Morality, Religion and Atheism

[radioburning]

Morality is birthed from empathy, which is inherent in nature. Studies show infants have empathy, even though they have never been exposed to religious doctrine.

Rats show empathy…

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2011.9603

[IVC]

So you think the right is somehow more "woke" to their dogmatic behaviors than the left? Oh, man -- that's rich!

Not woke at all, just been enough through the legal system that overturned morality-based laws, from sodomy to state-endorsed religious curriculum in schools.

The left is now going through the similar phase, where what they call "woke" (and I call "bigoted" and "racist") laws are being challenged in the courts and stricken down as discriminatory. Racial discrimination in college admissions, segregation by race and sexual orientation in housing and on campus, biological males competing against females and setting collegiate records, you name it. Also, notice how the left is losing their mind every time they lose in court, claiming that the society will end unless it embraces their value system and unless courts allow them to force it on others because, you know, they really believe it's the best for everyone.

What was the last morality-based law passed by the right that has been stricken down or litigated and how long ago was it? Compare to what's going on with the left's unconstitutional agenda right now.

[IVC]

Speaking of "left vs. right," also notice that the left's anti-gun stance is an emotional and moral issue to them. They don't care about science, they don't care about rights, they see guns and armed self-defense as immoral and that is what they will pass as the law.

Cue the left's meltdown when we get the ruling from the NY carry case from SCOTUS, where it will be crystal clear ruling with no contentious interpretation, yet the left will lose it because their perceived danger and inappropriateness of the guns in the modern society (religious belief) trumps anything one can reason with them.

[IVC]

Really? So all that BS Jesus spouted about the destruction of those who don't agree with him was just hot air -- he didn't really mean it? Seems about as free to make a decision as a robbery victim is -- yea, you can refuse, I suppose. But it isn't exactly freedom, is it?

Truth-seeking and apologetics aren't the same thing. Try the former.

People are free not to be Christians, people are not free not to be controlled by the government that we have in place. But you knew that...

[Barang]

Really? So all that BS Jesus spouted about the destruction of those who don't agree with him was just hot air -- he didn't really mean it? Seems about as free to make a decision as a robbery victim is -- yea, you can refuse, I suppose. But it isn't exactly freedom, is it?

Truth-seeking and apologetics aren't the same thing. Try the former.

people have free will. free will to reject, to follow or whatever they want or not to do. Jesus or government, you live the life however you want it. violate the law, suffer the consequences, that's your choice!

[CVShooter]

Not woke at all, just been enough through the legal system that overturned morality-based laws, from sodomy to state-endorsed religious curriculum in schools.

The left is now going through the similar phase, where what they call "woke" (and I call "bigoted" and "racist") laws are being challenged in the courts and stricken down as discriminatory. Racial discrimination in college admissions, segregation by race and sexual orientation in housing and on campus, biological males competing against females and setting collegiate records, you name it. Also, notice how the left is losing their mind every time they lose in court, claiming that the society will end unless it embraces their value system and unless courts allow them to force it on others because, you know, they really believe it's the best for everyone.

What was the last morality-based law passed by the right that has been stricken down or litigated and how long ago was it? Compare to what's going on with the left's unconstitutional agenda right now.

You're clearly telling yourself a story here. Among the themes in your story is some kind of right-wing progression and left-wing regression. It's oft-repeated in the right-wing media. Believe that story if you want. But I don't buy it for a second.

The pendulum swings. The harder you push it one way, the harder it will swing back the other. The only way to keep it sane & tempered is to stop pushing it -- let it settle down. But people see things swing hard in a direction they don't like and they can't help but push it back with all their emotional, political and religious energy. If you don't like the left's craziness, stop promoting right craziness. It just pushes everybody into craziness instead of settling down.

[IVC]

You're clearly telling yourself a story here. Among the themes in your story is some kind of right-wing progression and left-wing regression. It's oft-repeated in the right-wing media. Believe that story if you want. But I don't buy it for a second.

If you didn't buy that the Earth was spinning it wouldn't stop it from spinning.

I gave you very specific examples and made claims related to those examples, without any narrative, media references or stories. It seems that you're the one listening to the media (because I certainly don't, right, center or left) and making ad-hoc statements.

[MonkeyMind]

Does any act exist inherently as anything?
Is it morally acceptable to murder someone who is about to blow up a busload of kittens?

[theLBC]

Does any act exist inherently as anything?
Is it morally acceptable to murder someone who is about to blow up a busload of kittens?

you already called it murder.
perhaps your question is whether humans are inherently more valuable than kittens.
up until recently, i probably would have said yes, but i am unsure now seeing the behavior of the current crop of "humans".

[DB>]

Relativism is easy when you play with the definitions of words... "kill" and
"murder" are traditionally distinct concepts, but if you muddle them up, you can justify all sorts of mischief.

We have many favorite "sins", but the one that kills us is the belief that "we can be like god".

Knowing good and evil and making the right choices is hard sometimes, but with faith, humility, and patience, we get better at it. Loving others as God first loved us (never figured out what He sees in humans, honestly, but I'm getting better at it... I hope) is the key, and as Paul once described, one has to wake up every day and struggle with our own human nature to sort it out and overcome sinful urges and tendencies... our natural state.