That i think, it the $64 question and its answer pervades

Posted on: October 11, 2017 at 14:14:30 CT

and influences virtually all human endeavor.

First, not that you said this, but we cannot subscribe to the belief that rocks rolling down a hill have a a moral component. Likewise a bear that attacks a camper or a snake on a plane.

Morality without religion? Yeah, probably. But i would agree that religion was necessary to codify and identify specific aspects of morality.

In general, i would say that morality is subjective. I have said here before that it is unfair and unreasonable to judge the 18th behavior of our founders by 21st century morals, especially regarding slavery.

But government is necessary to identify and enforce a moral code for its citizens. A code by the people, for the people, etc. Otherwise we would have what we see occasionally where one group of people believes it is their right to take from another group based on past actions of that group. If my morality allows me to kill you if you call me a poopy head, and i act on that, am i behaving in an immoral way?

Yes, you are.

You are free to think it. You are not free to do it. The thoughts are not immoral but the acts are. Society has imposed moral norms on the citizens. I know the nitwit brigade will have kittens with that, but oh well.

If each person is free to act on his/her own concept of morality, then we have no morality. We are like the bears and the snakes.

FTR, i believe in god but i have no idea what that means.