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Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 4:50 am
Two days ago I read a post about (American) liberals,
there was an assertion that unlike Jews and Christians liberals don't have a moral compass and liberals cannot even comprehend what a moral compass may be.
Well, I live in Europe and this type of rhetoric is rather alien to me. I guess it is an American thing... 
Can you tell me more about it?
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 4:56 am
(This post was last modified: September 23, 2016 at 4:57 am by robvalue.)
Morality is subjective. I'd say almost everyone has a compass, it's just some are unpopular/unusual.
People who don't have one at all would presumably be psycopaths, who don't consider any action to be bad or good, even subjectively. Their compass has no opinion, just "do whatever".
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:03 am
That's quite the assertion. I'd be impressed if someone could actually back that up.
I don't believe you. Get over it.
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:07 am
I've heard this kind of rhetoric quite often in debates and the like. I think because most religious people tend to derive their morals from wanting to please their sentient overlord, they think that because liberals or atheists don't believe in a god, this means they have no moral compass to follow and are therefore concienceless animals. Pretty ridiculous as this can easily be proven not to be true given the fact that non-believers aren't wandering around raping, murdering, stealing and abusing people.
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:07 am
(September 23, 2016 at 4:56 am)robvalue Wrote: Morality is subjective. I'd say almost everyone has a compass, it's just some are unpopular/unusual.
People who don't have one at all would presumably be psycopaths, who don't consider any action to be bad or good, even subjectively. Their compass has no opinion, just "do whatever".
Interesting. Did Ted Bundy have one? David Berkowitz (before his conversion in prison when he allegedly became a good Christian)? John Gacy? Andrei Chikatilo?
What was the moral compass of Lucky Luciano?
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:09 am
(This post was last modified: September 23, 2016 at 5:11 am by robvalue.)
Erm... they are probably psycopaths, as I noted. I said almost everyone.
Even someone who has a compass telling them to kill as an imperative has a moral compass. It's just a different one to usual.
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:12 am
(September 23, 2016 at 5:07 am)george.hobden Wrote: I've heard this kind of rhetoric quite often in debates and the like. I think because most religious people tend to derive their morals from wanting to please their sentient overlord, they think that because liberals or atheists don't believe in a god, this means they have no moral compass to follow and are therefore concienceless animals. Pretty ridiculous as this can easily be proven not to be true given the fact that non-believers aren't wandering around raping, murdering, stealing and abusing people.
That is because you and me are bound by human laws (that were drawn by religious people with moral compass).
If you or me were put on a deserted island, then we would start raping, murdering, stealing and abusing whoever we can abuse... 
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:17 am
(September 23, 2016 at 5:12 am)mcolafson Wrote: (September 23, 2016 at 5:07 am)george.hobden Wrote: I've heard this kind of rhetoric quite often in debates and the like. I think because most religious people tend to derive their morals from wanting to please their sentient overlord, they think that because liberals or atheists don't believe in a god, this means they have no moral compass to follow and are therefore concienceless animals. Pretty ridiculous as this can easily be proven not to be true given the fact that non-believers aren't wandering around raping, murdering, stealing and abusing people.
That is because you and me are bound by human laws (that were drawn by religious people with moral compass).
If you or me were put on a deserted island, then we would start raping, murdering, stealing and abusing whoever we can abuse...
I don't think so, I would say its more to do with the evolutionary development of social norms and laws that are innate in our selves. We feel empathy, so we can understand that raping or murdering someone would cause them pain and misery (which we wouldn't want for ourselves). Therefore as humans we realise it is objectively wrong to do these things. No religion needed!
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:18 am
(September 23, 2016 at 4:50 am)mcolafson Wrote: Two days ago I read a post about (American) liberals,
there was an assertion that unlike Jews and Christians liberals don't have a moral compass and liberals cannot even comprehend what a moral compass may be.
It's a dishonest means of disqualifying the group they dislike from having valid opinions, while recasting themselves as the designated adults of society. It's not a coincidence, after all, that the contents of a "moral compass" just so happen to align with what the religious think is good, and that the people who lack a moral compass just so happen to be the ones who disagree with them.
"YOU take the hard look in the mirror. You are everything that is wrong with this world. The only thing important to you, is you." - ronedee
Want to see more of my writing? Check out my (safe for work!) site, Unprotected Sects!
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RE: Your moral compass
September 23, 2016 at 5:27 am
I also started this thread because of my interest in some civil wars...
I read this article from a catholic web page.
an excerpt,
"Moreover, the Church's price for her support of Franco was that she have a moderating influence on Franco's men, which is what happened. War indeed brings out the worst in men, and thank God the Church was able to reign in those elements to the best of her ability. By contrast, reading the correspondence of Communist operatives in Spain leaves no room for doubt that their agenda was one of pure and total "liquidation," as they so antiseptically referred to murder"
In other words, in equal circumstances Christians/Catholics are better than atheists, because Christians/Catholics have moral compass.
The Catholic article about bad atheists and Catholic martyrs is here:
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/the-s...-civil-war
(it can make you feel ashamed of being an atheist  )
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