Reasons that religion is neither necessary nor helpful as a guide to morality:
1. PRIMITIVE MORAL CODES: Just as our technology has developed, so too has our sense of right and wrong. Issues like slavery, child abuse and rape are moral no-brainers for us today but apparently the ancient people who wrote the Old Testament, New Testament or Koran were not so enlightened.
2. WHAT TAKES PRIORITY?: Whenever these ancient books try to offer moral guidance, they occasionally do come up with a few pearls of wisdom, such as Jesus' admonishment to "do unto others..." and Leviticus that tells us to "love our neighbor as ourselves." However, most of the time, when these books discuss "evil", they usually mean crimes against the religion, not against our fellow human beings. Blasphemy, idolatry and other deviations from religious faith, but ones which are of no harm to fellow human beings, take up most of the time these books discuss "evil".
Prime Example: Examine the 10 Commandments. The first four deal with "crimes" against the religion (other gods, idolatry, blasphemy, not remembering the sabbath). Only four out of ten deal with victim-related crimes.
3. STRANGE TABOOS: In addition to a preoccupation with crimes against religion, religious thinking also introduces strange or outdated taboos that have nothing to do with morality, at least if morality is to be understood as a measure of how fairly and honestly we treat one another. Not eating certain things on certain days or condemnations of homosexuality are examples.
Religion confuses our moral thinking by introducing irrelevant considerations.
4. EUTHYPHO'S DILEMMA: Is something good because God commands it or does God command it because it is good?
The former isn't objective morality but submitting to the judgment of another which, by definition, however wise or knowledgeable the being, is subjective. If the latter, than morality exists outside of God and would continue to be without God existing. Christians and other apologists try to wiggle out of this corner by babbling about good being grounded in the very nature of God. The problems with this answer merit its own thread.
5. "GOD-WILLS-IT?": Just as "GodDidIt" tells us nothing of scientific mysteries, "GodWillsIt" tells us nothing of moral philosophy.
6. INHERENTLY DANGEROUS: A religion that preaches a doctrine of salvation based on faith and a struggle between God and a devil sets the stage for religious atrocities. Those who believe in a devil can demonize anyone or anything outside the religion. Those who believe in Hell can be terrified enough to do anything to "save" their children or loved ones from it. Those who commit themselves to fighting the devil and saving souls can literally create Hell-on-Earth.
7. REALITY CHECK: Societies with low levels of piety have the fewest social ills. Prison populations are disproportionally theistic. The assertion that piety is required for morality is not supported by the evidence.
8. BY DEFINITION: Faith is doing what you're told, regardless of what's right. Morality is doing what's right, regardless of what you're told.
9. SUSAN B. ANTHONY'S OBSERVATION: "I distrust those who know what God wills because it so often fits their own desires." Religious people are adept at interpreting scripture however they like. "Jesus" most often becomes a glorified self-reflection.
10. EASY OUT: The recommendation of religions is to apologize to your imaginary friend and all is well. This is why Newt Gingrich can cheat on his wives and yet be the pious self-appointed defender of marriage. He said he was sorry to Jesus and that's all that matters. In the natural world, we apologize to those we wronged and patterns of dishonesty and hypocrisy are not so easily atoned for.
Religion is neither necessary nor helpful to our understanding of morality.
1. PRIMITIVE MORAL CODES: Just as our technology has developed, so too has our sense of right and wrong. Issues like slavery, child abuse and rape are moral no-brainers for us today but apparently the ancient people who wrote the Old Testament, New Testament or Koran were not so enlightened.
2. WHAT TAKES PRIORITY?: Whenever these ancient books try to offer moral guidance, they occasionally do come up with a few pearls of wisdom, such as Jesus' admonishment to "do unto others..." and Leviticus that tells us to "love our neighbor as ourselves." However, most of the time, when these books discuss "evil", they usually mean crimes against the religion, not against our fellow human beings. Blasphemy, idolatry and other deviations from religious faith, but ones which are of no harm to fellow human beings, take up most of the time these books discuss "evil".
Prime Example: Examine the 10 Commandments. The first four deal with "crimes" against the religion (other gods, idolatry, blasphemy, not remembering the sabbath). Only four out of ten deal with victim-related crimes.
3. STRANGE TABOOS: In addition to a preoccupation with crimes against religion, religious thinking also introduces strange or outdated taboos that have nothing to do with morality, at least if morality is to be understood as a measure of how fairly and honestly we treat one another. Not eating certain things on certain days or condemnations of homosexuality are examples.
Religion confuses our moral thinking by introducing irrelevant considerations.
4. EUTHYPHO'S DILEMMA: Is something good because God commands it or does God command it because it is good?
The former isn't objective morality but submitting to the judgment of another which, by definition, however wise or knowledgeable the being, is subjective. If the latter, than morality exists outside of God and would continue to be without God existing. Christians and other apologists try to wiggle out of this corner by babbling about good being grounded in the very nature of God. The problems with this answer merit its own thread.
5. "GOD-WILLS-IT?": Just as "GodDidIt" tells us nothing of scientific mysteries, "GodWillsIt" tells us nothing of moral philosophy.
6. INHERENTLY DANGEROUS: A religion that preaches a doctrine of salvation based on faith and a struggle between God and a devil sets the stage for religious atrocities. Those who believe in a devil can demonize anyone or anything outside the religion. Those who believe in Hell can be terrified enough to do anything to "save" their children or loved ones from it. Those who commit themselves to fighting the devil and saving souls can literally create Hell-on-Earth.
7. REALITY CHECK: Societies with low levels of piety have the fewest social ills. Prison populations are disproportionally theistic. The assertion that piety is required for morality is not supported by the evidence.
8. BY DEFINITION: Faith is doing what you're told, regardless of what's right. Morality is doing what's right, regardless of what you're told.
9. SUSAN B. ANTHONY'S OBSERVATION: "I distrust those who know what God wills because it so often fits their own desires." Religious people are adept at interpreting scripture however they like. "Jesus" most often becomes a glorified self-reflection.
10. EASY OUT: The recommendation of religions is to apologize to your imaginary friend and all is well. This is why Newt Gingrich can cheat on his wives and yet be the pious self-appointed defender of marriage. He said he was sorry to Jesus and that's all that matters. In the natural world, we apologize to those we wronged and patterns of dishonesty and hypocrisy are not so easily atoned for.
Religion is neither necessary nor helpful to our understanding of morality.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
