"Myers is eloquent - lots of nice quotes from folks like Voltaire - but I don't think religiosity guarantees morality any more than being non-religious prevents it."
But we weren't talking about religiosity guaranteeing morality. And neither was Myers. If you changed the original question we examined, we shouldn't be surprised at arriving at a different answer :) The Voltaire quote (and its use by Myers in context) seemed to imply that belief in God would "keep people in line" - that without it, he'd be more vulnerable to being victimized by others. Maybe not a guarantee, but some kind of "insurance" was implied. Here it is: "I want my attorney, my tailor, my servants, even my wife to believe in God," he said. "Then I shall be robbed and cuckolded less often." Which again, also smacks of paternalism - as if we are incapable of being good for goodness' sake. Only for rewards, or out of fear of punishment will we behave. Nancy M. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
