I haven't answered your question because the answer seemed so obvious. How about reciprocity and simple social justice? I don't steal your food not because god will punish me if I do, but because I don't want you to steal my food. Individuals who follow rules like this can live in groups more successfully than individuals who don't. To assume that morality can only exist as an outgrowth of some acceptance of a divine being presupposes that human morality did not exist before god revealed him/her/itself to people. I suppose that works if you think that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that god directly created humans as part of his six day workathon. The alternative hypothesis is that moral behaviour evolved over millenia as a way to enable hominids to live in large groups which in turn offered survival benefits.
The other question is whether belief in religion affects moral behaviour. I would suggest that the correlation is a negative one. As an example, both Canada and the UK have far fewer people who declare themselves to be strongly religious that does the US. Both Canada and the UK have banned capital punishment while the US has not. QED. -Don. Don Allen Dept. of Psychology Langara College 100 W. 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5Y 2Z6 Phone: 604-323-5871 ----- Original Message ----- From: Louis Schmier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Saturday, April 7, 2007 4:48 am Subject: [tips] Re: It's What They Believe To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <tips@acsun.frostburg.edu> > You know what I find interesting about this > discussion? No one has even > attempted to answer my question. Some of you have tried to dance > around an answer, hide > from it, deflect it, change the discussion, or parry and counter- > thrust because you > wrongly assume my questions are a defense of a religious based > moral code and an attacking > thrust against any non-divinely originated moral code as baseless > and wrong. Interesting. > Socrates would be smiling. So, I'll ask it again with no intent > of being judgmental. If > you do not accept the existence of a divine entity and thus the > validity of a divinely > ordained moral code, what is the source or origin or base or > criteria or root for the > moral code you do accept and strive to follow? > > > > I'm into my garden. Got to get 700 caladium and lily > bulbs into the ground > before I leave to teach in China. > > > > Make it a good day. > > > > --Louis-- > > > > > > Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com > > Department of History > www.newforums.com/L_Schmier.htm > Valdosta State University > > Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ > /\ > > (229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ > /\/\____/\ \/\ > > / \ > \__ \/ / \ /\/ > \ \ /\ > > //\/\/ /\ > \_ / /___\/\ \ \ > \/ \ > > /\"If you want to > climb mountains \ /\ > > _/ \ don't > practice on mole hills" -/ > \ > > > > > > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription go to: > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi- > bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english > --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
