atheism

[Si modo]

Yes, you have an excellent point. My personal experience is there is just as much possibility that one who is not moral in my opinion, is atheist as there is for them to be religious. You have a stronger anecdotal correlation than I do, but even if one had an opposite anecdotal correlation, any conclusion based on that, such as the OP's and others', is without proper foundation.

Yes, secular governments are the best for intellectual advancement, historically; and there is little reason to think that sort of culture promoting growth would change in the future.

I agree with you entirely. There IS just as much possibility that one who is moral is religious as their is that he or she is atheist. And that is exactly my objection to the simplistic statements made in the O/P.

Even Jesus said give unto Caesar what is Caesar's......

Socialist!

 

[jillian]

 

[Si modo]

*kidding*

 

[Diuretic]

Jeez you said it like it was a bad thing

 

[veritas]

I find ethics comes up a lot when you have children. It comes up when you have clients and customers. Sometimes situations are messy through no fault of anybody, it just is what it is. Then you have to sit there and figure it all out. These things are what liberal arts are for, so we have examples of prior/fictional dilemmas and the backdrop upon which to operate. Sometimes there are no neat solutions.

 

[Diuretic]

I find it interesting because part of my work involves ethics education. Now the idea of 'ethics education' within a disciplined, highly regulated occupation is to say the least, interesting. I'm lucky though in that it's given me plenty of pause for thought and I can work on that.

 

[rightwinger]

was that what caused the downfall of these great united states.

I personally think the United States is more moral than it has been in any period of its history. We are not in a downfall, we are on an upswing.

People now are more understanding of people of other races, other nationalities, other religions and other regions than during any period in its history. We even elected a black president.

How can a people who openly discriminate against other races be moral?

The only group that does openly discriminate against those who are different is the religious right

 

[Si modo]

was that what caused the downfall of these great united states.

I personally think the United States is more moral than it has been in any period of its history. We are not in a downfall, we are on an upswing.

People now are more understanding of people of other races, other nationalities, other religions and other regions than during any period in its history. We even elected a black president.

How can a people who openly discriminate against other races be moral?

The only group that does openly discriminate against those who are different is the religious right

The 'only' ones? Atheism and White Power

 

[The T]

was that what caused the downfall of these great united states.

I personally think the United States is more moral than it has been in any period of its history. We are not in a downfall, we are on an upswing.

People now are more understanding of people of other races, other nationalities, other religions and other regions than during any period in its history. We even elected a black president.

How can a people who openly discriminate against other races be moral?

The only group that does openly discriminate against those who are different is the religious right

Do you have some support for this statement?

 

[rightwinger]

was that what caused the downfall of these great united states.

I personally think the United States is more moral than it has been in any period of its history. We are not in a downfall, we are on an upswing.

People now are more understanding of people of other races, other nationalities, other religions and other regions than during any period in its history. We even elected a black president.

How can a people who openly discriminate against other races be moral?

The only group that does openly discriminate against those who are different is the religious right

Do you have some support for this statement?

Go ask Fred Phelps

 

[The T]

I personally think the United States is more moral than it has been in any period of its history. We are not in a downfall, we are on an upswing.

People now are more understanding of people of other races, other nationalities, other religions and other regions than during any period in its history. We even elected a black president.

How can a people who openly discriminate against other races be moral?

The only group that does openly discriminate against those who are different is the religious right

Do you have some support for this statement?

Go ask Fred Phelps

So Phelps is the personal GURU for the so-called "Religious Right"? Seems that Mr. Phelps has you running scared for some reason? Seems like you have an axe to grind with Mr. Phelps, NO?

 

[rightwinger]

For reference..

Can anyone here describe a time when the United States was more moral than it is now?
And why?

 

[rightwinger]

So Phelps is the personal GURU for the so-called "Religious Right"? Seems that Mr. Phelps has you running scared for some reason? Seems like you have an axe to grind with Mr. Phelps, NO?

As a matter of fact.......I do

 

[veritas]

Anybody that agrees with Fred Phelps should be jettisoned from the planet by means of a few old jump ropes tied together and then fastened to the next extra-atmospheric rocket when it takes off.

 

[bodecea]

Name one prominent atheist and list any deleterious effects he or she may have had on the country.

this country founded on "in god we trust" but not anymore thanks to athesim.

No it wasn't....it was founded on the ENLIGHTENMENT ideas of government as social contract between people to protect our Natural Rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

And the ENLIGHTENMENT ideas that all men are created equal with those Natural Rights.

Our Founders knew that organized religion is often the ENEMY of such concepts.

 

[bodecea]

Do you have some support for this statement?

Go ask Fred Phelps

So Phelps is the personal GURU for the so-called "Religious Right"? Seems that Mr. Phelps has you running scared for some reason? Seems like you have an axe to grind with Mr. Phelps, NO?

You don't?

 

[rightwinger]

Still waiting..

Can anyone identify a time when the US was more moral?

 

[rdean]

I blame the radical atheists for the decline of morality in children. Kids don't know right from wrong anymore and believe that they are the center of the universe. Sad and scary.

Truly funny coming from someone who believes they were made in the "image" of "God".

 

[Polk]

Ever read old Karl? It comes through loud and clear in the communist manifesto. No tactic is too dirty if it furthers the revolution.

Define ethics. and than look at the history of same and tell me that Christianity didn't improve drastically upon the situation it came into.

I don't think Christianity is an improvement on Judaism, if that's what you mean, quite the contrary. I think the Jews have a better set up, much better. Most of Christianity is begged, borrowed and stolen from Judaism anyway, with a few pagan twists in there to make it more salient.

If you are insinuating that Christianity improved on the Roman model of tolerance and assimilation of all the cultural religions, I would disagree there as well.

Christianity has a Hellenic heritage to go with its Judaic heritage. And there are probably quite a few other elements in there as well, given the influence of Constantine. I think he was the first Christian Empreror wasn't he? He made Christianity the state religion for the Byzantine Empire I think. He probably didn't tolerate religious opposition but that was probably more for secular reasons.

Constantine was the first emperor to convert to Christianity, but it didn't become the state religion until Theodosius.

 

[rdean]

The absence of ethics is glaring indeed but it is the fact that if there is no God than the only logical response is what can I get away with, since there is no longer a certainty of ever being caught. Most politicians claim to be a Christian not more than one in ten have been in a church within recent memory. Christianity doesn't teach that the ends justify the means but Karl Marx certainly did.

Mostly, Christianity teaches hate and violence. The Bible is filled with "They shall be put to death". Men, women, children, entire cities. A staggering amount of violence. Then things such as the penalty of rape is the rapist must marry the victim for life. Then, there is a ringing endorsement of slavery.

All the so called "good" of religion is because they say it, and keep saying it over and over again. As if saying it over and over again makes it true. Well, it doesn't.