From: Steve C. Dotson (neuroknot@hotbot.com)
Date: Sun Nov 07 1999 - 19:50:46 MST
--
On Sun, 07 Nov 1999 11:26:54 Spike Jones wrote:
For many of us who grew up in CFC-dominated (christian
>fundamentalist churches) society, or WASP culture, our core system
>of ethics and morals are based directly on those teachings. After years
>of being atheist, I am still unable to give a simple, crisp bumper sticker
>answer to those who claim that CFCs provide a solid framework upon
>which to base ones morals and teach ones children ethical behavior. ...
Spike, my friend (I hope):-)
Consider this:
CFCs have utterly failed to provide any kind of practical ethical framework.
1) After over 2000 years of time to prove itself effective we are still extremely violent, lying
dastardly, etc...
2) 80% of prison inmates espouse some form of religion. And they were beleivers before their arrests.
3) And then there is the escape clause: (Perhaps the main reason for the success and "stickiness" of the CFC sects.) You can do absolutely any kind of heinious rape, murder, torture and then be forgiven in the last instant of one's horrific life and get the same perks (eternal life and etc.) as a virgin church schoolmarm.
4)Then there is all of that "eye for an eye" material that helped rationalize all those holy wars. Richard Dawkins has gone into detail in this area, and I could get more if you are interested, but this is my quick version.
I think I would much rather trust someone who has "rassled" some of these ethical issues and grounded themselves in solid reasoned conclusions, rather than someone who bases their ethics on an old compendium of myths and superstitious tales full of contradictions and inaccuracies.
So, I don't think I came up with a bumper sticker here, as you mentioned in your previous post, but I couldn't put it on my car anyway. (Darwin fishes in my area are an stimulus to vandalize).
Steve
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