Does Religion Make People Moral?

Quote:

In this case you are just making yourself into God and the arbiter of what is right and wrong. This is literally the first and oldest sin.

It's always interesting that anything that
threatens your gods authority is always
the first and oldest and most important
sin. That's why the first 4 of the 10
commandments are all about god and his
egocentrism. It's also interesting that
your god makes the same demands as
every tinpot dictator in history.

Quote: FrGamble

Do you need God to have the notion of good or evil? Yes. Without some objective moral standard that crosses cultural and even religious lines the question makes no sense.

The problem is no god exists, therefore no moral code based on religion is, in itself, objective in any sense. That's why you need the long rationalizations later.

Quote: Nareed

The problem is no god exists, therefore no moral code based on religion is, in itself, objective in any sense. That's why you need the long rationalizations later.

Yup, you hit it right on the head. Congrats.

Quote: Nareed

The problem is no god exists, therefore no moral code based on religion is, in itself, objective in any sense. That's why you need the long rationalizations later.

The problem is our moral code is objective and universal. Therefore there has to be something beyond just us that it is based on. This obviously points to God. To explain it any other way requires lots of long rationalizations.

Quote: Wizard

No. By society I mean all humans, not just the ones that share my nationality or skin color. Infants are human so I would defend their rights as well.

So you believe in universal objective moral norms that are not determined by governments or society, thanks for the clarification, I would agree with this.

Quote: FrGamble

The problem is our moral code is objective and universal. Therefore there has to be something beyond just us that it is based on. This obviously points to God. To explain it any other way requires lots of long rationalizations.

Do you beat your slaves in the manner prescribed by your objective moral code?

Quote: FrGamble

The problem is our moral code is objective and universal. Therefore there has to be something beyond just us that it is based on. This obviously points to God. .

We discussed this to death in the sin thread.
It points to no such thing unless you want
it to or have been taught it does. Which
religious people have.

Quote: Nareed

Do you beat your slaves in the manner prescribed by your objective moral code?

I think the objective moral code for human beings forbids slavery and the mistreatment of anyone.

Quote: FrGamble

So you believe in universal objective moral norms that are not determined by governments or society, thanks for the clarification, I would agree with this.

Yes, you could put it that way.

Quote: FrGamble

So you believe in universal objective moral norms that are not determined by governments or society, thanks for the clarification, I would agree with this.

But they don't come from some god, they
come from eons of trial and error and how
to behave when we're forced to live in a
society. They evolved, just like everything
else.