Philosophical dilemma?
Here is an interesting question my philosophy professor proposed years ago:
Speaking on the matter of good and evil:
Is something, such as a kind act, good because god says so? or does god say it's good because it is already inherently good?
For example: clothing the naked is good because god said it is good, or does god tell us to cloth the naked because it is inherently good without him in the equation?
Thoughts?
Update:I agree that atheists can do good deeds just as people of religion can. I'd like to see what someone who believes in God says. I do not consider myself a religious man, maybe why this intrigues me.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Atheists do good deeds too.
I suppose that is the biggest difference between atheists and non-atheists. Atheists don't need to be told to do theses things.
God does not "say" it´s good, but because He is Goodness, striving for good is striving for God, from a theist point of view that is. It´s a moral obligation for a religious person.
For an atheist, there´s no obligation, only choice.
Therefore the dilemma exists only considering the theist vs atheist points of view.
In terms of the evolution of human instinct, our main priority is survival: If someone gives us clothing which shields us from the cold then they have assisted us with this number one priority, therefore we identify them as being good or doing a good thing.
This philosophically could manifest itself in the Golden Rule, which states do unto others as etc etc etc. But keep in mind this is a teaching which predates Christianity by at least 500 years, as it was part of a non-theistic Confucianism concept.
i think that introducing a 'god' into the scenario is unnecessary and disingenuous ..