Atheists only vote please: Do absolute MORAL truths exist? Is Rape ALWAYS "wrong"?

[Tsun Tsu]

However, suppose we found ourselves with a situation where a culture did not develop the concept of consent? They would have no equivalence (/w our concepts) from which to even understand what we were talking about. Stranger cultural disconnects abound - though this one seems rooted in most of us. Nevertheless, in your hypothetical scenario there's one easy hypothetical example. He would still think it to be "univerally wrong", I would, perhaps you would (though I guess I shouldn't presume - care to make the case for rape friend, oh...no? ofc you don't, lol.....) but they (the ubiquitous they)...would not.

This isn't even remotely close to a deep philosophical quandry - there is no leverage. It's ridiculous bullshit we've seen on these boards a hundred times over. It's boring.

So do you think then that those who find rape acceptable and good are right? It's not wrong because they deem it acceptable to rape? Or would you say there is a higher truth that trumps their opinion, and they are still wrong whether anyone recognizes it or not? Is there a higher truth that makes rape WRONG or EVIL despite consensus or opinion? If is IS true that they are wrong and rape is wrong regardless, then we have a truth that is universal AND absolute.

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On child abuse, unless you specifically mean pedophilia, it does exist in nature among other species and isn't always immoral in the sense we see it in our society. Several animals, for example bears and snakes, might kill off weaker children so that the mother can survive and the species can progress with the strongest individuals. However in a human society, killing off a slightly deformed child will be treated as murder and highly immoral.

Lets use this example then... Can you say with conviction "pedophilia, victimizing children 6 yrs old and younger is universally wrong"? Or would you disagree with this?