Today’s Jesus and Mo strip, called “Chosen,” came with the caption, “Anything goes.” But it reprises an old theological argument, one embodied in Plato’s paradox, the Euthyphro Dilemma, which Plato places in the dialogues of Socrates. Here’s a brief summary, which is often used by us nonbelievers when arguing theodicy, for the dilemma can apply not just to piety but also to goodness and morality. And the “goodness” dilemma, instantiated in today’s strip, is the question: “Does good decree something good (or moral) because God recognizes it as such, or is it good (or moral) because God decrees it as such?” (The latter is called the Divine Command Theory.) From Wikipedia:
The Euthyphro dilemma is found in Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro, in which Socrates asks Euthyphro, “Is the pious (τὸ ὅσιον) loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?”
Although it was originally applied to the ancient Greek pantheon, the dilemma has implications for modern monotheistic religions. Gottfried Leibniz asked whether the good and just “is good and just because God wills it or whether God wills it because it is good and just”. Ever since Plato’s original discussion, this question has presented a problem for some theists, though others have thought it a false dilemma, and it continues to be an object of theological and philosophical discussion today.
I don’t think it’s a false dilemma. And Mo clearly believes in the Divine Choice Theory of morality:
OMG wicked good!
😁
I’m really enjoying the commentary and background you’ve been providing with these cartoons lately. You might have been doing it before and I just didn’t notice but in any case, much appreciated. Thanks.
No kiddin’
I learn something new every time, reviewing that which I thought was all settled and done.
One of the best cartoons + commentary
And David, of course, who killed a dude so he could screw his wife, was a man after God’s own heart.
And Abraham was promised to be the father of a nation only once he proved he was willing to kill his own son.
Go figure.
God said to Abraham, “kill me a son”…
Abe said,”God, you must be puttin’ me on”.
FWIW, I’m a big fan of the Johnny Winter version.
Reverse order. King David had sex with the wife, after which he orchestrated the dude’s death. Bottom line — disgusting behavior no matter what the order.
Two hippos are nibbling at reeds in the river. One hippo turns to the other hippo and says,”Do I love you because you are beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?” That cartoon always cracked me up.
Funny and clever!