I know far too many intensely moral athiests. Rather than relying on God as a means to justify or excuse sin, athiests take responsibility for their lives...certainly there is a basis for morality without God. I am not moral because I fear the wrath of a higher power -- I'm moral because I believe certain things are right and wrong.
But how do athiests know what is moral? What is morality? What is considered moral and immoral? If you take God out of the picture, then morality is relative. For instance, in one culture it may be morally permissible to sleep/rape a woman-- I believe there was an old Native American tribe in Alaska where the males could have their way with any woman, who'd been through puberty, they wanted. If the woman refused, the man could take a knife, slit her breeches, and take her right there. Now, morally, that's wrong-- in American society, and in God's eyes. What of the Nazis, who thought it was morally permissible to murder thousands upon thousands of Jews? You and I recognize it for an atrocity-- but to them, it was a-ok.
Evolutionarily speaking, morals are a bunch of bull! What organism in their right mind would choose to be moral? It gets in the way of their own personal gain! Which is why you see more and more murdering, less and less regard for your fellow human-- because we are taught that people are simple hunks of flesh, the haphazard and utterly unremarkable result of billions of years of chance, pain, suffering and death. Contrast that to what God says we are-- we are His poema, His masterpeice-- made in His image, to be special to Him forever.
"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." --Albert Einstein
For as brilliant a man he was with all his other endeavors, he seems to be frightfully naive in the area of human nature. C'mon, Erin. Look at this world. Where is the sympathy? Walking on the streets of L.A. I see nothing but cold apathy-- people don't even look you in the eyes, they don't even acknowledge you as a sentient, existing, being.
Education? Education, when people can get it, can be just as blinding and dogmatic as brainwashing. Look at the Nazi Germany-- their children were educated. They were educated as to the proper, logical result of Darwinian thought-- some races obviously are superior to others. So, why should it be bad to speed evolution along, right?
Social ties? That, living in L.A., is also a rare thing to see, let alone expect. In 3 months in living in my apartment building, I've seen and talked to all of 3 people. If I open my window I hear nothing but honking, squeeling tires-- I see nothing but people, in cars and on the sidewalk, who care about nothing but their own lives, their own gain. I see a flash of surprise in people's eyes when I hold the elevator for them. People give me funny looks when I say, "Bless you," when they sneeze. People look at me with wary distrust in their eyes when I offer to help them with a bag or something heavy or cumbersome.
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timeasmymeasure
Part II
Date: 2003-09-30 03:31 am (UTC)But how do athiests know what is moral? What is morality? What is considered moral and immoral? If you take God out of the picture, then morality is relative. For instance, in one culture it may be morally permissible to sleep/rape a woman-- I believe there was an old Native American tribe in Alaska where the males could have their way with any woman, who'd been through puberty, they wanted. If the woman refused, the man could take a knife, slit her breeches, and take her right there. Now, morally, that's wrong-- in American society, and in God's eyes. What of the Nazis, who thought it was morally permissible to murder thousands upon thousands of Jews? You and I recognize it for an atrocity-- but to them, it was a-ok.
Evolutionarily speaking, morals are a bunch of bull! What organism in their right mind would choose to be moral? It gets in the way of their own personal gain! Which is why you see more and more murdering, less and less regard for your fellow human-- because we are taught that people are simple hunks of flesh, the haphazard and utterly unremarkable result of billions of years of chance, pain, suffering and death. Contrast that to what God says we are-- we are His poema, His masterpeice-- made in His image, to be special to Him forever.
"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."
--Albert Einstein
For as brilliant a man he was with all his other endeavors, he seems to be frightfully naive in the area of human nature. C'mon, Erin. Look at this world. Where is the sympathy? Walking on the streets of L.A. I see nothing but cold apathy-- people don't even look you in the eyes, they don't even acknowledge you as a sentient, existing, being.
Education? Education, when people can get it, can be just as blinding and dogmatic as brainwashing. Look at the Nazi Germany-- their children were educated. They were educated as to the proper, logical result of Darwinian thought-- some races obviously are superior to others. So, why should it be bad to speed evolution along, right?
Social ties? That, living in L.A., is also a rare thing to see, let alone expect. In 3 months in living in my apartment building, I've seen and talked to all of 3 people. If I open my window I hear nothing but honking, squeeling tires-- I see nothing but people, in cars and on the sidewalk, who care about nothing but their own lives, their own gain. I see a flash of surprise in people's eyes when I hold the elevator for them. People give me funny looks when I say, "Bless you," when they sneeze. People look at me with wary distrust in their eyes when I offer to help them with a bag or something heavy or cumbersome.