Save the world or listen to God?

[OldTrees]

define moral.

For the purposes of the question:
Your conclusion on a topic inside Normative Ethics is that a particular action is morally obligatory.

[northcity4]

Now, in the case of God asking you to bomb the world...are we talking about someone who starts to see the good in it? I for sure still haven't found a reason to do so unless God is the decider of what is moral and what's not.

[eaglgenes101]

I'd consult a psychiatrist before ruining the world. Chances are the "message from god" is of my own brain's creation.

[northcity4]

Lets pretend the whole world confirmed it...now what? Seems like either a) it really happened or b) the whole world is crazy.

If a) what do you do next?

[Naesala]

Lets pretend the whole world confirmed it...now what? Seems like either a) it really happened or b) the whole world is crazy.

If a) what do you do next?

Given the whole world confirmed it, thus the entire world would believe in God, I believe most people would then think "well God exists and as an ultimate divine being he is most likely right, better do what he says". So I would do as god asked me in that specific incidence. Anyone who disagrees cmon, youre really going to contradict an omnipotent omnipresent being?

[memimemi]

Lets pretend the whole world confirmed it...now what? Seems like either a) it really happened or b) the whole world is crazy.

If a) what do you do next?

Given the whole world confirmed it, thus the entire world would believe in God, I believe most people would then think "well God exists and as an ultimate divine being he is most likely right, better do what he says". So I would do as god asked me in that specific incidence. Anyone who disagrees cmon, youre really going to contradict an omnipotent omnipresent being?

Actually, yes.  Omnipotent doesn't mean free from moral obligation.  Killing everyone is abhorrent and wrong, regardless of who requests it.

Sartre best described the situation in 'The Wall.'  Basically, the only true inalienable human power is the power to say 'NO!,' even in the face of an omnipotent oppressor. 

IMHO, our postulated God's omnipotence is in fact even more reason to oppose hir, to my own detriment if necessary.  An omnipotent God can do hir own damned dirty work.

[Naesala]

Lets pretend the whole world confirmed it...now what? Seems like either a) it really happened or b) the whole world is crazy.

If a) what do you do next?

Given the whole world confirmed it, thus the entire world would believe in God, I believe most people would then think "well God exists and as an ultimate divine being he is most likely right, better do what he says". So I would do as god asked me in that specific incidence. Anyone who disagrees cmon, youre really going to contradict an omnipotent omnipresent being?

Actually, yes.  Omnipotent doesn't mean free from moral obligation.  Killing everyone is abhorrent and wrong, regardless of who requests it.

Sartre best described the situation in 'The Wall.'  Basically, the only true inalienable human power is the power to say 'NO!,' even in the face of an omnipotent oppressor. 

IMHO, our postulated God's omnipotence is in fact even more reason to oppose hir, to my own detriment if necessary.  An omnipotent God can do hir own damned dirty work.

I suppose I didn't use the right collection of words. At least as I understand god, he is not only all powerful, but also all knowing, all loving, and when he does interfere with the human world it is for the betterment of the entire world and humans as a species. If he is asking this of me, he must have a good reason.

Comparatively, if a (without a doubt, agreed upon by all humanity) All knowing, All powerful, loving alien species asked me to nuke the planet and I was convinced that they must have a good reason (as I would in the case of God), I would do it. It isn't, in this case, the fact that God is asking me but rather someone with all the components of God that I would need to convince me.

It would, in both cases, require everyone in the world to be in 100% agreement that God/Super aliens were exactly as they claimed; omnipotent, omnipresent, all knowing, loving.

I would also like to say that to me murder for the greater good is morally acceptable to me. While what is the "greater good" may be debateable, I think in these circumstances that I would think it is the greatest good, though I could not be certain until it actually happened.

[northcity4]

Lets pretend the whole world confirmed it...now what? Seems like either a) it really happened or b) the whole world is crazy.

If a) what do you do next?

Given the whole world confirmed it, thus the entire world would believe in God, I believe most people would then think "well God exists and as an ultimate divine being he is most likely right, better do what he says". So I would do as god asked me in that specific incidence. Anyone who disagrees cmon, youre really going to contradict an omnipotent omnipresent being?

Actually, yes.  Omnipotent doesn't mean free from moral obligation.  Killing everyone is abhorrent and wrong, regardless of who requests it.

Sartre best described the situation in 'The Wall.'  Basically, the only true inalienable human power is the power to say 'NO!,' even in the face of an omnipotent oppressor. 

IMHO, our postulated God's omnipotence is in fact even more reason to oppose hir, to my own detriment if necessary.  An omnipotent God can do hir own damned dirty work.

I suppose I didn't use the right collection of words. At least as I understand god, he is not only all powerful, but also all knowing, all loving, and when he does interfere with the human world it is for the betterment of the entire world and humans as a species. If he is asking this of me, he must have a good reason.

Comparatively, if a (without a doubt, agreed upon by all humanity) All knowing, All powerful, loving alien species asked me to nuke the planet and I was convinced that they must have a good reason (as I would in the case of God), I would do it. It isn't, in this case, the fact that God is asking me but rather someone with all the components of God that I would need to convince me.

It would, in both cases, require everyone in the world to be in 100% agreement that God/Super aliens were exactly as they claimed; omnipotent, omnipresent, all knowing, loving.

I would also like to say that to me murder for the greater good is morally acceptable to me. While what is the "greater good" may be debateable, I think in these circumstances that I would think it is the greatest good, though I could not be certain until it actually happened.

Well, your Utilitarianism has some problems: Who are we as humans to judge what is better or not. I mean, lets say two kids are playing with a grenade near a public setting. Do you shoot them right away before they kill themselves and more people to reduce casualties? Are there other ways.

True, God asked you to do it, you better...but god doesn't have to be a good god. And what if there are multiple gods? What if this god went behind the scenes and is actually truly bad and trying to just cause havoc?

[Naesala]

Lets pretend the whole world confirmed it...now what? Seems like either a) it really happened or b) the whole world is crazy.

If a) what do you do next?

Given the whole world confirmed it, thus the entire world would believe in God, I believe most people would then think "well God exists and as an ultimate divine being he is most likely right, better do what he says". So I would do as god asked me in that specific incidence. Anyone who disagrees cmon, youre really going to contradict an omnipotent omnipresent being?

Actually, yes.  Omnipotent doesn't mean free from moral obligation.  Killing everyone is abhorrent and wrong, regardless of who requests it.

Sartre best described the situation in 'The Wall.'  Basically, the only true inalienable human power is the power to say 'NO!,' even in the face of an omnipotent oppressor. 

IMHO, our postulated God's omnipotence is in fact even more reason to oppose hir, to my own detriment if necessary.  An omnipotent God can do hir own damned dirty work.

I suppose I didn't use the right collection of words. At least as I understand god, he is not only all powerful, but also all knowing, all loving, and when he does interfere with the human world it is for the betterment of the entire world and humans as a species. If he is asking this of me, he must have a good reason.

Comparatively, if a (without a doubt, agreed upon by all humanity) All knowing, All powerful, loving alien species asked me to nuke the planet and I was convinced that they must have a good reason (as I would in the case of God), I would do it. It isn't, in this case, the fact that God is asking me but rather someone with all the components of God that I would need to convince me.

It would, in both cases, require everyone in the world to be in 100% agreement that God/Super aliens were exactly as they claimed; omnipotent, omnipresent, all knowing, loving.

I would also like to say that to me murder for the greater good is morally acceptable to me. While what is the "greater good" may be debateable, I think in these circumstances that I would think it is the greatest good, though I could not be certain until it actually happened.

Well, your Utilitarianism has some problems: Who are we as humans to judge what is better or not. I mean, lets say two kids are playing with a grenade near a public setting. Do you shoot them right away before they kill themselves and more people to reduce casualties? Are there other ways.

True, God asked you to do it, you better...but god doesn't have to be a good god. And what if there are multiple gods? What if this god went behind the scenes and is actually truly bad and trying to just cause havoc?

If we don't have the right as humans, who does? The only answers I can come up with are society (which is a collection of humans) and God. In any of these cases, I feel given the situation as given above, I am going with whats right, what I have decided is right, what society (and in this case all humanity) has decided (by universally agreeing this is god) or by doing what God has told me. Do you have another answer for where I should be getting my sense of what's right (genuinly interested). As for "are there other ways", yes, other less death causing methods are to be explored first. I would assume I would have the right mind to ask God -why- he wants me to nuke everything, and offer alternatives if possible.

Based on the example given, he is universally agreed by all people to be -the- god as we know him. My argument only flys in the specific example given. If we all universally agree he is -the- god, then even if he is secretly evil, or one of many gods, or etc etc It will not matter because everyone universally is now 100% convinced that Judeo-Christian god exists and exists as we (or at least I, since Im the one with my finger on the button) believe him to be, and one component of that is All loving and the only god. True, if it was not universally accepted, these points could be valid concerns, but I'm speaking only in this exact scenario. As I said earlier, in almost any other scenario I'd assume I had a mental issue.

[eaglgenes101]

Which would you rather do: Let a person live a good life or kill him?

Make all the arguments you want, but just saying, if a good God exists, he made some pretty huge errors.

Edit: Giant list here: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/advice-god

[OldTrees]

Well, your Utilitarianism has some problems: Who are we as humans to judge what is better or not. I mean, lets say two kids are playing with a grenade near a public setting. Do you shoot them right away before they kill themselves and more people to reduce casualties? Are there other ways?

We have the capacity to make decisions that have moral consequences that we can observe. Therefore we are Moral Agents (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_agency). Both of your questions are questions only Moral Agents are able to think about.

[Naesala]

Which would you rather do: Let a person live a good life or kill him?

Make all the arguments you want, but just saying, if a good God exists, he made some pretty huge errors.

What if god is doing this to stop all pain and suffering? What if the person isn't going to live a good/happy life? What if after this all good people go to heaven (or equivalent) and the only ones who go to hell (or equivalent) are those who rightfully deserve it?

What if everyone goes to heaven?