God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom
This article addresses James Sterba’s recent argument for the conclusion that God’s existence is incompatible with the degree and amount of evil in the world. I raise a number of questions concerning the moral principles that Sterba suggests God would be required to follow, as well as with respect t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/285 |
| _version_ | 1797536943834136576 |
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| author | Laura W. Ekstrom |
| author_facet | Laura W. Ekstrom |
| author_sort | Laura W. Ekstrom |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article addresses James Sterba’s recent argument for the conclusion that God’s existence is incompatible with the degree and amount of evil in the world. I raise a number of questions concerning the moral principles that Sterba suggests God would be required to follow, as well as with respect to the analogy he draws between the obligations of a just state and the obligations of God. Against Sterba’s proposed justified divine policy of constraint on human freedom, I ask: What would motivate a perfect being to create human beings who imagine, intend, and freely begin to carry out horrific actions that bring harm to other human beings, to nonhuman animals, and to the environment? I argue that the rationale is lacking behind the thought that God would only interfere with the completion of the process of human beings’ bringing to fruition their horrifically harmful intended outcomes, rather than creating beings with different psychologies and abilities altogether. I end by giving some friendly proposals that help to support Sterba’s view that God, by nature, would be perfectly morally good. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:08:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d346b3bf667e4b3aa538e767d5ec4094 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:08:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-d346b3bf667e4b3aa538e767d5ec40942023-11-21T16:25:48ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-04-0112528510.3390/rel12050285God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of FreedomLaura W. Ekstrom0Department of Philosophy, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USAThis article addresses James Sterba’s recent argument for the conclusion that God’s existence is incompatible with the degree and amount of evil in the world. I raise a number of questions concerning the moral principles that Sterba suggests God would be required to follow, as well as with respect to the analogy he draws between the obligations of a just state and the obligations of God. Against Sterba’s proposed justified divine policy of constraint on human freedom, I ask: What would motivate a perfect being to create human beings who imagine, intend, and freely begin to carry out horrific actions that bring harm to other human beings, to nonhuman animals, and to the environment? I argue that the rationale is lacking behind the thought that God would only interfere with the completion of the process of human beings’ bringing to fruition their horrifically harmful intended outcomes, rather than creating beings with different psychologies and abilities altogether. I end by giving some friendly proposals that help to support Sterba’s view that God, by nature, would be perfectly morally good.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/285problem of evilJames Sterbadivine obligationsRichard Swinburnefree will |
| spellingShingle | Laura W. Ekstrom God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom Religions problem of evil James Sterba divine obligations Richard Swinburne free will |
| title | God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom |
| title_full | God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom |
| title_fullStr | God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom |
| title_full_unstemmed | God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom |
| title_short | God, Moral Requirements, and the Limits of Freedom |
| title_sort | god moral requirements and the limits of freedom |
| topic | problem of evil James Sterba divine obligations Richard Swinburne free will |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/285 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurawekstrom godmoralrequirementsandthelimitsoffreedom |