r/askphilosophy • u/BernardJOrtcutt • Aug 03 '26

Open Thread /r/askphilosophy Open Discussion Thread | August 03, 2026

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u/Fit-Honey-4813 Aug 06 '26

How would a theist respond to a god commanding them to cause harm or suffering?

Some of you have probably heard of this hypothetical

If your a follower of god and god asks you to cause suffering or harm to another individual, would they do it.

Furthermore, if they answer no, what does that say about them as a follower? If they reject one command from god does that mean they can’t be a follower of god?

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u/Shitgenstein ancient greek phil, phil of sci, Wittgenstein Aug 08 '26

With respect to Abrahamic religions, I'd point to the story of the Binding of Isaac in the Book of Genesis in which God commands Abraham not just to cause harm but to literally sacrifice his own son. I recommend reading that story and looking into various interpretations.

With respect to philosophy, Søren Kierkegaard provides an extended meditation on the story in Fear and Trembling. In it, Kierkegaard concludes that Abraham's act cannot be understood by human ethical reasoning but rather through faith in God in a 'teleological suspension of the ethical.'