In their own words (which I put in bold face), Cecelia, robvalue, and Parkers Tan, have proved my earlier point. That point being atheistic moral systems are either constructed or co-opted by individuals according to their personal whims.
Empathy, evolved or otherwise, gets you nowhere, because the feeling of empathy is just one among many other instinctual responses like disgust, contempt, fear and shame. You have no basis for privileging one set of feelings over another other your own personal inclination to do so.
Parker in particular shows himself to be his usual clueless self. He falsely accuses believers of shirking responsibility for not constructing their own moral code. Believers do not have to make-up a feel-good ethical system that you find satisfying. Reason and experience teach the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” that transcend personal preferences and individual proclivities.
I have never seen a single post from a believer claiming that a person who doesn’t believe in god/gods must turn evil. Likewise I have never seen a single believer say that a person must consciously acknowledge God to behave morally. When you attribute those beliefs to theists, it may earn cheers among other atheists, but for us believers it only confirms our opinions that many atheists have a fundamental disregard for truth.
Another thing that confirms our opinion of atheistic dishonesty is the claim that Christians are hypocrites because they do not strictly comply with the legal codes of the Mosaic theocracy, which for us are instructive but not binding. That insult has been shown wrong so many times that by continuing to use it you conform to the stereotype of ‘angry atheist’.
(September 1, 2015 at 10:25 pm)Cecelia Wrote: When we see our fellow man suffering, our empathy gives us cause to help them… we have to judge on the standards of our own empathy,…
(September 2, 2015 at 1:58 am)robvalue Wrote: I'm accountable to me, and I'm my own harshest critic.
Quote:You [theists]…avoid the responsibility of constructing a decent moral code.
Empathy, evolved or otherwise, gets you nowhere, because the feeling of empathy is just one among many other instinctual responses like disgust, contempt, fear and shame. You have no basis for privileging one set of feelings over another other your own personal inclination to do so.
Parker in particular shows himself to be his usual clueless self. He falsely accuses believers of shirking responsibility for not constructing their own moral code. Believers do not have to make-up a feel-good ethical system that you find satisfying. Reason and experience teach the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” that transcend personal preferences and individual proclivities.
I have never seen a single post from a believer claiming that a person who doesn’t believe in god/gods must turn evil. Likewise I have never seen a single believer say that a person must consciously acknowledge God to behave morally. When you attribute those beliefs to theists, it may earn cheers among other atheists, but for us believers it only confirms our opinions that many atheists have a fundamental disregard for truth.
Another thing that confirms our opinion of atheistic dishonesty is the claim that Christians are hypocrites because they do not strictly comply with the legal codes of the Mosaic theocracy, which for us are instructive but not binding. That insult has been shown wrong so many times that by continuing to use it you conform to the stereotype of ‘angry atheist’.
(September 2, 2015 at 10:29 am)Rhondazvous Wrote: You see, Chad, you’ve painted yourself into a corner by saying we need god to be moral. The truth of your statement must be manifest in the lives of every Christian, which it clearly is not.You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Knowing the truth of the Gospel and having the will to live according to it are two separate things.
