In this Current TV video, Dr. Jason Lisle also says that "In an evolutionary world view, why should you have things like absolute morality?, Why would it be wrong to kill someone?"
It's a really weird way to put it, so why are all the Atheists of the world not running around killing people right now? My housemate is about ten feet away and I have no urge to kill him. Truth is, I think it's common courtesy not to murder people and I thought that up all by myself.
It's interesting to note that some Muslims appear to have the same thoughts about Atheism. In Richard Dawkins epic documentary "Root of all Evil?", Dawkins visits a American Muslim Yousef al-Khattab in Jerusalem. Without Morals Yousef argues People would be "fornicating in the streets."
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. It it always the case that when a god-soak asks the question of why an atheist should be moral--that if it weren't for god the god-soak would be out raping and killing--the god-soak has indicted him or herself and only him or herself as the immoral one. The argument blows up.
Knight_of_BAAWA at 11:20PM on May 31st 2007
2. "Truth is not a democracy, you see" translates to "Evangelical Christian belief is true, whether you believe it or not, and should be imposed on the general populace." This to me is un-American, and is strictly prohibited by our Constitution's First Amendment.
Conservative religious extemists are at war with "secularism", which in basic terms means they are against the separation of church and state. In truth, secularism is the foundation of our democratic society, and I am immediately turned off when I hear or read someone attacking it.
The other myth is that secularism is the polar opposite of religion. At the time of the founding of our nation, virtually 100% of the American population were devout practicing Christians who recognized the wisdom of Jesus' statement: "render unto Caesar [ie the government] that which is Caesar's. Render unto God [ie the ability under secularism to practice and mold our personal lives according to our personal religious beliefs or non-belief] that which is God's".
The basic tenet and necessity of Secularism to allow a society that can accomodate both atheism and the plethora of organized and personalized religious views is well supported. See, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_Church_and_State .
I'll be happy to personalize it to show how secularism works in action. I am not an atheist nor am I a member of any organized religion. Rather, I took what I felt were the best elements of many schools of religious thought, kept what I wanted from a variety of them, and discarded the rest. I have my own personal religion, and part of that is a recognition that in relation to the universe, I am much less than even a fraction of an electron in an atom. How can I, in my insignificance, purport to have the ultimate answer to the greatest question in history. I'll be fully open to a belief tune up or rebuilding in the afterlife. I do not foist my beliefs on others, and do not appreciate it when others attempt to foist their beliefs on me.
THAT is the beauty of secularism. I can believe what I want, atheists can believe what they want, and extremist Fundamentalists can build their museum to creationism. Under secularism, all practitioners of a religious or philosophical set of beliefs is free to remove democracy from their own personal religious views and how they live their PERSONAL lives, without interfering with others' right to follow their own ideological path.
In the meantime, our laws are based on a concept of right and wrong found in many religions and in atheistic thought, and the balancing of individual needs against the needs of society as a whole so that we have rule of law without preferential or forced imposition of religious or philosophical beliefs on anyone.
Expanded to our public educational system, secularism demands that our education teach the basics of the scientific method and a non-philosophical approach to science. Members of a secularist society are absolutely free to modify this neutral stance with their own personal beliefs.
In sum, no secularism means no democracy.
Phil at 11:51AM on Jun 1st 2007
3. To me, the existence of God, or gods is irrevant.
Religion, however is the culprit.
The imposition of religions, religions that claim to know the mind of their God, gods, is so incredibly arrogant.
Morality, can be learned from evolution. What works is what should be emulated. Nice Guys Finish First
Richard Dawkins – Evolutionary Biologist states,"Reciprocal cooperation is the best survival strategy for our species"
Watch video here: 48minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzeCn02l_Rw
See also my ten commandments at
http://www.lacourt-m.com
Marilyn LaCourt
Marilyn LaCourt at 10:24PM on Jun 1st 2007
4. Contrary to what religionists have to say, the Theory of Evolution has much to teach us about morality.
Nice Guys Finish First
Richard Dawkins – Evolutionary Biologist
"Reciprocal cooperation is the best survival strategy for our species"
Watch video here: 48minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzeCn02l_Rw
Nice Guys Finish First
Richard Dawkins – Evolutionary Biologist
"Reciprocal cooperation is the best survival strategy for our species"
Watch video here: 48minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzeCn02l_Rw
Marilyn LaCourt at 9:42AM on Jun 2nd 2007
5. . To me, the existence of God, or gods is irrevant.
Religion, however is the culprit.
The imposition of religions, religions that claim to know the mind of their God, gods, is so incredibly arrogant.
Morality, can be learned from evolution. What works is what should be emulated. Nice Guys Finish First
Richard Dawkins – Evolutionary Biologist states,"Reciprocal cooperation is the best survival strategy for our species"
Watch video here: 48minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzeCn02l_Rw
See also my ten commandments at
http://www.lacourt-m.com
Marilyn LaCourt
Marilyn LaCourt at 10:26PM on Jun 1st 2007