Difference between revisions of "Morality"

Revision as of 23:47, August 10, 2008

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-'''Morality''' is a concern with what is right and what is wrong.
+Something this site is void of.
-An example would be that some people think that the "[[marriage]]" of a man to another man is moral based on the principles of [[utilitarianism]].
-However, others think that such a thing is wrong, or immoral, usually on the basis of God's standards.
-Some people believe that marriage of any sort is amoral (without morality). Therefore, these people would have differing moral codes.
-== Morality versus law ==
-Morality is distinct from the [[law]], which is, or should be, based on morality.
-[[Slavery]], for example, was once legal in many places, but is now illegal, because people had the law changed because they considered slavery immoral.
-Many people argue that the law should not be used to enforce morality.
-But morality is actually the basis for much of the law.
-Laws against theft, for example, are based on the idea that taking someone else's property is morally wrong.
-==Morality based on theistic religion==
-Thomas Brewton points out that things like the [[Ten Commandments]] or the [[Code of Hammurabi]] were sets of rules to establish moral behavior, enforced in the context of religion.<ref>The Conservative Voice: [http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/9332.html "Morality and Political Order"] by Thomas Brewton</ref>
-Only by basing morals on [[God|God's]] standards can morality have any sort of absolute basis.
-Janine M. Ramsey:
-{{QuoteBox|Evil and good do objectively exist because they emanate from the fact that there is an unchanging, omniscient (all-knowing), and holy God.  These are not subjective opinions invented and written down by man.  Rather, ‘good’ expresses the innate characteristics of God Himself that He has built into every human being, and every human being is responsible to live up to those standards. And the absence of good defines evil.<ref>Ramsey, 2004</ref>}}
-==Morality based on evolution==
-Some [[biology|biologists]] argue that morality grew out of behavioral rules shaped by [[Theory of evolution|evolution]]. They see social behaviors displayed by some [[primate]]s as the precursors of human morality. They cite examples such as [[rhesus monkey]]s which, when given a chance to get food by pulling a chain that delivers a shock to another monkey, have been known to [[starvation|starve]] themselves for a considerable time.<ref>"Primates and Philosophers" by Frans de Waal</ref>
-Dr. [[Frans de Waal]] argues that primates are social animals, and must constrain their behavior in order to live in a group. He maintains that these constraints have shaped behaviors from which human morality has emerged. He does not assert that chimpanzees are moral, but argues that emotional bases that can be observed among primates are the foundation for the evolution of human morality.
-He points to the display of both [[empathy]] and self-awareness among apes, and asserts that human morality begins with a similar concern for others and the understanding of social rules about the treatment of others. <ref>New York Times: [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/science/20moral.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5124&en=84f902c89c5a9173&ex=1332043200&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink "Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior"]</ref>
-However, these arguments presume evolution to be true.
-The stance that God created such creatures to act in a way that we would consider moral has at least as much scientific validity as the evolutionary position.
-Evolution actually provides no basis for morality:
-{{QuoteBox|'''Jaron Lanier''': ‘There’s a large group of people who simply are uncomfortable with accepting evolution because it leads to what they perceive as a moral vacuum, in which their best impulses have no basis in nature.’<br />
-'''Richard Dawkins''': ‘All I can say is, That’s just tough. We have to face up to the truth.<ref>'Evolution: The dissent of Darwin,’ ''Psychology Today'' 30(1):62, January/February 1997, quoted in ''Creation'' 20(3):44, June 1998.</ref>}}
-== Morality based on atheism ==
-The basis of morality for [[atheism|atheists]] is their own opinion.
-[[Bertrand Russell]], for example, said that his opinions on right and wrong were based on his feelings.<ref>'''Bertrand Russell:''' You see, I feel that some things are good and that other things are bad. I love the things that are good, that I think are good, and I hate the things that I think are bad. I don't say that these things are good because they participate in the Divine goodness.<br>
-'''Frederick Copleston:''' Yes, but what's your justification for distinguishing between good and bad or how do you view the distinction between them?<br>
-'''R:''' I don't have any justification any more than I have when I distinguish between blue and yellow. What is my justification for distinguishing between blue and yellow? I can see they are different.<br>
-'''C:''' Well, that is an excellent justification, I agree. You distinguish blue and yellow by seeing them, so you distinguish good and bad by what faculty?<br>
-'''R:''' By my feelings.<br>
-(1948 radio debate; http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/p20.htm)</ref>
-In practice, they may adopt the morality of the society they grew up with, which in the case of the Western society is generally one with a Christian heritage.
-[[Richard Dawkins]] said, "I’m a passionate Darwinian when it comes to science, when it comes to explaining the world, but I’m a passionate anti-Darwinian when it comes to morality and politics".<ref>''The Science Show'', ABC Radio, 22nd January, 2000, quoted by Walker, Tas., [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5177 National emergency in Australia], 29th June, 2007. (Creation Ministries International)</ref>
-Although atheism provides no basis for absolute morality, this does not mean that atheists cannot be moral people.
-Rather, it does mean that atheism itself provides no moral boundaries to constrain the actions of people.
-As mass murderer [[Jeffrey Dahmer]] said in an interview:
-{{QuoteBox|If a person doesn’t think there is a God to be accountable to, then—then what’s the point of trying to modify your behaviour to keep it within acceptable ranges? That’s how I thought anyway. I always believed the theory of evolution as truth, that we all just came from the slime. When we, when we died, you know, that was it, there is nothing...<ref>Dahmer, Jeffrey, in an interview with Stone Phillips, Dateline NBC, 29th November, 1994 [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/4145/105/]</ref>}}
-=== The effects of atheism ===
-Atheists frequently criticise "[[religion]]", by which they usually mean [[Christianity]], for atrocities committed by adherents of those religions, citing such things as the [[Inquisition]] and the [[Crusades]].
-But when atrocities committed by atheists such as [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] and [[Mao Zedong|Mao]] are mentioned in return, they wish to disassociate the belief from its adherents.
-Whilst atheism didn't directly ''cause'' these atrocities, because athiesm provides no moral boundaries, it ''allows'' these atrocities to occur.
-{{QuoteBox|...atheism has been tried as a basis for life in many countries in the 20th century. The results have been some of the biggest bloodbaths of all time under communist despots above the law, e.g., Stalin, Mao and [[Pol Pot]]. For example, the Inquisition killed 2000 people in three centuries; Stalin killed that many before breakfast.<ref>Sarfati, 2004 & 2008.  See also Morris.</ref>}}
-== Bibliography ==
-* Morris, Grantley, [http://net-burst.net/hot/war.htm A History Professor’s Criticism of My Webpage].
-* Ramsey, Janine M., [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/3126 What basis, morality?], 11th May 2004 (Creation Ministries International).
-* Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/2207 Bomb-building vs. the biblical foundation], 24th December 2004 and 2nd December 2008.  (Creation Ministries International)
-== References ==
-{{reflist|2}}
-[[Category:Terms]]

Difference between revisions of "Morality"

Revision as of 23:47, August 10, 2008

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