Santosh's post makes interesting reading and in some ways is thought provoking. His response as an atheist / agnostic to my post about: What's the Purpose to life?; and What happens after death", was interesting. It was short and what one would expect from an atheist / agnostic - Nothing, Nyet, De nada, and Kaput.
So it is not difficult to discuss the moral superiority of any established / endured religion over Nothing, Nyet, De nada, and Kaput! And yet it is difficult to compare Something to Nothing. Compare my prior response to Santosh to the "Seven Suggestions" of atheist belief. Yet, it is definitely POSSIBLE that an individual atheist / agnostic (especially intellectuals) may have high social responsibility and appreciate his / her moral and social duties. What bewilders me is that individuals WITH religion (that emphasize these duties and responsibilities) have a difficult time living up to these standards. What can one expect, in general from those with none of those inculcated values? And who would inculcate those values? One can argue that for some religion is a camouflage not to live up to high moral standards. Yet that is not the shortcoming of religion. In the book "Goa -A Daughter's Story", the (Catholic) author talks to the respected (Hindu) sage about the pernicious caste practices in Goa and its endurance even through the colonial period especially among Hindus. The intellectual (forget his name) replied, (to the effect) "You Catholics have no idea about the benefit of the 'Sunday Sermao' and how much that sermao helps your community constantly recognize, evaluate and address its social ills." Perhaps some baptized Catholics have turned anti-Catholic and atheist because of the religion's strict codes of living. Many "hate their religion" because as teenagers the coped with taboos on premarital sex and abortion. Others hate the Church's stand against live-in relationship prior to marriage or after a divorce, or the reluctance to grant a divorce ..... and the list can go on and on. Marlon states his reason for his anti-Catholic and anti-Bible posts are because of anti-Hindu and anti-Muslim posts on Goanet by Catholic Goans. Great logic! Cut your nose to spite your face! Yet, can he please place for us the last three anti-Hindu and anti-Muslim posts on Goanet? All the "theory" we read from some individuals about Religion and the Church may be a cover-up for deeper issues. Hence "Catholic atheists" are individuals for whom I feel sorry, for this small group that may have lost its bearings. I do not want to sound "holier than thou" because at times we are all atheists (do not want to accept God) and that is called SIN. Kind Regards, GL --------------------- Mario responds: I agree that an individual's moral compass is theoretically not dependent on any ideology or religious or non-religious belief, and that the results can be the same on a day-to-day basis. Individual unorganized atheists MAY have what could be summarized as the "Seven Suggestions" that overlap similar strictures in the Ten Commandments. However, these carry no consequences by any organized and influential group other than those imposed by civil or criminal law. --- Santosh Helekar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: This is to remind ourselves that the notion that a moral compass or social conscience is dependent on adherence to some form of ideology, religion or atheistic belief system, has been thoroughly discredited in this and other Goan forums. It has also been shown that no religion, ideology or atheistic belief system has ever had a rock-solid moral compass. _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)
