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Someone is watching you - so behave yourself

Discussion in 'Religion & Philosophy' started by ARDY, Jan 1, 2020.

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  1. ARDY

    ARDY Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    there in lies the problem.... we can ageee that god is a useful social construct... perhaps like santa claus... but the time comes when we out grow useful fantasies
     
    ARDY, Jan 17, 2020
    #51
    Adfundum likes this.
  2. Adfundum

    Adfundum Moderator Staff Member Donor

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    True. But if the best kind of useful morality we can come up with is based on the fear that someone is watching, we deserve all the evil that rains down. In that case, something like the idea of 'doing unto others' should not be the sole property of any religious sense of morality, but of a general human morality.
     
    Adfundum, Jan 17, 2020
    #52
  3. yardmeat

    yardmeat Well-Known Member

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    But "if the best kind of morality we can come up with is based on the fear that someone is watching" is an enormous assumption. What evidence do we have that this "if" is true? I can't think of any myself.
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2020
    yardmeat, Jan 17, 2020
    #53
  4. Adfundum

    Adfundum Moderator Staff Member Donor

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    It was just a hypothetical. Supposing (but not assuming) the Christian god is doing the watching, and people act only out of fear of that god, then, if we suddenly stop believing in that god and act without any restraint or consideration for others, that would not go well for us. I watched video clip of Kohlberg's theory, and I can't say that I agree with much of it. It makes assumptions that I disagree with.

    All I'm saying is that religion is a great way to establish a code of behavior, but without religion, we still need to have a commonly accepted way to do that. Linking it to religion in a time when religion is not what it used to be can be a roadblock to understanding reasons for such a code.
     
    Adfundum, Jan 17, 2020
    #54
  5. yabberefugee

    yabberefugee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I would be against murder or any harm to a child....of course. I just see that you seem to be on a moral high horse because of your own moral goodness which I doubt seriously. You have failed morally in some instances as we all have....so neither you or the collective will be my basis for morality. I appeal to a higher power!
     
    yabberefugee, Jan 17, 2020
    #55
  6. yardmeat

    yardmeat Well-Known Member

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    Then you and I agree that the Bible is wrong in this regard.

    But since you agree with me on this moral point, that would mean you are on the same high horse. That or you are guilty of the hypocrisy you are accusing me of. Also, my own morality is something based on a base level of empathy available to all mentally healthy adults . . . as far from a "high horse" as you can possibly get, unless you are willing to defend psychopaths as being moral paragons.

    What higher power? If it is the God of the Bible then he also (according to your own estimation of the murder of or harm to a child being wrong) would have failed morally. If you have another suggested higher power who has never failed, I'd love to hear of it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
    yardmeat, Jan 19, 2020
    #56
  7. yabberefugee

    yabberefugee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Failed according to your standards? Then I suppose you see your self as god....
     
    yabberefugee, Jan 19, 2020
    #57
  8. yardmeat

    yardmeat Well-Known Member

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    No, just someone with the same morals that you claim to hold, but unlike you, I'm not compromising mine.

    The only standards I've proposed are ones that you just got through claiming you agree with. Why are you backpedaling now?
     
    yardmeat, Jan 24, 2020
    #58
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