How Do We Behave?

[fr0d0]

Touché my father

Humanity wiping itself out though isn't what I'd cite as self sustainable, as you did regarding morals!

[Darwinian]

Humanity won't wipe itself out son, it will simply change and evolve until it is no longer recognisable as humanity.

[fr0d0]

Wipeout is an extreme... we are in a state of regress according to some: reversing positive natural selection in some ways. I also don't think there's time for evolution. But what does it matter if we cease to exist?

[Darwinian]

For some reason your words reminded me of..

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

Hay ho...

[darkblight]

If you believe in God, then how to behave is simple: This life is transient and if you do good things you will spend the rest of eternity in Heaven, whereas, if you behave badly you go to Hell for eternity. If you truly believe in God, then you cannot question the morality of this because God, being perfect, could not be in error.

If you do not believe in God, then this life is still a fleeting transient moment compared to the age of the universe, but how to behave is not so clear. Since this is the one and only existence, then the only rational course is to pursue those things that serve your own ends and maximise the pleasure and happiness of your short vacation from the dark abyss of eternity.

With regard to the latter, this means that the only grounds for altruism is if you happen to be a person who enjoys putting others before yourself. If you happen to be selfish thats OK too. The only thing you need to avoid is breaking the Law, since this may take away your freedom which would diminish your existence. Apart from that, it is a free for all - a morality of ends?

there is no morality, there is no justice, there is only meat and death.

oh you can say there is punishment for breaking laws, yes there is... but not if you create the laws.

there is only the pursuit of happiness. whatever it is that makes you happy. there are limited resources, and those resources are the key to happiness... that and other people.

but the ones who stand in the way, the weak in mind and body.. these should not be carried along.

cry all you want but the man who purges the world of these people has the right idea.

hide in your pity and doubt and shame of saying it aloud.. but the sooner the planet is purged of those who stand in the way of progress the better.

there is strength, there is power.. there are the abused and the abusers.. and which would you rather be.

there will always be war, with or without religion. there will always be conflict.. you must make sure you win these conflicts. we need a leader.. we need one who will destroy the past and out of the flames will come the future.

again you can pretend it does not exist, you can pretend that the theist does not wish to convert the world or thinks that the world would not be for the better if all non believers gone, but that would be folly.

shred the blanket of apathy and unite! it is time to come from the shadows and take control. we need a strong leader... one who will not cower to false morality.

accept me.. as king! KING OF THE ATHEISTS muahahahaha

[Girlysprite]

Can someone tell of Darkblight is a troll - a theist pretending to be an atheist?

Frodo - the perfect moral is not clear. Over the world hundreds of factions are trying hard to find the best way to interpet the bible, and they all get different results. And really, I'd rather not condone slavery as part of the 'perfect moral'. Just an example.

I think much of our morals have progressed. Yes, I'd certainly call it progression against the ages where witchburning, crusades and slavery were accepted, and excused with, or even caused by the bible.

[Violet]

Slavery remains accepted. That ice cream be not acceptable maketh not all food not acceptable.

[fr0d0]

Frodo - the perfect moral is not clear. Over the world hundreds of factions are trying hard to find the best way to interpet the bible, and they all get different results. And really, I'd rather not condone slavery as part of the 'perfect moral'. Just an example.

I think much of our morals have progressed. Yes, I'd certainly call it progression against the ages where witchburning, crusades and slavery were accepted, and excused with, or even caused by the bible.

I think you and I have the capacity to know Girlysprite. What you are talking about illustrates the point perfectly. It was the secular morality of the time that slavery was right. The biblical angle promotes fair treatment that would put to shame most of dealings with people over other people nowadays.

Sure people have abused the bible by being amoral using it as their excuse. No one could ever say that they were following Christ or being perfectly moral.

[darkblight]

Can someone tell of Darkblight is a troll - a theist pretending to be an atheist?

Frodo - the perfect moral is not clear. Over the world hundreds of factions are trying hard to find the best way to interpet the bible, and they all get different results. And really, I'd rather not condone slavery as part of the 'perfect moral'. Just an example.

I think much of our morals have progressed. Yes, I'd certainly call it progression against the ages where witchburning, crusades and slavery were accepted, and excused with, or even caused by the bible.

i was kind of trolling there and being part serious, i am atheist and i think that the idea of "morality" is silly.

is it bad when a two animals in the forest fight? is it wrong when a gazel is eaten by a lion? we try to apply these ideas to humans because "we want to live in a society where we are not beat over the head with a club" but these things go on all the time.

in all seriousness you need to understand that winning the fight is the only morality.

i suppose i will try to phrase this better.. there is no great justice.. there is no reason to be "moral" other than fear of punishment.

if getting rid of 85% of the population and keeping a small amount of people to be slaves to their masters made the world a highly enjoyable place for the non-slaves.. well you better hope you are one of the non-slaves. this is going on all around us as we speak.. there are masters and slaves, rungs of social standing to climb.. and for you to get what you want someone is going to not get what they want.

there is no life after death people, this is it.. steal as much as you can without getting caught, take what you want and dance on the backs of the bruised if it gets you ahead.

just sick of the whole idea that we are going to somehow elevate and everyone is going to be kind to each other, that is not the nature of animals.. life is violent, selection has no morality.. nature has no morality.. and neither do humans.

[downbeatplumb]

i suppose i will try to phrase this better.. there is no great justice.. there is no reason to be "moral" other than fear of punishment.

Bullshit. there are plenty of reasons to be 'moral' without fear of punishment.

Being a nice person is one.

Fear of punishment is only a deterent to people who would be immoral anyway

And who gets to decide what is moral any way?

Religious countries always go overboard making stupid shit immoral like homosexuality.
Why is it immoral for same sex people to screw each other, each to their own as far as i'm concerened.

I can see why girlysprite thinks you are a poe, theists tend to think the fear of punishment is the origin of morality more than atheists because atheists tend to know better.