by Matt Slick

Many atheists and scientists assert that morality is derived from our genetic make up. In other words, morality is a product of genetic encoding. They sometimes reason that individuals who behave in a way that aids survival will pass on their genes. For example, if a person were to kill another person, the natural reaction by others is to punish the killer, possibly by killing him. This would mean that his genetic information would not be passed down to further generations (unless he had offspring before the killing). Likewise, thieves would incur the wrath of other people and their survivability would be reduced, further lessening the chance of genetic information being passed on. As a result, a morality is developed that is based on survivability. This way, those people who behave in a more "moral" way than others would have a better chance of surviving and passing their genes on to offspring. Morality, then, would be woven into the genetic structure by producing individuals who behave in a manner consistent with the morals of a society and end up with better survivability.

If this is how morality is defined, then the preceding paragraph proves morality is genetically based. But, this "proof" is achieved by defining morality in a such a way that it is true by definition. In actuality, this is not how an idea is proved.

If genetics is what determines morality, then we must conclude that nothing is inherently morally right or wrong. There is only survivability and non-survivability, and morality is whatever aids in surviving. But this has problems. Rape, for example, which is considered morally reprehensible by societies, would potentially result in an increase in offspring. So if that which is moral assists in survivability, then rape would necessarily be moral by the genetic-survivability definition given above. Also, what about theft where a person has higher intelligence and is more capable of stealing without getting caught and punished? This would result in an increase in "morality" by his theft, aiding his survivability and passing on his genes to offspring.

See the problem?

But if we are to say that murder, rape, and theft are morally wrong, then we are saying that there's something inherently wrong to actions. Such an assertion cannot be based in genetics because actions, genetically speaking, are neither good nor bad. They are just actions. For an action to be wrong by nature, there must be a standard by which we judge such actions. Since it cannot be that morality is genetically based, there must be something other than genetics that provides moral objectivity.

Of course, as a Christian I would assert that God is the ultimate objective standard by which morality is measured.

http://carm.org/can-morality-be-genetically-based

If genetics is what determines morality, then we must conclude that nothing is inherently morally right or wrong.

The only true statement in your post.
If killing is inherently immoral, is killing in self-defense immoral? Are soldiers immoral?
So you see, morality is mostly subjective.

Of course, as a Christian I would assert that God is the ultimate objective standard by which morality is measured.

Which god? Yahweh?
Yahweh that said you should take slaves?


Punishable by Death according to the Bible:

Adultery (Leviticus 20:10-12, man and woman)

Lying about virginity. Applies to girls who are still in their fathers' homes, who lie about their virginity, and are presented to their husband as a virgin. The accused is guilty until proved innocent. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

The daughter of a priest practicing prostitution (death by fire) (Leviticus 21:9)

Rape of a virgin who is engaged. If she is not engaged you only have to marry her and give her father 50 shekels. No mention is made of the girl’s opinion, and no punishment is specified for raping a single non-virgin female. (Deuteronomy 22:25)

Being the victim of rape, if one is an engaged female virgin and the rape occurs in a city. If it takes place in a field, the victim is spared because nobody would have heard her screams. (Deuteronomy 22:23-27) Presumably, virgins who scream for help inside a city will always be rescued.

Worshiping idols (Exodus 22:20, Leviticus 20:1-5,

Deuteronomy 17:2-7).

Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:14-16,23).

Breaking the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14, Numbers 15:32-36).

Practicing magic (Exodus 22:18).

Being a medium or spiritualist. (Stoning) (Leviticus 20:27).

Trying to convert people to another religion. (stoning) (Deuteronomy 13:1-11, Deuteronomy 18:20).

Apostasy - If most people in a town come to believe in a different god. (Kill everybody, including animals, and burn the
town.) (Deuteronomy 13:12-15)

Non-priests going near the tabernacle when it is being moved.

Being a false prophet. (Deuteronomy 13:5, Deuteronomy 18:20, Zechariah 13:2-3)

Striking your parents (Exodus 21:15).

Cursing your parents (Exodus 21:17, Leviticus 20:9).

Being a stubborn and rebellious son. And being a profligate and a drunkard. (stoning) (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)

Living in a city that failed to surrender to the Israelites. (Kill all the men, make the women and children slaves.) (Deuteronomy 20:14

1. God gets angry with all of the people on Earth, and kills every living thing on Earth, with a few notable exceptions (Genesis 6 & 7).

2. God heeded the prayers of the Jews and helped the Jews to "utterly destroy" the Canaanites. Later, God told the Jews that they would leave "no survivors" (including women and children) from among the whole people when they battled the followers of King Og of Bashan. In between those two, the Jews battled the followers of King Sihon of Heshbon, who "God had given him a resistant spirit and stubborn determination" so that he would not surrender his people, and for "even the women and children; there was not a single survivor." (Numbers, Chapter 21; and Deuteronomy, Chapters
2 and 3.)

3. When the Jews fought the Midianites, the Jewish army. killed all of the men, but brought back all of the women and children to Moses, who was then furious at this disobedience of God. Moses ordered all of the male children killed, and all of the females who were not virgins. 32,000 virgin females remained alive; all of the other Midianite people were killed. It is unclear from the text whether or not 32 of these virgins were sacrificed to God (human sacrifice). The Jews enslaved all of the virgin females who lived. (Numbers, Chapters 25 and 31.)

4. God instructed the Jews that when they invaded the territory that God had granted to them, as for the inhabitants, "you must utterly annihilate them. Make no covenant with them nor show them compassion!" (Deuteronomy, Chapter 7.)

God instructed the Jews that, when confronting other people who lived on land other than that granted to the Jews, they could give them an offer of perpetual slavery for their whole population, or else they could kill all the males and take the women and little children as slaves. (Deuteronomy, Chapter 20.) God set rules for male Jews who desired to take a wife from among these captives. (Deuteronomy, Chapter 21.)

5. When invading Jericho, as instructed by God, the Jews "annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well cattle, sheep, and ." (Joshua, Chapter 6.)

6. When taking Ai, as instructed by God, the Jews "annihilated all who lived in Ai," including all of the men, women, and children. (Joshua, Chapter 8.)

7. Acting on God's instructions, the Jews "annihilated everyone who lived in" Makkedah. At Libnah, they again "left no survivors." At Lachish, "they put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah." At Eglon, "they annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish." At Hebron,
"they annihilated it and all who lived there." Again at Debir,
"they annihilated everyone who lived there; they left no survivors." "Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded." (Joshua, Chapter 10.)

8. At Hazor, "They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword-no one who breathed remained." "The Israelite plundered all the loot of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people and allowed no one who
M breathed to live." "Moses the Lord's servant passed on the
Lord's commands to Joshua, and Joshua did as he was told. He did not ignore any of the commands the Lord had given Moses." "No city made peace with the Israelites (except the Hivites living in Gibeon); they had to conquer all of them," "for the Lord determined to make them obstinate so they would attack Israel. He wanted Israel to annihilate them without mercy, as he had instructed Moses." (Joshua, Chapter 11.)

9. King Saul of Israel, acting on God's orders, "captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all his people with the sword." (Later, God got angry for this "disobedience" of leaving the king alive and for other matters.) (I Samuel, Chapter 15.)


Even before that. God killed the first born of everybody in Egypt, who I might point out had no say whether the Pharaoh released the Jews from bondage or not. That today would be considered terrorism.

You are a product of your environment.

You become a product of what you value.