"Moral Absolutes, and the Motivation to be Moral"

[MarkCharles]

"Although the concept of ultimate accountability appears to result in the loss of free will, many monotheists argue that a lack of belief in one’s accountability to God and a rejection of moral absolutes is what drives non-believers to indulge in sinful behavior, under the alleged false pretense that a god does not exist.

This view raises some very interesting questions about the theistic perception of morality. If the faithful truly believe God’s Law is necessary to guide human behavior, then let’s imagine a “hypothetical” scenario where God does not exist and there is no final judgment or eternal consequences for one’s actions. Under this scenario, do monotheists feel it would be acceptable to steal a car or rob their neighbor’s home? If believers could know for certain that God does not exist, would it then be perfectly fine to murder someone in cold blood? If the thin veneer of God’s moral law is the ONLY thing keeping Christians and other monotheists from looting, raping, and murdering their neighbors, then it reveals something very terrifying about the theistic system of value.

However, a divine, objective standard of morality not only fails as the basis from which to derive our true moral conscience, it cannot inform us about how we actually KNOW right from wrong. God is not subject to reveal the inner-workings of His moral barometer nor is God required to explain His moral reasoning, no matter how benevolent or malevolent a command might appear. God’s Word IS The Law, therefore if God were to claim abstaining from adultery is morally good, then it would be so, just as if God were to claim killing the children of his enemies is morally good, then it would also be so."

Article and two simple explanatory videos here:

http://discoveringreligion.net/?p=504

[NMMNG]

1. I've encountered people who claim

that if it weren't for their god they'd have no reason to not rape, steal, murder, etc. Those people scare the hell out of me.


If the only thing stopping you from being a serial killer is your religion/god, are you really moral?

[MarkCharles]

2. Well, I think the chances of their religiously based morality failing for them ...

sometime in the future is about as great as their not having any ethical, nor moral standards when it comes to their desire to rape, pillage, steal, kill fellow humans.

Look at all the religious folks who get into trouble... but, of course, with THEM, there is always the "repent" and "therapy" way out of it.

That guy in Denver, from Colorado Springs, leader of a big big evengelical movement in the USA, doing cocaine and screwing with a guy while he was married? That guy comes to mind...he evidently is all "cured" and "forgiven" now, because he's a Christian.

[NMMNG]

3. "Look at all the religious folks who get into trouble"

Oh, but they're not True Christians. No True Christian would do anything bad. :sarcasm:

but, of course, with THEM, there is always the "repent" and "therapy" way out of it.


Lather, rinse, repeat. All to convenient IMO.

[MarkCharles]

4. Lather, rinse, repeat. I need a shower every time I read about these

"Christians"!

Or arrogant militaristic or sexually obsessed Jews, Muslims, or Rastafarians, for that matter.

NO Religion does absolutely ANYTHING to keep victims from the perpetrators and the charlatans.

[saras]

5. So what do you propose we do with them - take their religion away?

I've encountered them too. They're usually right - about themselves. They're usually wrong - when they believe that everyone else is just like them. They just need to stop generalizing - to get that their God can't tell them about anyone but themselves.

[NMMNG]

6. If they're telling the truth

(that they'd be thieves/rapists/murderers without their religion) the last thing I'd want to do is take that religion away. :scared:

[MarkCharles]

7. The exact opposite, taking "their religion" away, is like asking them to

commit suicide. Their religion is as much a part of them as the hair on their head, or, more accurately, their entire mental schemata of reality. They create their "god" to look and act in accordance with them! They seldom make mistakes in judgement because their "god" agrees with them on almost every aspect of their life... except when it comes to sex, drugs, rock and roll, and making whoopy when the spouse isn't around.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims, (the most "militant" and deadly of the religious sects on the planet), are as hypocritical as most other humans on this planet, BUT they use their religion to justify that hypocrisy.


Killing a few million in WW 2... all in the name of one religion over any other, all in the name of one racial or ethnic group over another. Then there are the unprovoked attackes upon Palestinians, the US bombing and killing of up to several millions or men women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan. It never stops. Religious folks always find a way to justify their inhumanity against other human beings.

[pscot]

8. I for one am grateful

that god is keeping these inwardly raging barbarians from looting and shooting and running amok.

[MarkCharles]

9. Yes, something to thank a god about. The only way to control

these barbarians and ruthless killers is to have a mythical god for them to believe in.

Thank their god for that!