Point: In yesterday’s post Apologetics Session 7: Atheism and the problem of Morality I argued that if God is not the source of morality then morality becomes nonsensical. How do we convey the idea to someone we are talking to?
Picture: If morality and ethics does not come from God, and ethics is result of chance and not from a Person with authority, there’s no reason to obey it.
Imagine you are caught in a hurricane while being outdoor. Somehow you survived unscratched but there was a stop sign landed in front of you from the wind. Do you obey it, when it came about by accident? Do you stop, look both ways, and let the right have the right of the way? I think I know what the answer is: No. That’s because the stop sign was not the result of purpose; it was by chance, an accident. Likewise with what happen with morality if its the result of a non-intentional origin. So morality must come a personal source (Personal in the sense of Someone with intentionality, a will, mind, etc).
Imagine a second scenario. When I was in college one year my three roommates were all foreign exchange students. One of them decided to steal a stop sign and place it in the living room where you see it right away when you open the door and enter the living room. Let’s say you visit my apartment. When you enter through the door do you stop, look both ways, and let the right have the right of the way? Do you think you might get a traffic ticket if you didn’t stop, if a police officer sees you? I think I know what the answer is: No. That’s because the stop sign in terms of where it was place, while it was put they intentionally by a personal source nevertheless the person doesn’t have the authority to demand compliance. This shows the importance of morality not just originating from a personal source but also from an authority. We need God as the source of our morality!
POSSIBLE SCENARIO FOR EMPLOYING THIS ILLUSTRATION DURING APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM
NON-CHRISTIAN: Can you explain to me why you keep on thinking an atheistic worldview destroys morality?
CHRISTIAN: Let me try. Do you believe believe God has nothing to do with morality right?
NON-CHRISTIAN: No.
CHRISTIAN: Now let me mention a scenario. <INSERT ILLUSTRATION>. Do you obey the stop sign if its placed by accident?
NON-CHRISTIAN: No.
CHRISTIAN: Why is that?
NON-CHRISTIAN: The answer is because it was the result of chance.
CHRISTIAN: Likewise with your worldview that believes in a chance universe reducing all attempts of morality as meaningless.
The Domain for Truth 
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Good illustration! Morality without God as the authority is meaningless.
Indeed morality without God is meaningless! I’m praying for more illustrations to help with the apologetics series I’m doing, as I want people to be equipped and understand, both for our Tuesday Bible study and also for those that read the blog and happen to see the apologetics series. What’s the weather like these days at ROC?
We have sun and in the 80s in ROC until Sunday. How’s things in SoCal?
Fantastic! I love these illustrations!
Thanks! Also thanks for the youth group topic. I’m looking forward to it and praying for the youth to be blessed by it. Excited.
Excellent insights! Love them. Thanks for making it happen.
Shalom!
Good analogy of that stop sign dropped by the wind. Morality is not an accident. It has intentional origin.
Thanks for reading this. I am hoping and praying for God to give more ideas for apologetics illustrations so people in my church and also online can understand and be equipped. If led pray for God’s help as I teach! Grateful for your friendship on WordPress and Mewe
Reblogged this on My Logos Word.
[…] Apologetics Sermon Illustration #76: Accidental and Stolen Stop Signs and Source of Morals […]
Sure do like this series! Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for reading this series! I’m thankful for that sister! Hope your week is going well so far?
Wow. I like the analogy. Thank you for this!
You are welcome. Hope you ar doing well
This set of two analogies really shows the problem of atheism’s inability to explain ethics and morality
I know it’s just an analogy, but am I the only one appalled by the thought of stealing a stop sign? I’m thinking about a person who was killed years ago in a major car crash at an intersection where the stop sign had been removed. Pretty sure that upon hearing he caused someone’s death, that thief felt remorse, no matter what his religious beliefs.
Wow that is sooo sad. One’s action has consequences. My roommates I beliefs stole a stop sign where it was notorious people don’t follow it both pedestrians and cars. But it’s been so long ago, I wasn’t with them when they did it and they were acting like pagan heathens that they were. I suppose your point is an analogy Of what happen if we remove God’s law in our lives and in society, it will hurt people…this is very sobering of an analogy is it not?
Good point.
[…] 8.) Apologetics Sermon Illustration #76: Accidental and Stolen Stop Signs and Source of Morals […]
A wonderful illustration. Ethics does not come from chance. Like a wind storm, Big Bang is sound of fury and chaos.
[…] GO TO PART 76 […]
[…] Knowledge is justified true belief. I have argued previously from the analogy of Accidental and Stolen Stop Signs and Source of Morals that atheism destroys morality. So there’s no foundation for ethics. I have also argued […]
[…] Accidental and Stolen Stop Signs and Source of Morals […]
If everything is chance we have no reason to think we have reason and morals
Wonders that people can be so stupid with the origin of ethics
[…] Apologetics Sermon Illustration #76: Accidental and Stolen Stop Signs and Source of Morals […]