Atheism on the Decline; Paganism on the Rise

[DaShi]

Originally posted by molly bloom


A statement that makes hardly any sense.

I'm unaware that my 'a-theism' is meant to be a counterpart to religion- you won't find ritual, holy books, deities, invisible beings, houses of worship, holy 'ground', fasting, special forms of attire, invocations, chants or songs. So if someone religious is looking for a counterpart to their religion, they won't find it in atheism, will they ?


You will find a moral code, or a set of ethics that I expect to live by however. And so far, despite the absence of the threat of damnation (eternal or otherwise) or the sudden lightning bolt from the sky, I have yet to launch myself on a criminal career.

Clearly I'm not doing this godlessness thing right.

But what determines what is right and wrong for you? And what keeps you from doing the wrong thing?

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by DaShi


But what determines what is right and wrong for you? And what keeps you from doing the wrong thing?

What makes people who have never met their god or experienced divine retribution from doing the wrong thing or from acting in the right way ?


For instance, I don't steal because mostly I have no need to, but partly because I wouldn't like people to steal from me, and partly because what would I steal and why ?

Reciprocity and respect are surely a great part of anyone's moral code. On the other hand I don't give to charity because I think I'm going to get something back though, I do it out of a mixture of a sense of obligation, sympathy, because I can spare the money, et cetera.


I haven't noticed any strict adherence to codes of morality amongst the god believers around the world, unless you're suggesting that all those prisons are full up of law abiding true believers, wrongly convicted.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by DaShi


But what determines what is right and wrong for you? And what keeps you from doing the wrong thing?

Why oh why can christians and "godly" people be the only ones who can determine what is right and wrong? Why the hell does there have to be a god to determine between what is right and wrong? Hammurabi code for example is something I often bring up.. I have a copy of it.. draconian to say in the least, but nonetheless a secular set of rules more or less.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by molly bloom



What makes people who have never met their god or experienced divine retribution from doing the wrong thing or from acting in the right way ?


For instance, I don't steal because mostly I have no need to, but partly because I wouldn't like people to steal from me, and partly because what would I steal and why ?

Reciprocity and respect are surely a great part of anyone's moral code. On the other hand I don't give to charity because I think I'm going to get something back though, I do it out of a mixture of a sense of obligation, sympathy, because I can spare the money, et cetera.


I haven't noticed any strict adherence to codes of morality amongst the god believers around the world, unless you're suggesting that all those prisons are full up of law abiding true believers, wrongly convicted.

I haven't mentioned religion yet. Besides, I don't believe that religion is necessary in order to have ethics or a moral code. Rather it is a something that allows people to make moral judgements just like you make your own based on a belief system. You don't steal under the assumption that if other people were to commit the same actions as you, you could be harmed. By stealing, you legitimize a social action that may adversely affect you. A religious person may not steal because they also feel such an action would also hurt them (hell, karma, and so on). Both are moral decisions based upon personal beliefs.

There seems to be an assumption in this thread that religious people are less moral because they are religious. Otherwise, what's the point of the current argument?

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by DaShi


There seems to be an assumption in this thread that religious people are less moral because they are religious. Otherwise, what's the point of the current argument?

Are you sure that you have read all postings or are you posting from a mirror universe ? There may have been some harsh comments, but they are based upon elok's claims that you can't be a moral/ethic person unless you belive in a god - and if I read elok correct then it's the christian god, otherwise you are just as lost as someone not beliving in gods.

[Heresson]

Originally posted by Giancarlo


Why oh why can christians and "godly" people be the only ones who can determine what is right and wrong? Why the hell does there have to be a god to determine between what is right and wrong? Hammurabi code for example is something I often bring up.. I have a copy of it.. draconian to say in the least, but nonetheless a secular set of rules more or less.

If You knew better, there's a reknown image of Hammurabi getting the laws from some god.

[Heresson]

Here, I've found it for You. It's on top of the law text.

Fez gets pawned!

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Heresson

Fez gets pawned!

What a rare occasion!

[Heresson]

Right
Fez's no real challenge.

[BlackCat]

Yeah, Fezgie is easy meat.

What really bothers me is that common people is as well. Without a blink they accept the most ludicrous things if it is stated that is given by god - for a couple of thousinds years ago, well, then it is understandable, but now ? People should know better.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Are you sure that you have read all postings or are you posting from a mirror universe ? There may have been some harsh comments, but they are based upon elok's claims that you can't be a moral/ethic person unless you belive in a god - and if I read elok correct then it's the christian god, otherwise you are just as lost as someone not beliving in gods.

I've already addressed that; they don't justify the comments. Sorry that I didn't gang up to attack him with the rest of you.

[Seeker]

Crows not social animals??

Crows have been observed making tools and teaching tool-making to other crows.

In New Caledonia, there were observed distinct crow'fashions' depending on geographic origin, of crow tool-making.

[Giancarlo]

I actually find the polytheism that many of those old civilizations had as more interesting. So many gods actually.

So you PWNed yourself.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DaShi
But what determines what is right and wrong for you? And what keeps you from doing the wrong thing?

We don't know and we don't know.

That doesn't mean a deity is behind ethics/morality.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Heresson


If You knew better, there's a reknown image of Hammurabi getting the laws from some god.

So? How does that prove anything?