Quote:
Originally Posted by Parkview_Pirate
Bringing God and "divine law" into the discussion of natural law is based on an assumption that God exists, and that a particular version of divine law is correct. So, essentially it's irrelevant. Or, as Hamilton Burger said many times to the judge when Perry Mason was usually toying with him, "Your honor, it's incompetent, irrelvant and immaterial!" 
Natural law has many aspects which can be readily observed, repeated and experienced by many people, regardless of their faith (or lack of it). Divine law does not share this characteristic, so I don't understand how it can be considered "superior" to another view. Since any law is open to interpretation, there are always problems with both natural and divine laws, and of course the potential for corruption. Having to rely on "God's grace" for interpretation doesn't provide any consistency or further the argument one way or the other. |
You're quite right about my "assumption" that God exists. And least my assumption, unlike your agnosticism, is not a self-defeating one.
Secondly, it is inferior to revealed divine law because of reasons I have already stated, plus the fact that with Natural Law the more deeply profound "spirit" of Law can never be observed. Essentially, Natural Law
cannot teach its observers the Law of Love and how to concretely and positively apply or expresses that love. This is its number one failing since Love is the ultimate expression of revealed divine law. The real life example I provided earlier speaks pointedly to the superiority of divine revealed Law. Natural Law can tell us what we ought not to do, as wrong behavior affects our conscience; but, generally, it fails in telling us what we ought to do. The Decalogue, for example, would not inform that Christian woman of the more profound, spiritual principles of law that apply to her situation; therefore, how much less Natural Law!? Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments", yet she did not love Christ as she ought in her situation because she was willing (the last time we spoke anyhow) to break the revealed Law of Christ by ignoring a spiritual principle of His law. Therefore, she was in a state of sin at that time.
