2011-01-24, 02:18 PM
Often you will see a religious person say, "But if there is no God, why shouldn't we steal, rape, and murder?"
I believe this is due to the way they were brought up. It's very easy to get a child to behave by saying, "if you misbehave you will be punished" - at first by parents and teachers and then "even if we don't catch you, God sees everything and will punish you in the fullness of time."
It's a little harder to get a child to understand that something can be right or wrong regardless of reward or punishment, but it is accomplished. Those of us who were brought up in non-believer homes, somehow absorbed values without an attached all-judge.
The funny (?) thing is that many people who lose their religion don't lose their values. Some others, though... I believe someone on Southperry used to have a sig that went something like "When I was a child I used to pray to God for a bicycle. Then I realized that's not how it works. I stole a bicycle and prayed for forgiveness."
Another argument you hear sometimes is that the "origin" of morals is in religion, specifically the Old Testament. Some people apparently believe that if it weren't for the Ten Commandments, humanity would never have come up with the idea that killing people is wrong.
This is patently false. Rules against killing others, or taking their posessions, exist in all human cultures, even those that predate Moses or never had contact with Abrahamic religions (in fact, many of these rules exist in some form even in animals). Same for rules about protecting children, respecting the elderly, etc. Cultures vary in the fine details, but the basic principle of looking out for your herdmates is ubiquitous.
If you meant some other form of the argument, Erebus, please clarify.
I believe this is due to the way they were brought up. It's very easy to get a child to behave by saying, "if you misbehave you will be punished" - at first by parents and teachers and then "even if we don't catch you, God sees everything and will punish you in the fullness of time."
It's a little harder to get a child to understand that something can be right or wrong regardless of reward or punishment, but it is accomplished. Those of us who were brought up in non-believer homes, somehow absorbed values without an attached all-judge.
The funny (?) thing is that many people who lose their religion don't lose their values. Some others, though... I believe someone on Southperry used to have a sig that went something like "When I was a child I used to pray to God for a bicycle. Then I realized that's not how it works. I stole a bicycle and prayed for forgiveness."
Another argument you hear sometimes is that the "origin" of morals is in religion, specifically the Old Testament. Some people apparently believe that if it weren't for the Ten Commandments, humanity would never have come up with the idea that killing people is wrong.
This is patently false. Rules against killing others, or taking their posessions, exist in all human cultures, even those that predate Moses or never had contact with Abrahamic religions (in fact, many of these rules exist in some form even in animals). Same for rules about protecting children, respecting the elderly, etc. Cultures vary in the fine details, but the basic principle of looking out for your herdmates is ubiquitous.
If you meant some other form of the argument, Erebus, please clarify.