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I live the way I do for the same reasons I try to teach my children to be good people and to do the right thing, because it's the right thing to do.
Originally posted by 0zzymand0s
reply to post by getreadyalready
Why not unicorns? Or Flying saucers? I have a hard time believing that anyone who doesn't believe in unicorns or flying saucers can possibly have a moral compass compatible with being the president of the US. To me -- someones lack of belief in unicorns, or flying saucers is an indicator of their basic immorality. How can someone who doesn't believe in unicorns possibly remain faithful to one woman, or work hard at a job, or choose to do the "right thing?"
I hope you see how utterly ridiculous this argument is.
Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by Praetorius
Would you consider the public vetting we do of a candidate's religion, a test of religion?
Originally posted by getreadyalready
To me, Santorum answered this question perfectly in the debate last night.
The only thing that matters about one's faith, is that they have one. I don't care what flavor of religion it is, so long as they have a religion, and they make decisions based off a moral code that we can agree with.
Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by ThaLoccster
I live the way I do for the same reasons I try to teach my children to be good people and to do the right thing, because it's the right thing to do.
Ok, so please try to make me understand. Why would you teach your children to waste a portion of their limited time?
What is "right" without spirituality. There is no right or wrong without spirituality. Every notion you have of right and wrong was indoctrinated from a religion whether you realize it or not. Rape, Robbery, Murder are all perfectly acceptable in the animal world. They live in a manner that most benefits the strongest individual. There is no civility.
I'm not criticizing your view, but I don't believe it exists, and I think many people are indoctrinated to religious ideas of right and wrong and don't even realize it.
So, please make me understand where your morality comes from, and why you would teach a child that has at most 80-90 years of existence, that it is best to waste 25 of it in school and 50 of it behind a desk and committing to 1 woman and 1 lifestyle is the best way to spend that time? Are you doing it to benefit me as your fellow man? If so, then don't. Don't waste a life on my behalf. Are you doing it for your descendents? Wouldn't they be better served by you collecting as much wealth and as many siblings as possible without regard to anyone else?
There is no right and wrong without some sort of a God.
Originally posted by Dasher
While I agree with your concern regarding slimy people, GRA's post was not anti-atheist.
While atheists are often too traumatized to accept it, an atheist moral code is simply a "non-organized a-theological dogma" (and, ultimately, a "type" of religion). Anti-theists are a more militant, and usually very hypocritical, version of the same.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I didn't say it was. I take issue with his assumptions that atheists don't have morals AND that religious people do. I don't care if someone is anti-atheist, but to make these blanket assumptions is not like grar, as far as I WAS familiar with him.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
People DON'T need religion to have a STRONG moral code. And some of the slimiest people are those smack dab in the middle of organized religion.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
It seems assumptions and stereotyping are things you have in common. And most black people are criminals and most cops are pigs, right? See? Atheists don't have common moral code or dogma. You can call it a religion if you want, but you're still wrong.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Religion:
The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.
Nope. Atheists don't have a belief in OR worship of a superhuman controlling power.
But you guys go ahead and claim that atheism is a religion and I'll continue knowing better.
Originally posted by dolphinfan
I would far prefer a President who spent an hour meditating once a week and thinking about the enormity of his decisions than an hour in church listening to dogma.
Originally posted by Dasher
He never said that atheists don't have morals.
Originally posted by getreadyalready
A "true atheist" that believes a person is a cosmic accident, and the physical existence is solitary and finite, cannot possibly have a moral compass.
Originally posted by Dasher
Not believing in a god is not the same as not believing in spiritual things
I never said that you have a religion, but rather, a type of religion.
I clarified it, in similar words, as a "non-organized dogma lacking a godhead." This both satisfies the definitions of atheist and religion.