Come on, this poll is ridiculous. It's insulting. And I'm really hoping it's just a joke...
Skitty - 17 years ago
It's not difficult to have morals when your morality is based on society and respect towards others. But how can you have a strong moral base when you base your morals on a fictional book that advocated SLAVERY, BEATING your SLAVES, RAPE, MURDER, GENOCIDE, MASS ABORTION and Stoning CHILDREN to DEATH if they are Disobedient.
Its easy to have morals as an atheist. Its GOD-WORSHIPING morals I don't understand.
'Tis Himself - 17 years ago
This is a silly poll. Atheists act like they have morals because, like almost everybody else, we DO have morals. It's like asking "Do atheists act like they have noses." There may be one or two noseless atheists but the vast majority have noses. Similarly, there may be a few immoral atheists (just like there are a few immoral goddists) but the vast majority of atheists have morals.
heidegger - 17 years ago
Is moral behaviour static and consistent through both time and societies? History and an evaluation of this modern era dictate the answer is no, it is not. This leads me to the conclusion that there is no detached moral code where our seemingly innate sense of fairness derives from. How much of your morality was learned? How much was self-evident? Can you recall the years of behaviour modification your guardians subjected you to in order to mold you into a functioning member of society? Would a person from long ago or far away uphold all (or any) of the moral edicts you were indoctrinated with in spite of an alternative upbringing into a different society?
My shorter point: morality is relative and no one religion, culture or person may lay claim as to what is right, merely what is beneficial to the same source of such morals. (For instance in Islam's history and even to the present day there may be edicts about murder, yet such respect for life is not applied to an unbeliever.)
I uphold moral standards which I agree with primarily because I care about myself, secondarily because many of them make logical sense. I don't "know" what is wrong any more than you or the next person, but I have a good enough sense about me to know that I would not dare impose on another person's will. Religions do exactly the opposite and impose upon the believer's sense of fairness, manipulating and brainwashing one to be an unthinking actor of unevaluated (declared unquestionable) dictates.
Come on, this poll is ridiculous. It's insulting. And I'm really hoping it's just a joke...
It's not difficult to have morals when your morality is based on society and respect towards others. But how can you have a strong moral base when you base your morals on a fictional book that advocated SLAVERY, BEATING your SLAVES, RAPE, MURDER, GENOCIDE, MASS ABORTION and Stoning CHILDREN to DEATH if they are Disobedient.
Its easy to have morals as an atheist. Its GOD-WORSHIPING morals I don't understand.
This is a silly poll. Atheists act like they have morals because, like almost everybody else, we DO have morals. It's like asking "Do atheists act like they have noses." There may be one or two noseless atheists but the vast majority have noses. Similarly, there may be a few immoral atheists (just like there are a few immoral goddists) but the vast majority of atheists have morals.
Is moral behaviour static and consistent through both time and societies? History and an evaluation of this modern era dictate the answer is no, it is not. This leads me to the conclusion that there is no detached moral code where our seemingly innate sense of fairness derives from. How much of your morality was learned? How much was self-evident? Can you recall the years of behaviour modification your guardians subjected you to in order to mold you into a functioning member of society? Would a person from long ago or far away uphold all (or any) of the moral edicts you were indoctrinated with in spite of an alternative upbringing into a different society?
My shorter point: morality is relative and no one religion, culture or person may lay claim as to what is right, merely what is beneficial to the same source of such morals. (For instance in Islam's history and even to the present day there may be edicts about murder, yet such respect for life is not applied to an unbeliever.)
I uphold moral standards which I agree with primarily because I care about myself, secondarily because many of them make logical sense. I don't "know" what is wrong any more than you or the next person, but I have a good enough sense about me to know that I would not dare impose on another person's will. Religions do exactly the opposite and impose upon the believer's sense of fairness, manipulating and brainwashing one to be an unthinking actor of unevaluated (declared unquestionable) dictates.
Missing option: Because they have?