Esquilax Wrote:Dude, it kinda feels like trolling. You've taken an extreme position and tried to link it to atheism, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Who says we need to conform to the standard of utilitarianism? There's no atheist rulebook, you know. We each develop our own moral standards, but before we get to the accusations of subjective morality, I'll mention that there are some objective standards that we all tend to conform to, developed through empathy and such. One of those is that life is preferable to death, because as far as we know there's only one life available and death provides nothing.
... So, no killing old people and babies, no.
Sorry for the wording, ya, I was just looking at one example. There are other non-theistic philosophies (hedonism, Ayn Rand's "Virtue of Selfishness", etc.), but Utilitarianism is popular right now, even with theists.
However, if there is some less extreme form of Utilitarianism that is coherent, I don't know it. You'd have to add dignity of human beings to keep from just killing people when it is good for the others, but if you were still to do "the most benefit for the most people" it's now its no longer Utilitarianism as much as it is a decent form of communism.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
