R. A. Sharpe

The Moral Case against Religious Belief R. A. Sharpe

This short book is intended to be read in an evening or even a sitting, though it provokes reflections that will go on for far longer. What it has to say is largely directed at the Christian faith, though it may apply to Judaism and Islam as well. Professor Sharpe is a philosopher and writes as a post-Christian. He does not believe in God for moral reasons and argues that in some ways morality is corrupted by religion. He claims that religious belief does not necessarily make its possessor an authority on matters moral and that spokesmen and spokeswomen for religion are often badly wrong about moral questions as a result of their religious commitment. Some virtues cease to be virtues when given a religious context, and consequently a religious life is not, in many respects, a good life to lead. Professor Sharpe has few quarrels with the teaching of Jesus and has tried to develop his argument as far as possible on the basis of values shared by Christians and non-Christians. But he firmly believes in the autonomy of morality. God is not required to guarantee morality and all the sureties and recognizances of morality are internal.