Euthyphro dilemma
From Neoredemptive
Generally ascribed to Plato in its original form. Translated into a Christian context, "Is what is moral commanded by God because it is moral, or is it moral because it is commanded by God?"
Discussion
The question is sometimes raised by varieties of skeptics as a way to demonstrate an incoherence in Christian thought.
At its heart, this is a false dilemma. What is moral is commanded by God because it is moral, and it is moral because it is commanded by god. "Moral" is not a court of higher authority to which we can appeal and to which God must submit; "moral" and "God's command" are two sides of the same coin, and severing them makes all sorts of room for all sorts of unproductive philosophical speculation.
