Many people are born into religious settings, and have their morality taught to them in the context of religious teachings. To these people, it can be very difficult to understand how morality can be separated from the religious teachings...because the two have been intertwined for as long as they have known.
I think that is why so many people distrust the morality of atheists. They simply don't understand how "morality" can have any other basis. It's a position borne more of ignorance than of prejudice, I think. As these people mature, they come in contact with atheists who exhibit moral behavior...but they probably never know those people are atheists! So they never make the connection that "wait, Ben is moral, but he's not religious.....I must be turned around on this....???" I have no numbers or studies or anything to back any of this up...just thinking out loud based upon personal experiences and observations growing up in a "religious" setting. On 11/6/07, Ben Doom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Sure you were. You just didn't know it was bad because you didn't have > Jesus in your heart. > > Remember. Pillage, then burn. > > --BenD > > William Bowen wrote: > >> Well... you tell me: does the Catholic Church teach that Atheists lack > all > >> morals? > > > > yup > > > >> That they'll all steal where a religious person wouldn't? > > > > yup. But, and here's the truly interesting bit, apparently, without > > religion people are capable--nay--compelled to commit the most heinous > > acts of violence and debauchery. > > > > Truly, truly wonderful this religion thing, keeping all those would be > > rapists, murderers and adulterers in check like that. > > > > Though as a atheist, I've ne'er felt compelled to do much of anything > bad. > > > > hrmm. > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Download the latest ColdFusion 8 utilities including Report Builder, plug-ins for Eclipse and Dreamweaver updates. http;//www.adobe.com/cfusion/entitlement/index.cfm?e=labs%5adobecf8%5Fbeta Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:245916 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
