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Divine Command Theory (DCT) - Coggle Diagram

- - - - God = Creator of everything
      - Must be organic link between Creator + created
        
        imago dei
        
        Most theologians: means humans are like God, have rational + moral character
      - Human moral behaviour should literally follow God's commands
      - 'Sola scriptura'
        
        God's commands = seen specifically in scripture
      - Based on both God's moral character + God's moral commands - understood as statements of God's will
      - Heart of commands includes 10 commandments in OT + ethical teachings of Jesus in NT
- - - - Slavery in letter of Paul to Titus - seems to condone slavery + suggest slaves should 'put up with' situation
      - Homosexual behaviour: Bible's attitude = self-evidently immoral. Leviticus 20:13 'they have committed an abomination'
      - If some commands = immoral then DCT offers no solution to normative question of which commands should be followed
  - - - i: Whatever God commands must be good by definition, we cannot challenge from own experience/reason
      - ii: Leads to problem of God + immoral commands
      - iii: Go against fundamental values in secular ethics + other biblical images of God, requirements for justice, fairness, love of stranger + outcast etc
      - iv: Are we justified calling recorded commands from God right because they appear in scripture?
      - v: Do we assume commands apply to everyone at all times, or is it a response to a particular situation not our own?
      - vi: How do we solve contradictions between commands?
    - - i: God commands an action because it's good in itself - 'How does God know that it is good in itself?' - answer is that God recognises a moral law external to himself + he has to obey it. God is subject to the moral law + lose omnipotence
    - - i: William of Ockam - 'bit the bullet' + adopt 1st option. God = God, omnipotent + omniscient, so what he commands must be obeyed
      - ii: God's nature + character are the same. God + goodness are identical. God's moral commands must be good. Gives no answers to immoral commands in scripture
      - iii: Parts of scripture with immoral commands = corrupt. If some parts are corrupt, others may be too + we have no hope of know what God's commands really are