T-BagBikerStar
2008-01-09, 11:07
I am most concerned with the views of morality as described by Christianity versus the atheist alternative towards morality, but this discussion could pretty easily be changed for any of the other Judeo-Christian religions.
In the bible "God" gives us a lot of commandments describing what actions are right and wrong to do. Supposedly the things that are right are good, and those that are wrong are bad. Yet what reason does "God" have for calling each of these things good or bad?
Lets take a step back. Does "God" have a reason for each thing he sets out as good or bad in the bible?
If not, "God's" actions were entirely arbitrary, he could have equally told us to kill and hurt and that would have been the method of reaching his kingdom. This is not so much a system of morality as a system of doing whatever you are told to get what you want. Equally, since "God" has no basis for what he sets out to be right and wrong, following the equally arbitrary views of another omnipotent being, presumably Satan in this case, would be equally moral under these circumstances.
For these reasons we are led to conclude that "God" must have a reason for each of the guidelines he sets out for how to achieve a moral life in the bible.
So if "God" is able to use reasoning to come to a logical conclusion of what is right versus wrong why can't atheists do the same? Regularly it is cited, even popular news networks air interviews with religious persons stating that atheists' morals must come from nowhere since they don't come from the bible. Clearly, "God" himself has given us reason to conclude that right versus wrong can be decided upon without the bible as a resource.
Well what reason can we as humans possibly come up with for deciding upon our moral systems? Although the answer at first seems beyond our grasp, with a little search it becomes clear, the concept of right versus wrong is defined by whether or not an action causes suffering. This is suffering direct or indirect of any sort over any period of time.
Murder: Wrong, causes suffering not only to the victim, but also their families, all those who will suffer through their loss in the long term.
What is the Christian position on our destruction of the environment? Many different people have different opinions on the subject some think that since their only goal is to reach the afterlife, we can destroy this world in any way we wish. Clearly by reasoning from suffering it is clear that destroying this planet for all the future inhabitants is wrong.
The concept that Atheists are incapable or unjustified in any of their moral concepts is one that has always been completely spurious with the sole intention of falsely demeaning this group, and hopefully in the future when faced with such blind lies you all will face up to the perpetrator and show their logic for this is baseless in its entirety.
In the bible "God" gives us a lot of commandments describing what actions are right and wrong to do. Supposedly the things that are right are good, and those that are wrong are bad. Yet what reason does "God" have for calling each of these things good or bad?
Lets take a step back. Does "God" have a reason for each thing he sets out as good or bad in the bible?
If not, "God's" actions were entirely arbitrary, he could have equally told us to kill and hurt and that would have been the method of reaching his kingdom. This is not so much a system of morality as a system of doing whatever you are told to get what you want. Equally, since "God" has no basis for what he sets out to be right and wrong, following the equally arbitrary views of another omnipotent being, presumably Satan in this case, would be equally moral under these circumstances.
For these reasons we are led to conclude that "God" must have a reason for each of the guidelines he sets out for how to achieve a moral life in the bible.
So if "God" is able to use reasoning to come to a logical conclusion of what is right versus wrong why can't atheists do the same? Regularly it is cited, even popular news networks air interviews with religious persons stating that atheists' morals must come from nowhere since they don't come from the bible. Clearly, "God" himself has given us reason to conclude that right versus wrong can be decided upon without the bible as a resource.
Well what reason can we as humans possibly come up with for deciding upon our moral systems? Although the answer at first seems beyond our grasp, with a little search it becomes clear, the concept of right versus wrong is defined by whether or not an action causes suffering. This is suffering direct or indirect of any sort over any period of time.
Murder: Wrong, causes suffering not only to the victim, but also their families, all those who will suffer through their loss in the long term.
What is the Christian position on our destruction of the environment? Many different people have different opinions on the subject some think that since their only goal is to reach the afterlife, we can destroy this world in any way we wish. Clearly by reasoning from suffering it is clear that destroying this planet for all the future inhabitants is wrong.
The concept that Atheists are incapable or unjustified in any of their moral concepts is one that has always been completely spurious with the sole intention of falsely demeaning this group, and hopefully in the future when faced with such blind lies you all will face up to the perpetrator and show their logic for this is baseless in its entirety.