion gives additional meaning to morality. Religious morality “involves a moral condemnation by the in-group toward dissenters from the out-group” (Pojman & Fieser, 2011, 202.4), thereby leading to intolerance. This fact can be illustrated by several examples, only a few of which are presented above. Besides, other secularist counter-arguments deny the positive influence of religion on morality. However, the two arguments presented in this essay are most relevant in the context of modern society. In my opinion, they prove the fact that the influence of religion on morality is at least contradictory, if not negative.
Reference
Pojman, L., & Fieser, J. (2011). Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong. Cengage Advantage Books.