... “Many nonreligious parents were more coherent and passionate about their ethical principles than some of the ‘religious' parents in our study,” Bengston told me. “The vast majority appeared to live goal-filled lives characterized by moral direction and sense of life having a purpose.” ... My own ongoing research among secular Americans — as well as that of a handful of other social scientists who have only recently turned their gaze on secular culture — confirms that nonreligious family life is replete with its own sustaining moral values and enriching ethical precepts. Chief among those: rational problem solving, personal autonomy, independence of thought, avoidance of corporal punishment, a spirit of “questioning everything” and, far above all, empathy. ... The results of such secular child-rearing are encouraging. Studies have found that secular teenagers are far less likely to care what the “cool kids” think, or express a need to fit in with them, than their religious peers. When these teens mature into “godless” adults, they exhibit less racism than their religious counterparts, ... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-e...-secular-parenting-20150115-story.html#page=1
I love this quote. Really, if you think about this quote, it's so vague it's useless. The Blazers win more often than they lose to bad teams. Doesn't tell you whether or not the Blazers are otherwise good (or bad).
So are the prisons filled with God-fearing Bible Thumpers? Whack-y Christian gang violence is rampant? People who self-select Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior running the drug cartels? Incidences of single-parent families and deadbeat parents higher in regular church attendees? Higher rate of IRS fraud in those who tithe faithfully? I'm positive that you can find anecdotal bad people in every church, or people who are hypocritical in confessing that they're "religious" yet pay no attention or heed to the creeds of their religion. In fact, I can give plenty of examples. It's not a Christian thing--I saw plenty of "good" Muslims and plenty of those who used Thursday night (Friday's the holy day) as an excuse for debauchery. There's a reason that "C and E Cathlolicism" is a thing. (Christmas and Easter only, for those unaware). How many of the "religious" people in those studies contribute to charity according to their particular scripture (whether tithing, or zakat)? As for the opening statement: "The vast majority appeared to live goal-filled lives characterized by moral direction and sense of life having a purpose.” I have no doubt that a non-religious person can have a live of moral direction and a sense of purpose. But you will have to convince me that a "vast majority" of people do just about anything characterized in something soft like "moral" or "having a purpose". Did the drug dealer's "to get paid, yo!" count as a "purpose-filled life"? Does the high school dropouts life "have a sense of purpose?" Did the tax cheat have a defined "moral direction?" Anyway, in the grand scheme it doesn't matter, other than propaganda. If you think atheists suck, you can point to someone's "research" that confirms it. If you think Christians are whack-y, you can find anecdotes and studies to confirm it. I'll just say that it's kind of unique among the religious folk that people aren't inherently good. Now, some may say good parenting can overcome that, or a system of laws that curtails incidences of violence, or maybe you think that because Christ died for you you'll end up ok someday.
It's all individual. I consider myself ethical but others might not cause I drink, smoke pot, dance, eat swine, have premarital sex, have mixed thread clothing and occasionally argue with my parents. So judging ones moral compass is a difficult thing to do. I guarantee that most suicide bombers consider themselves to be highly moral. The difference between the religions and nonreligious ethically speaking, is just that the religious use their sacred books, church officials and congregation to guide their moral absolutes. The nonreligious have to try and think through their issues irrespective of doctrine. Either avenue may lead to assholes or saints, but the act of thinking through each issue unattached to religious baggage I think may lead to a slightly increased percentage of nonreligious following through on what they would consider ethical.
Morality is a vague artificial concept used to variably describe some combination of utility of behavior and subjective desires/evolved feelings. Not sure what the article is suggesting secular values actually stack up against.
A little help for you Maris. Of course they do! There are some things a mortal man is not qualified to do and there is no point in debating the issue. God has that duty. I am sure you don't want anyone telling what your rights are anymore than I do. Then we have the problem of the atheist just never stepping up! The Supreme Court put the 10 Commandment on their wall. The 10 handed down from God, no atheist ever got around to writing a superior set.
Give me a break. Any half-way intelligent eight-year-old could write a superior set. The first 4 Commandments aren't even moral concepts and would actually be opposed by the Supreme Court because they invalidate freedom of religion. The 10th effectively endorses Slavery.
George is great but he struggles too hard. "Atheist George Carlin (who passed into eternity in 2008) said, "But I want you to know something, this is sincere, I want you to know, when it comes to believing in God, I really tried. I really, really tried. I tried to believe that there is a God, who created each of us in His own image and likeness, loves us very much, and keeps a close eye on things. I really tried to believe..." All you got to do George is ask yourself, who did it? Sure as hell none of these dummies about can create anything let alone all of us. Don't worry too much about him keeping a close eye on things. Some of these guys are doing shit, even he don't want a see.
You endorse slavery of other animals no? Just sayin' I would think an evolved being like yourself would be equally appalled that we use animals to do our work for us. Humanity is so inhuman!
Dun no Sly! But I will go along with it if you wish to make and addition. Just tell um MarAzul sent you and see how it goes.
