In their essays, Murdoch and
Nietzsche both approach the topic of relating morality and religion, but the two
have very different views and styles of presenting their points. It is obvious
that religion and morality have ties with each other given their similar focus
on such things as what it means to be a “good” person. Murdoch does not take a
definite position on religion but rather examines the different sides of it.
Simply being a religious person does not make you more moral, and the converse
is also true. This supports the saying that my dad would always tell me, “Sitting
in church doesn't make you a Christian”. This is to say that going through the
motions of religion is not enough; for it to have a strong connection with
morals you must mean what you are doing and do it for the right reasons. I
believe that religion can help a person become more moral, but it cannot be
credited with being the only contributing factor. As Murdoch points out, other
factors such as duty are separate from even morality and govern how we act.
On the
other hand, Nietzsche out rightly condemns religion as everything that is wrong
with society. He claims that it leads
people down the wrong path by suggesting detrimental ways to reach morality. I
found his exploration of moral formulas very interesting. Nietzsche says that
the formulas religion comes up with for being a good person are too strict. I
am a practicing catholic, however I agree with him on this point. I have always
found the church’s teachings to be too specific. What is good for one person or
one situation is not necessarily the best moral choice for another. Although I
do think that some of Nietzsche’s points have merit, I feel that he goes too
far by condemning religion in such an absolute manner. The connection between religion
and morality is a complex issue that cannot be defined as either wholly good or
wholly bad. Murdoch’s approach, while at first seeming confused or even
hypocritical, overall seems to present a better argument in my opinion than Nietzsche
as she is not so absolute in her judgments.
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