Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Stealing is wrong.
Exodus 20:15
FIGURE 2.4
The divine command theory of ethics is based on two premises: good actions
are those actions aligned with the will of God, and God's will has been revealed to us.
2.
God is all-good and all-knowing.
God loves us and wants the best for us. God is omniscient; we are not. Because God
knows better than we do what we must do to be happy, we should align ourselves
with the will of God.
3.
God is the ultimate authority.
Since most people are religious, they are more likely to submit to God's law than
to a law made by people. Our goal is to create a society where everyone obeys the
moral laws. Therefore, our moral laws should be based on God's directions to us.
1.
There are many holy topics, and some of their teachings disagree with each other.
There is no single holy book that is recognized by people of all faiths, and it is
unrealistic to assume everyone in a society will adopt the same religion. Even among
Christians there are different versions of the Bible. The Catholic Bible has six topics
not found in the Protestant Bible. Some Protestant denominations rely upon the
King James version, but others use more modern translations. Every translation
has significant differences. Even when people read the same translation, they often
interpret the same verse in different ways.
2.
It is unrealistic to assume a multicultural society will adopt a religion-based morality.
An obvious example is the United States. In the past two centuries, immigrants rep-
resenting virtually every race, creed, and culture have made America their home.
