(May 26, 2015 at 7:29 pm)Randy Carson Wrote: If there is no God, then there is no hell; and if there is no hell, then there are no ultimate, eternal repercussions, good or bad, for how we live out our mortal lives. Of course, atheists insist that people should be "good without God."
But why? If God does not exist, why be good?
If there is a god, why be good?
If there is a being that has absolute power, one can easily see the motive to be obedient. But why be good?
Do you seriously believe that might makes right? Do you really believe that you should just go along with the biggest bully there is? Is that all there is to your idea of goodness?
This reminds me of the chorus of the song, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town":
Quote:He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
It is claimed that one should be "good for goodness sake," but the reality is, the song is telling people that Santa is watching and will reward or punish based on what one does, so one had better do as Santa wants. That is not being good for the sake of goodness, that is doing things for the reward and for avoiding punishment.
It is not about good and bad, it is about avoiding punishment and receiving rewards. In other words, doing what one is told, or else.
That is not morality.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
