(August 7, 2015 at 10:03 am)lkingpinl Wrote: No I was agreeing with Chad. For those that hold to no higher moral standard than self (moral relativism), you cannot logically condemn any action of another because they are simply adhering to their own morality. If you do condemn the act you are then claiming moral superiority. So if morals are relative then there is no good or evil as those terms become relative and ultimately meaningless.
I think the problem with what I bolded is that you assume a simple/unitary "self". But what is to stop someone from granting the same respect to the dictates of their conscience that you do - without assuming they come from God? Notice that the only difference is an assumption you yourself are making, not any established fact. So long as a person recognizes the importance, what difference can it possibly make? Some will protest that if it comes down to just listening to what comes out of one's own head, what is to guarantee there is any moral authority in that? But from the point of view of the atheist, that is exactly the position every theist is in as well. Even if you cite the authority of the bible, that isn't an authority I recognize and you can't use the bible to justify your choice of the bible so how is your position supposed to be any better than our own?
(August 7, 2015 at 10:03 am)lkingpinl Wrote: This is where the argument from evil and suffering falls apart because in order truly call something evil and discuss it with others and appeal that you cannot believe in God because of the existence of evil in this world, you are invoking a moral authority that transcends humanity, but that is what you are trying to disprove.
I don't find I need the word "evil". Just move the "e" to the end of the word and you get a better word without all the pretentious baggage, "vile". Those who do vile things are villains and that justifies the imposition of a duly appointed justice system to enforce our communally agreed upon laws. What happens to them after they die is of no actionable relevance to anything that requires my attention.
