i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?
my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?
" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.
Perry - you have argued against a straw-man that nobody has argued for.
Would you actually like to have a sincere discussion about morality? Why not read previous posts on the thread about the objective foundation for godless morality and respond to what has actually been said.
this article won’t change your mind - the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs.
brilliant article in the atlantic by julie beck discussing the phenomena of cognitive dissonance and how it affects religious and political beliefs.
it includes some interesting thoughts on how social media has magnified the problem.. spoiler - she is not optimistic about the possibility of successfully reasoning with members of religious cults.. the article also has a link to the 45 minute audio version.. link....
So you agree with the article you posted or not? - SBF
Yes I do. It describes a common psychological tendency not a universal law.
You are seriously misrepresenting it because it lends support to your misconceptions. Ironic isn't it?
We make decisions on the basis of 1) what other people are doing and 2) what authority figures say.
These are factors in some decisions, some of the time, which we do well to be aware of.
this article won’t change your mind - the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs.
brilliant article in the atlantic by julie beck discussing the phenomena of cognitive dissonance and how it affects religious and political beliefs.
it includes some interesting thoughts on how social media has magnified the problem.. spoiler - she is not optimistic about the possibility of successfully reasoning with members of religious cults.. the article also has a link to the 45 minute audio version.. link....
You are making generalisations. Some people will leave based on new information even if nobody else agrees. I was one such person and I have encountered many more on this forum.
i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?
my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?
" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.
Sometimes in these discussions it seems as if we assume that unless there is an objective or absolute basis for morality, then it is empty or there is no point.
Objective and absolute are two different things.
There is no 'absolute' foundation of morality but neither is it subjective.
The flourishing of conscious creatures is the only objective basis for morality.
i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?
my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?
" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.
And Cofty I already know you don’t believe God exists. You think I would still be unsure where you stand on this?
You don't believe that a personal god who communicates moral edicts exists.
How often do you actually argue a point with even a modicum of sincerity?
i'm sure most here who've questioned or left behind their belief in god have encountered this question - without god, what basis can there be for morality?
my exwife, when i admitted that i was an atheist, once asked me "if you don't believe in god, what's to stop you from going out and raping and murdering?
" previously, whenever i got this objection, i would tend to turn it around on the other person with a response along the lines of "if fear of god is the only thing that stops you from murdering, that makes me rather nervous to be around you.
God gets to decide what is right and wrong.
No such god exists so your point is moot.
Ethics are about how our actions affect others for good or ill. That is the only rational basis for morality.
this article won’t change your mind - the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs.
brilliant article in the atlantic by julie beck discussing the phenomena of cognitive dissonance and how it affects religious and political beliefs.
it includes some interesting thoughts on how social media has magnified the problem.. spoiler - she is not optimistic about the possibility of successfully reasoning with members of religious cults.. the article also has a link to the 45 minute audio version.. link....
facts and logic don’t change people's mind - SBF
many are leaving the organisation after finding information online - Also SBF
Muddled thinking there SBF.
this article won’t change your mind - the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs.
brilliant article in the atlantic by julie beck discussing the phenomena of cognitive dissonance and how it affects religious and political beliefs.
it includes some interesting thoughts on how social media has magnified the problem.. spoiler - she is not optimistic about the possibility of successfully reasoning with members of religious cults.. the article also has a link to the 45 minute audio version.. link....
Thank you Anders, that is a very interesting article.
Very clever of Kahan to measure 'curiosity'.
there is more “ yellow journalism “ than ever before!
newscasters and writers that you thought were trustworthy often miss the mark.. do you generally accept the “news” as being honest?.
SBF is sinking to the depths of 9/11 conspiracy nuts.
Russian security services murder their traitors abroad. They use poison. How many examples do you need exactly? You are a useful idiot.
i'm a current bible student of jw's looking to chat with someone about biblical doctrine.
i'm not interested in talking with an apostate or a fader, i'm just a person looking for answers and wondered if there are any neutral voices in this forum who have good insights into the bible.
i currently talk with a couple of jw's on a personal level from my congregation and they are knowledgeable to a certain extent, but i dare not ask them certain questions because, as you know, the congregation has a culture of fear that impacts trust and openness, especially concerning biblical doctrine or the societies teachings.
Through my personal experiences and research I've found the societies teachings closest to the foundational teachings and beliefs of the early apostles and the christian congregation.
The most foundational doctrine of the early church involved their relationship with Jesus.
I agree that the Trinity is a post-biblical development but The Watchtower's view of Jesus is radically different from that of the Apostles.
Jehovah's Witnesses View of Jesus Compared to the Early Church...
Conclusion from above link - In view of this sample of texts quoted above, it would seem reasonable to say that Jehovah's Witnesses do not speak about Jesus in the same manner as early Christians did. The apostles described themselves as witnesses of Jesus, they called him their only owner and Lord, and the one to whom they belonged. They were baptised in his name, led by his Spirit, rejoiced in his blessing and overflowed with praise for him. All of these statements are incompatible with the beliefs and practice of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even if an individual Witness may feel comfortable with such expressions they could never voice such sentiments in the hearing of others. There can be no doubt that if a Jehovah's Witness were to go back to a meeting of early Christians they would feel profoundly out of place.
