Chapter  8: ETHICS

DIVINE COMMAND THEORY :

 Cases of Divine Commands

DIVINE COMMAND THEORY does not rest on scriptures. DIVINE COMMAND is DIVINE COMMAND.

People claim that GOD has COMMANDED them to do X

Therefore doing X is a morally good act.

X can be ANY ACT AT ALL.

ANY ACT AT ALL can be good if GOD COMMANDS it!!!

In DIVINE COMMAND THEORY there is NO GOOD or BAD by itself at all. There is only what GOD COMMANDS

GOD commands= GOOD

GOD forbids= BAD

GOD gives a NEW COMMAND, then NEW COMMAND= GOOD

No one who accepts DIVINE COMMAND THEORY can question the commands of the deity or make a statement such as "I do not believe God would command the things you stated here at all." because a person who accepts the DIVINE COMMAND THEORY accepts NO ACT as being GOOD or BAD except according to what the deity commands.

According to DIVINE COMMAND THEORY

bulletrape can be good
bulletchild molesting can be good
bulletlies can be good
bullettheft can be good
bulletslaughter of thousands of innocent people can be good

All that matters is that the "god" commands it.

Scriptures can record what some people at some time thought god commanded them to do. Some people can follow what is written in those scriptures. That is not DIVINE COMMAND THEORY.  Why not? Because for those who believe in a deity or a god then GOD lives forever. GOD is alive. GOD keeps issuing COMMANDS.

People hear the DIVINE COMMAND in 1205 and 1776 and 1848 and on May 10, 2003 and on December 23, 2005 and so on and they follow it thinking the command makes the act that is commanded the morally correct thing to do. 

God Made Me Do It…

April 2023 Suspect with 11 prior arrests who hit NYPD cop with bottle said ‘God’ told him to do it

https://nypost.com/2023/04/18/new-video-shows-man-hit-nypd-cop-with-bottle-in-broad-daylight-attack/

Stories & Articles compiled by Nicole Nohs (Nassau Community College, 2012), Based on the book God Made Me Do It: True stories of the worst advice the Lord has ever given his followers by Marc Hartzman  Sourcebooks Inc. , 2010

Excerpts at this location: http://www.scribd.com/doc/69701076/God-Made-Me-Do-It-True-Stories-of-the-Worst-Advice-the-Lord-Has-Ever-Given-His-Followers

March 2002 the mayor of a small Florida town bans Satan
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/us/florida-town-finds-satan-an-offense-unto-it.html

September 1993 San Fernando Valley, CA.... God tells man to rob banks
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-30/local/me-40717_1_james-mcgrath

May 2008 in Wisconsin...God told me if i prayed hard enough she would come back to life...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354849,00.html

May 2009 in Minnesota. Bank practicing Christianity
http://www.startribune.com/business/46467847.html?refer=y

August 1993 in Texas, 20 naked people emerge from a car that struck a tree
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-961214.html

September 2001 in Cinncinati...God told man to steal
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-77809049.html

San Antoni, TX...God tells man to ram another vehicle at 100mph
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/428252-god-told-man-to-ram-vehicle-at-100mph

Various dates...God told me to kill and eat people
http://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/dengiz-ozgur.htm

June 2008...God told me to kick her in the face
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN9Ay4QAtW8

June 2005...God will remove judges from the supreme court
http://mediamatters.org/research/2005/01/04/robertson-god-will-remove-judges-from-the-supre/132518

October 2005...God tells president to end tyranny in Iraq
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa

June 2009...God told me to invade Iraq
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-president-at-cairo-university-6-04-09
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-5771498.html

December 2007...God told me to run for president
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSQNSlUUoOc

April 2000..."I'm leaving it in the Lords hands"
http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/duke-fingers-hefleys-in-conspiracy/Content?oid=1108240

February 2009...God has brought an Africa American woman back from the dead
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/07/sunday/main1481775.shtml

January 2008, God told me to get Laura Bush to back me in running for president
http://www.voicesfromspirit.com/geraldtolaurabush.htm

May 1937, near Stooping Oak,TN...God told me to fast
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757781,00.htm

August 2007 in Los Angelos...God tells reality show contestant thatshe will be in the finals...
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/big_brother_8/2007_Aug_20_suspicion_grows

January 2002, Boca Raton,FL...God writes messages in the sky
http://www.skeptictank.org/gen4/gen02335.htm

January 2008, God told me to resign

http://okpns.wordpress.com/category/oral-roberts/

More cases of God's bad advice found and compiled by Nicole Nohs...

January 2008 in Texas...God made me kill my girlfriend

http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/god-made-me-kill-girlfriend-alleged-murderer/story-e6frfkp9-1111115272980

2011 Midtown Manahnttan Murder ordered by God

http://gaycitynews.com/god-made-me-do-it-defense-in-2011-midtown-murder/

July 2012, It was God's plan to kill Teyvon Martin

http://bazaardaily.com/2012/07/25/george-zimmerman-god-made-me-kill-trayvon-martin/

July 2007 in Houston,TX...God made me kill for the ultimate sin

http://www.bilerico.com/2007/07/murder_says_god_made_me_kill_1.php

November 2009, Nassau County, Long Island, NY...God made me hate gay people...

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/cops-beating-suspect-said-god-made-me-hate-gay-people-1.1569350

August 2011, God made me cheat...

http://blogs.knoxnews.com/silence/archives/2011/08/pearl_god_made.shtml

 April 2012, God told me to quit Fox news

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/25/1085857/-Glenn-Beck-God-told-me-to-quit-Fox-News-or-lose-my-soul

August 2001, Palm City,FL...God told me to kill my son...

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-08-17/news/0108170166_1_baby-s-death-baby-s-father-documents

June 2011, Lubbock,TX...God told me to kill my son...

http://www.9news.com/news/article/205850/188/Dad-God-told-me-to-kill-my-son

March 2004, Texas...God told me to kill my 3 sons...

http://articles.cnn.com/2004-03-29/justice/children.slain_1_deanna-laney-insanity-defense-luke-laney?_s=PM:LAW

January 2012...God told me to kill my pastor...

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/9451737.UPDATE__Mum_killer_to_remain_in_hospital_indefinitely/

February 2009, Virginia Beach,VA...God told me to kill..

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/02/12/Dad-God-told-me-to-kill-my-son/UPI-71281234475937/

November 2006...God told me to kill my daughter...

http://trailerpark.blog.ca/2008/01/22/donnelly_god_told_me_to_kill~3613340/

January 2008, God told me to eat my girlfriend...

http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080107/NEWS08/986513661

 July 2012, God told me to shed some blood...

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-16/news/chi-1m-bond-for-man-charged-with-breaking-into-addison-home-20120716_1_god-blood-battery

 March 2012, England...God told me to saw off my managers head...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2117279/Immigrant-waiter-Jonathan-Limani-jailed-cutting-Golf-Club-manager-Chris-Varians-head.html

 June 2012, Effingham,CO...God told me to kill my father...

http://www.disclosurenewsonline.com/2011/01/18/accused-in-patricide-god-told-me-to-do-it/

November 2011, God told me to run for president...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/13/herman-cain-god-told-me-to-run-i-was-like-moses/

 Unknown date, England...God told me to smoke pot...

http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article/34951

October 2012, Sacremento,CA...God told me to steal...

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/10/07/burglary-suspect-god-told-me-to-do-it/

July 2012, God told me to cut my genitals...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsVHF6mKJZg

June 2012, Spokane,WA...God told me to set my apartment on fire...

http://www.scout.com/2/1195326.html

June 2012, God told me to send her threatening letters...

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/06/05/anti-choice-terrorist-god-told-me-to-threaten-her

October 2009, Lexington, KY...God told me to steal the car...

http://metro.co.uk/2009/10/29/would-be-car-thief-god-told-me-to-do-it-507974/

November 2012, Fort Pierce...God told me to drive 100mph in a 30mph zone...

http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/woman-god-told-me-to-go-100-in-30-mph-zone/

December 2004, God told me to kill my parents

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2004/12/10/59715/Badowski-Says-Killed-Parents-Because.aspx

July 2012, Lexington,KY...God told me to kill dog

http://www.lex18.com/news/police-man-claims-god-told-him-to-kill-dog-friends

November 2011, Enfield,Conn...God told me to molest boy

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57326225-504083/report-17-year-old-claims-god-told-him-to-molest-boy/

More cases of God's bad advice found and compiled by Ashley Tritaris

 March, 2004 - Texas, USA Deanna Laney claims that god told her to kill her sons aged 8 and 6. Her 15 month old baby survived the attack. http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/03/29/children.slain/index.html

 April, 2002 - Iowa, USA Joshua Odom says that god told him to confess to a murder he committed 14 years ago. 

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2016/09/08/des-moines-iowa-man-joshua-odom-confesses-to-2002-killing-of-richard-busey-florida/90002660/

 

July 2013 - Indiana, USA Jack Schaap a pastor from Indiana claims that jesus wanted him to have sex with a 17 year old teenage girl.  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/jack-schaap-pastor-sex-teenage-girl-indiana_n_2877551.html

 

July 2005 - Seattle, Washington Isaiah Kalebu says god told him to attack his enemies, he raped and murdered two women. 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/kalebu-tells-jury-god-told-him-to-attack-enemies/

 

October 2010 - Portland, Oregon Keemonta Peterson claims that in reading the old testament she believed god wanted her to circumcise her own 3 year old son at home.  http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/08/portland_woman_who_botched_cir.html

 

May 1931 - Indiana, USA Jim Jones “believed communism was the correct social order in compliance with God’s will” he is responsible for the Jamestown mass suicide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

 

December 2017 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Antonia Fuller claims that god told him to lead on a police chase through Oklahoma city  http://kfor.com/2017/12/04/man-claims-god-told-him-to-do-it-after-leading-police-on-chase-through-oklahoma-city/

 

May 2017 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Jamine Fox who is a homeless woman, claims that god commanded her to throw bricks at white men. https://nypost.com/2017/05/10/woman-claims-god-told-her-to-throw-bricks-at-white-men-cops/

 

September 2017 - Pennsylvania, USA Tanishia Fielder claims that god told her to stab her newborn baby in the eye with a knife.

https://nypost.com/2017/09/11/mom-who-stabbed-newborn-in-the-eye-said-god-told-her-to-cops/

 

February, 2015 - West Virginia, USA Camille Iman Browne claims that she was just following god’s plan when she killed a 68 year old pastor. http://www.register-herald.com/news/teenager-claims-it-was-god-who-led-her-to-kill/article_a9c81615-0cc3-5a35-b8ee-1f7675b839e2.html

Lastly, a few stories about the horrible deeds the Devil caused people to do...

 March 2009, Arlington,VA...Devil made me steal...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29781784/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/woman-accused-church-theft-blames-satan/

 October 2008, Devil made me do drugs...

http://discoveringalcoholic.com/amy-winehouse/the-devil-made-me-do-it

2019 Callahan County TX  Cody Edmund Dixon

case of someone who killed their entire family, including a nine-year old child because god allegedly told him to. 

 https://people.com/crime/texas-man-allegedly-killed-girlfriend-and-their-9-month-old-baby-said-god-instructed-him-to-do-it/  

https://www.newsweek.com/man-confessed-murder-girlfriend-baby-god-1465006

 2019 POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- 35-year-old Stanley Mossburg admitted to killing at least three people because God "needs them for the war."

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/im-a-prophet-not-a-serial-killer-winter-haven-double-murder-suspect-claims-he-did-it-for-god

More Cases

2020 New Orleans dad accused of killing toddler daughter still believes he was fulfilling ‘prophecy’ from God, doctor says

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-delusional-dad-allegedly-killed-daughter-20200115-zxipnfz25ncbbigmc3ecz3oxxi-story.html

 

more to come if God wishes......

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© Copyright Philip A. Pecorino 2012. All Rights reserved.  Web Surfer's Caveat: These are class notes, intended to comment on readings and amplify class discussion. They should be read as such. They are not intended for publication or general distribution.

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