(December 3, 2012 at 9:08 am)DoktorZ Wrote: On another note, don't you think getting atheists to establish a code of internet conduct and shared values (beyond a lack of belief in god(s)) is a bit like herding cats? Not to open a can of worms, but I thought that was the philosophy behind Athiesm+, or whatever that site is called. I must confess I'm not particularly attracted to that sort of thing, mainly because I grew up around hardcore theists who were constantly micro-managing others' thought and behavior.
Z
I only want people to assess their own actions, which may, at times, requires that you speak up when people you otherwise like and align with are acting poorly. Personal ethics can negate the need for societal laws. True, we have legislation condemning murder, but that is a reflection of a basic human abhorrence for murder, not the reason we find murder abhorrent. If everyone applied ethical thinking about murder, the laws prohibiting it would be irrelevant.
