There is morality without god.
I thanked my dear friend Christine earlier for a gift she sent me.
I had the book Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
I cannot wait to delve deep into it's pages.
Especially after reading this today.
Oh, for the days when one could safely stroll into a bookstore without tripping over the latest atheist title.
Oh, for the days when I could walk into a grocery store and not be assaulted with Christian titles in the deli.
This poor guy, Don Feder, seems to think the book store is the wrong place for books.
They sell books Don, of all titles, ideas, words and thoughts. If the book store is the wrong place for atheist titles, then the grocery store deli is most certainly the wrong place for Christian titles.
What would a world without God look like? Well, for one, morality becomes, if not impossible, exceedingly difficult. "Thou shalt not kill" loses much of its force when reduced from commandment to a suggestion.
Commandments don't keep me from killing people, my own desire to stay alive does.
See, I don't kill people, because I don't want to be killed.
I treat my fellow humans as I would want to be treated.
If I want to be lied to, I will lie, if I want to steal, then it gives others the right to steal from me.
But that's not how I want to live my life. I want people to respect me and my things, my life, so I respect theirs.
A lack of a god does not take away from our moral duties to one another.
I know what argument follows next, that we can't have it both ways, that either there is a higher power that we fear, and that is why we do right by one another, or that there is no higher power, and we owe each other nothing.
Not so.
I say there is no higher power, but that we do owe each other the right to basic life. That if we want to live, then we must not kill, but grant each other the same right to live.
How hard is this to understand?
I do not fear a hell or any punishment, that is not why I treat my fellow man with respect, but it is simply because I want to be respected back.
Comments
Live and let live. If more people thought that way, the world would be a better place.
Posted by: Brandi | April 16, 2007 7:37 PM
Wouldn't it?
Posted by: kat | April 16, 2007 8:11 PM
I completely agree with you. But the sad thing is that so many people need religion to make them stay in line.
Posted by: Sharon | April 16, 2007 9:12 PM
You're welcome, Kat! Glad it got to you safely...enjoy!
If there should not be atheist books in a bookstore, then they shouldn't have ANY religious type books at all. No Christian books, no Jewish books, no Muslim books, no nothing. Fair is fair.
That is so stupid about the Christian book rack in the deli. I hate it when people try to cram their religious beliefs down my throat, and that's the way I see this book rack.
The drugstore where Mike used to get his pills has a rack like that, too, and it's right where people have to wait to pick up their meds. Right near the chairs. And there are NO other books there...the regular book/magazine section is several aisles away. No doubt some religious fanatics are paying these stores to place the racks there.
One of the grocery stores I shop at has a book rack in the deli section...but it has cookbooks and cooking magazines. Much more appropriate for a store that sells food!
I'm with Brandi on the "live and let live" thing. If people are happy having religion in their lives, that's fine. I don't go around bothering them about it. But they need to shut their traps about stuff like my being a lapsed Catholic, who hasn't set foot in a church in who knows how long now?
Anyhoo, enjoy the book!
Posted by: Christine | April 16, 2007 9:42 PM
Kat, you said "I know what argument follows next, that we can't have it both ways, that either there is a higher power that we fear, and that is why we do right by one another, or that there is no higher power, and we owe each other nothing."
I have to disagree with you because you left out the third alternative. Maybe disagree is the wrong word. I should rather say that I want to point out that there is a third alternative. It is possible that we treat each other with love and respect because we love the Higher Power who first loved us. See, it's not out of fear that I treat people the way I do. (And I certainly hope you will agree that I haven't done anything heinous lately), it is out of love.
Two more things while I am here. 1) I am sorry I missed the chance to be interviewed by you. And 2) I tagged you. I see you addressed this regarding blogging already recently, but feel free to skew it into another area if you'd like.
Posted by: Cass | April 16, 2007 11:48 PM
I consider myself agnostic.. in that I don't know if there is a higher power or not (I tend toward the Pagan beliefs actually, because I like them). But I don't think that there has to be a higher power for people to be moral and treat each other well. I treat other people well because I believe that all living things should be treated with respect. Not for a fear of suffering in the underworld after I die. I don't believe in an underworld, though I do know of some people I wish could go to one.
Posted by: Cynthia Blue | April 17, 2007 4:05 PM
Cynthia,
I'm sure many people would wish I could go to one too...LOL
Posted by: kat | April 17, 2007 4:47 PM
Cass,
First, if you would still like to be interviewed, I'd love to do it.
As for the third alternative, you are one of the ONLY Christians who has ever said that. Many many times on my blog, I encounter Christians who only preach the fear side.
That if I sin, that if I do not accept him as my savior, I will be punished, I should fear eternal damnation. This is what the majority of my religious commenters have said to me.
You are the first to say that it's out of love.
10 years of blogging and talking religion, and you are the only one who said it's love.
Posted by: kat | April 17, 2007 5:17 PM
Christine,
I'm sure a group has paid for that book rack. I think I might ask Publix the next time I'm there.
Posted by: kat | April 17, 2007 5:21 PM
Yes I know Sharon. They have to have the fear put into them to be decent humans. That's sad.
Posted by: kat | April 17, 2007 5:22 PM
I'd love to be interviewed by you, if you don't mind.
And, Kat, it just makes me incredibly sad that no one has said LOVE to you in all these years. Sadder than I can express.
Posted by: Cass | April 17, 2007 6:03 PM