Skip to main content

Why is it impossible to derive morality from religion?

There are two well-defined sides to the argument over deriving morality from religion. Though there are many examples supporting the idea that one can gain morality from faith, this answer will argue solely against this notion.


One way to understand how it is impossible to gain morality from religion is to examine the nature of morality and religion. Morality is a fluid concept throughout history, while religion is resistant to change. For example, Martin Luther...

There are two well-defined sides to the argument over deriving morality from religion. Though there are many examples supporting the idea that one can gain morality from faith, this answer will argue solely against this notion.


One way to understand how it is impossible to gain morality from religion is to examine the nature of morality and religion. Morality is a fluid concept throughout history, while religion is resistant to change. For example, Martin Luther argued against the morality of Catholic indulgences in his Ninety-Five Theses. At the time, Luther was not attempting to break away from Catholicism, but change it. Yet when the Catholic church did not listen to his ideas, Luther used his own morality to start the Protestant Reformation.


Another way to argue against a connection between morality and religion is using historical examples of times when religion was used to justify immoral acts. For example, in the antebellum American South, passages from the Old Testament were commonly cited to defend American slavery. Abolitionists used the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers, many of whose writings influenced the creation of the United States, to argue against slavery. In the end, morality gained from the Enlightenment, and not religion, led to the freedom of American slaves.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...