Chalk it up to keeping up appearances, > or to herd instinct, we have a tendency to do what's right.
I agree if you add 'when we think someone is watching us' to that sentence. Fear of getting caught keeps some of us on the strait and narrow. Some cultures deify ancestors. This is smart because who wants to misbehave if they know their beloved grandmother is watching them beyond the grave? We'll do what feels good if we think we can get away with it. Our parents teach us what is permissible and what isn't. We learn by their example and from what we see others do and get away with. I was taught lying and stealing are wrong and those who practice these habits deserve contempt. That's not to say I haven't done both in my misspent youth but at least I feel ashamed about it. Too often I see youth with no compunction on lying or stealing. They'll regale you with stories of derring-do involving heisted cars or cheating on their wives and elaborate lies they told to get themselves out of trouble. It's almost like the more they get away with the bigger man they are. This is permissible in their culture because everyone they hang out with is the same way. Movies and pop music that glorify crime don't help. We all want to be accepted in our society. Our society is so diverse that it depends on who we're with at any given moment of the day what is acceptable and what isn't. I respect religion's role in providing a structured moral compass for us even if the religion's leaders don't always follow the rules as closely as we'd like. These leaders are people and make mistakes just like we do. Yes, they should be held to a higher standard but it should be expected that many will fail. Just as all politics is local, I believe it's the same with religion. If you don't like your local clergy leadership you can always find another one. That's the beauty of competition. dj On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 7:53 AM, Lonlaz <[email protected]> wrote: > > I understand your fears, I have expirienced them myself when leaving > religion behind. I think the correct answer is, humans are for the > most part, inherantly moral. Chalk it up to keeping up appearances, > or to herd instinct, we have a tendency to do what's right. > > Athiests start with a fair, base assumption on a Universe without a > moral guiding hand, and in that Universe there is a such thing as > Morality, obviously a useful trait in some way to humankind. What I > find is a bit dishonest in many athiests viewpoints is the denial that > the existance of Relgion may have use to humankind as well. > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
