2011-01-18, 06:08 PM
Anonymous Moose Wrote:As an Athiest, I can confirm that athiests do have morals and the ability to respect others, and I think more individualisticly rather than advanting the whole. I can also say that excessive religious fundamentalism can lead to a result similar to the borg. I'll take an example from American "lotteries." People use to believe in having a lottery to decide upon a member of their villiage to sacrifice for the greater whole. It didnt matter if killing was wrong, or whether this ritual would bring forth a good harvest or not. They simply followed their religious beliefs blindly and killed off a few of their people for the belief that the community as a whole would benefit.
As a realist i can say with equal certantity the only thing holding people to these things is more likely fear than anything else. Yes, athiests and believers. An athiest may say to a religious man oh it's only fear of your imagined diety that holds you to the confines of your religion, just as someone may say to an athiest it's just fear of the possible consequences that keeps you from complete hedonism and taking whatever you will. Which statement is more grounded?
Secular morality and secular humanism are more fragile than many people may want to believe. But history shows that time and time again, when things get shaken up or uncomfortable, these things are often tossed out and disregarded without ceremony or pause. Herd benefit has some pretty obvious roots in selfishness. Saftey in numbers, benefitting of the whole more likely than not benefits the self-individual, etc. It's the path of least resistance, not neccisarly moral for anyone.
mmmm, that was dark.