There is a benefit to subjective morality.

There is a benefit to subjective morality.

While most of them can be easily persuaded, teenagers are generally in the subjective morality camp. This is beneficial. Let's remember the syllogism.

Premise 1)Objective Moral Values and Duties Exist

Premise 2)Objective Moral Values and Duties Exist ONLY if God Exists

Conclusion

Therefore God Exists

Premise 2 can be difficult for people to comprehend. But subjective morality is really an affirmation of premise 2! Think of it this way.

What is morality if not a set of desires about the way the world should be?

That's a key point for us here. What is morality if not a set of desires about the way the world should be? Sometimes you get people who tell you that logic or science can give you a set of morals. This is wrong, but an example can help us see. It's like saying that a map can give you a destination. A map can tell you how to get to a destination, but it cannot give you a destination.

Alternatively, some people will tell you that morality is really the product of evolution. This would mean that morality is really an illusion, but they often can't understand that point. They often think that morality is created by evolution, but that it is also real and objective. You may want to tell them that if we had evolved from bees, then evolution would have programmed all fertile females to kill any other fertile females they encounter. So our common belief that females murdering each other is always evil would be an illusion. Basically, even if evolution programmed us with an illusion of morality, did it program us with the moral one? This question tends to get them straightened out. But I have found that it is best to demonstrate that evolution cannot possibly have programmed us with morality. We'll address that later.

What is incredible is this point I first learned from William Lane Craig. Teenagers and college students tend to believe in subjective morality and not evolved morality. But that also means that they understand Premise 2 incredibly well.

In fact, every once in a while, they will tell you that morality is subjective by it's very definition. This is a very good sign! They are right! They are recognizing the simple truth that morality is really just a set of desires about the way the world must work. This is really the fascinating insight of this argument for God's existence.

Morality is both subjective and objective, at the exact same time.

As we have seen, morality is really a set of desires about the way the world should be. But it is also objectively true that some things really are evil. It's logically impossible for someone to just make up morality as a fantasy. So we are in a sort of logical box.

1)Logically, morality must be subjective.

2)But just as logically, morality must be objective.

3)Therefore it follows that there must exist some being whose desires define what is objectively good.

4)What would you call such a being if not God?

Such a being must be the foundation of what it is to be good. This being can therefore do nothing wrong. Furthermore, such a being cannot be lacking in any good property. So is it good to be organized? Then this being must be perfectly organized. Is it good to be smart? Is it good to be powerful? Is it good to be wise? Do you see where this is going?

Let's use an example to illustrate this point.

The Muslim Allah cannot possibly be this God we have proved must exist.

According to the standard doctrines, Allah does not require sinless perfection of humans. So is Allah perfectly righteous? Could we imagine a human judge who takes evil more seriously? If we could, then can Allah really be God? In addition to that, Allah does not forgive just any sin. Some sins are said to be too great. But is not forgiveness a moral good? Therefore, can we imagine a human judge who has greater forgiveness? Therefore, can Allah really be God? The true God can't have a little bit of justice and a little bit of mercy. The true God must have all good qualities to the maximum possible.