In our society, monotheism is a widely accepted and practiced form of religion. Although some people practice polytheistic religions, such as Hinduism, or believe in many gods, like the ancient Greeks, these are not as wide-spread as monotheistic religions like Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. These forms of religion seem to be very strongly tied in with our culture and everyday lives. In fact, we place so much faith in our religions that we tend to look toward religious leaders for guidance with many moral and political decisions. I think this is because we believe that these leaders have some kind of connection with God (or the gods) that the common person doesn't have. Some believe that we must listen to the commandments of a divine being or beings, because what they command is correct. This is often times called the "Divine Command Theory." .
The problem with Divine Command Theory is not explaining what it is, but how plausible the theory actually is. Divine Command Theory simply put says that whatever is good is good because God wants it to be good. People that accept divine command theory follow the instructions of God, despite what reason tells them. It seems as though Divine Command Theory fits best within monotheistic religions that claim that God is purely a good being. They feel that God can do no wrong, therefore, nothing he wills can be wrong. There are a few basic objections to this that will be explained later. They apply not only to divine command theory within monotheistic religions but polytheistic religions as well. .
As stated above, divine command theorists feel that they must follow God's law. This is essentially where their "moral obligation" stems from. This gives people that endorse this theory a way to live their everyday lives. It creates a moral objective, telling people what they "should" or "should not" do. As I said before, if you"re an avid follower of this theory, you put reason aside, and simply listen to that which God says is good.
