Q: I have been in an ongoing discussion with a friend regarding belief in a higher, supernatural being. After many conversations, it finally became clear his true reasoning for believing: he believes that humans are essentially base, murderous, thieving, pillaging thugs, and so we must convince people to believe in a God for anthropological reasons, i.e., to get them to behave in a moral manner. He pointed out that when men believe that man is the higher arbiter of morality, we end up with “supermen” dictators such as Hitler, Stalin or Mao, as emerged in atheistic societies. What do you think about this line of reasoning?
A: It’s ironic that people who do believe in God are considered idealistic when what lies at the root of their “idealistic” belief are the kinds of ideas about human beings that your friend openly acknowledges. It’s equally ironic that people who do not believe in God are considered cynical and hard. Actually, refusing to believe in a mystical approach to morality forces one to look at what, objectively speaking, the good life requires.
This rational kind of inquiry requires intellectual honesty and a full focus on reality. It presupposes that even though man does not necessarily act in a moral manner, man can and should act in a moral manner — provided we become clear about what precisely a “moral manner” is.
We can’t escape into a supernatural realm in order to groan, “if only.” We have to look at what is and then posit an ideal, moral approach from there.
Surrendering the issue of morality to some higher authority in heaven will sooner or later encourage some sort of “superman” — be he Communist, socialist, terrorist, Democrat or Republican — to take over all or part of our lives. Communists, socialists and Democrats, in varying degrees, stress the supremacy of society over the individual. Republicans and terrorists, in varying degrees, stress the supremacy of a Supreme God and religious institutions over the individual. (George W. Bush stresses the superiority of both society and religion over the individual). Only a rational, secular approach to morality and man can lead to placing the right and dignity of the human individual above all other powers — real or imaginary.
