"religion built the laws of society"?

[DespondentFishdeathMasochismo]

I'm guessing a lot of you have seen people say stuff like this. Do any of you actually have a retort to someone who says this? I was just sitting around in counterstrike, somehow the subject got on this guy saying "hey man, not just fuck islam, fuck all religion. organized religion that is. I mean religion's done it's fair share for society, like build the laws and morality our society is built on". I've also heard people say that religion builds societies, stuff like "america is a christian nation." Whenever I try to tell them what they're saying sounds like bullshit, they just don't pay attention, they probably think my points of contention are unfounded and stupid anyways. 

How can you really argue with them though, when you have people who think religion does good in society? People don't have to be religious to do good things, morality could have been written by basically anyone. The whole notion of religious morality being superior, is the notion that morality can't be rationally developed. Doesn't that just seem like a Christian something a would think? I mean I have to unfortunately give credit to all the Christians who don't think that because "THOSE AREN'T THE REAL CHRISTIANS!!" when all Christian belief is fucking subjective anyways. Besides the whole notion of religious morality being fake, let's say it is real. Doesn't it seem kind of absurd that people can't surmise that killing is wrong, so they need to be threatened with punishment if they want to kill. Those crazy Christians, can't even tell that killing is wrong without the bible saying so.

Sorry, I was just listening to this shit in counterstrike, I had to go make a thread about it, so I could see what other people have to say about it.

[Chad32]

I have heard the claim that America's laws are based on the ten commandments. Except only two commandments are actually laws. Adultery is considered immoral, but not illegal. The first commandments are actually illegal. Or supposed to be. You are not supposed to be able to force worship of Yahweh onto other people, which christians like to do by passing legislation to that effect.

Thinking a muslim or atheist shouldn't be president? Why? It's not like this is a christian theocracy, and it's not like a muslim president should be able to enact sharia any more than a christian should be able to enact biblical law. That's what the first amendment is for, after all.

Thou shalt not covet is funny, because you can't really have capitalism in a culture that doesn't covet.

Honor thy father and thy mother. What if they mother decides to drown you in the tub, or thy father is violently abusive? My dad demands respect. You know what will happen if I tell him he has to do things worth respecting before I give him any? You think any parent wants to hear their child tell them respect needs to be earned?

Yet somehow these commandments got onto our supreme court buildings.

[DespondentFishdeathMasochismo]

Yeah, the counterstrike guy did mention the ten commandments. It was annoying.

[robvalue]

When you look at what the actual Ten Commandments are, it becomes even more clear that they have nothing to do with modern society and everything to do with superstition and a bygone age.

Some people seem intent on bringing that age back, though.

http://youtu.be/pkCJ8rb8Grw

[Redbeard The Pink]

Adultery is considered immoral, but not illegal.

Take a short walk through the American divorce system and then try telling me that adultery isn't illegal. Sure, maybe it doesn't fall under criminal law, but once you're married the law will absolutely fuck you to pieces if you dare to fuck anyone but your spouse.

[Chad32]

To my knowledge you can and will get sued for adultery, but they won't lock you up unlkess you don't pay or something. That's why I said it's considered immoral, but there is no prison sentence for being an adulterer. You will get your ass sued, and lose at least half of your stuff.

[vorlon13]

While we are all tremendously lucky there has been extensive cherry picking of scripture regarding what does and doesn't get incorporated into the nations law (although menstruation huts in the back yard are probably a GREAT IDEA !!!*), don't think for a second I will cease criticizing christers for not advocating Bible based 'sharia' style legal system, especially for themselves.




*JK

[orangebox21]

I'm guessing a lot of you have seen people say stuff like this. Do any of you actually have a retort to someone who says this? I was just sitting around in counterstrike, somehow the subject got on this guy saying "hey man, not just fuck islam, fuck all religion. organized religion that is. I mean religion's done it's fair share for society, like build the laws and morality our society is built on". I've also heard people say that religion builds societies, stuff like "america is a christian nation." Whenever I try to tell them what they're saying sounds like bullshit, they just don't pay attention, they probably think my points of contention are unfounded and stupid anyways. 

How can you really argue with them though, when you have people who think religion does good in society? People don't have to be religious to do good things, morality could have been written by basically anyone. The whole notion of religious morality being superior, is the notion that morality can't be rationally developed. Doesn't that just seem like a Christian something a would think? I mean I have to unfortunately give credit to all the Christians who don't think that because "THOSE AREN'T THE REAL CHRISTIANS!!" when all Christian belief is fucking subjective anyways. Besides the whole notion of religious morality being fake, let's say it is real. Doesn't it seem kind of absurd that people can't surmise that killing is wrong, so they need to be threatened with punishment if they want to kill. Those crazy Christians, can't even tell that killing is wrong without the bible saying so.

Sorry, I was just listening to this shit in counterstrike, I had to go make a thread about it, so I could see what other people have to say about it.

To say that "religion built something" is an illogical conclusion (reification).  Religion doesn't build anything.  A religion is a group of individual people with a similar set of core values and beliefs.

To say that 'morality can be rationally developed' would necessarily mean that morality is subjective and relative.  Can something that is subjective and relative be rational?

[Minimalist]

Xtians don't know shit from shinola.

[CapnAwesome]

Religion did influence the laws of pretty much every society....................until the US constitution, the first entirely secular constitution on the planet, which was a model one which most structural laws in advanced societies were built off of. When people say the constitution is somehow modeled on christian laws or even worse, on the 10 commandments, they are being totally ignorant.