"One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all."
-- Arthur C. Clarke, born #OTD 1917
-- Arthur C. Clarke, born #OTD 1917
Comments
Calling your superstition GOD doesn't make you a better person or a prophet.
Torture, burning at the stake, the Inquisition, etc
All done with the veiled approval of the Catholic Church
Consider yourself argued
Religion is a tool of social control and like any other tool it is often misused. The root problem is that human beings are generally selfish and shortsighted and that is a generous description.
Jakob Gapp and Otto Neururer are good to look up too.
Thanks for the pointer
However 2 things can be true at once
But if you think the churches in those countries were active against the oppression by the state - you're mistaken.
In Nazi Germany - the Catholic church was complicit. In Russia the Russian Orthodox church equally so.. as it is there today also ..
millennia-sus unequaled global bloodlust oppressive pop that’s distorted EVERYTHING to justify(esp state-spons)their violence.
Look at the common factor. MLK practiced Christianity as intended.White Supremacy invalidates him from disc #smh
https://jfk.artifacts.archives.gov/objects/13354/gott-mit-uns-nazi-belt-buckle?ctx=121bbe5e9a2a9993e14d19e5df1e5c527c372e7c&idx=5
This is hardly evidence that Christocentric theology led to the holocaust.
The swastika has an even more fascinating history as a symbol in different societies.
Many religions practice it.
But the sentiment still stands even though his own morality might be somewhat tainted.
In this day and age I'm not in the mood for burying what may or not have been for the sake of idolatry.
Personally I don't believe in the accusations, I think they were done by people who dislike homosexuals.
Yet, they were made and should not be ignored.
That's it. That's the whole deal. Anything else is details. Or dogma. And you can safely ignore dogma, the coprolites of philosophy.
"Law is ... everything people ever have found out about justice and what's right and wrong."
Just pay attention
Respect your neighbors: happy society
Steal from your neighbors: pissed off society
Common sense & logic
Even more so
They are not necessarily connected
And there is more morality outside of religion than in it
How I live my life.
Raising my daughter without religion, to be the best person she can be. So far she’s a far better person than grown Alt-right Christian adults..
My daughter has physical disabilities so she has a very different perspective on life in a good good way
Sorry.
In the modern era, God is a tougher sell even to those who claim to believe. The religious see no tangible evidence of divine punishment for bad behavior, so why stop?
Religion claims free will exists, but God’s omniscience negates free will.
Morality is dependent upon the existence of God.
Clarke is wrong.
Numbers of people is a different thing: you are describing utilitarian morality.
Only God can exercise what you term as objective morality as only God can know if an action is truly morally correct.
It's not utilitarian. It's objective morality vs. Subjective, as explained earlier.
Out of the 1000's of God's, the Christian god is the youngest. Why would we believe he gave something that existed before him? If a god gave us morality, they took free will.
Morals are the exact opposite.
Reciprocal altruism is utilitarian.
Utilitarian principles negate the needs of the individual and as such they produce victims: this is “morally” unacceptable.
The catholics burned innocent people at the stake for believing in the Lutheran religion.
In the middle east they are destroying each other over religion.
Rich controlling the masses, nothing to see here, WTFU
And in America mostly money, even the church is hijacked by money.
What society doesn't have, or better, didn't start around "religion"? How does that religion affect the behavior of its members towards each other and those outside?
If you have a religion...
If morality can and does exist independently of religion, then it logically cannot be "hijacked" by religion.
All the while, abusing their fellow man in the name of the above, and ignoring the One Truth
For too many, it's just choosing the football team your daddy follows, with the desire that the other team and their fans be eradicated.
While the team owner grows wealthy
Religion itself is not bad, but it also is not inherently good. Examine it and use it to learn and grow rather than to control and conquer.
Jesus, if he actually existed, was cool, but “If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he never stopped throwing up.”
"Worship me or my brother will get you..."
On the other hand, I have read it cover to cover many times as an academic and eventual atheist. God may not exist, but Trump is the antichrist.
He was a fuckng moron
Evidence of what? You’ve read the book right?
To fully understand Christ’s meaning here, the meaning of the Greek word translated “hate” must be examined. In this verse, the original Greek word is miseo, meaning “to love less”.
One I wish he’d said: thou shall not annoy people in my name.
Btw it’s wonderful to see people in their 80’s contributing here.
Spirituality is a sense of appreciation for the world's beautiful possibilities and a desire to make life better for all living in it.
Needless to say, I'm very much an Atheist now.
But what are morals?
Morals is the ecclesiastical name for what the Secular call ethics that is all.
Mugs.
Blind faith is not efficient, everything should be investigated.
When objectiveness is lost, mistakes are surely going to follow.
Polarization comes from all sides, it is one of the traits that will be the hardest to break.
Being in camps makes us feel safe in our thoughts, not subject to scrutiny.
The echo chamber of not wanted knowledge.
person.
Anyway. He creates a false dilemma here.
Whether we like it or not
The good and the bad
Supernatural beliefs are silly when the natural world and science are amazing. #Stoicism #Philosophy
That also goes for aethiests I think they can exist too but they aren't really a religion persay just clarifiying
I don't think that's an accident.
Oh…nevermind 😁😜
but also the absolute conviction that w/o scripture, people must basically think-behave the opposite of scripture (okay to kill, okay to steal, etc): that morality doesn't exist unless taught
Seeing the intense religion bashing on bluesky, in threads like this-I'm beginning to understand why Harris lost. There's this oil-water separation, that would make those who hold religion important, to feel threatened enough they'd vote for Trump. Wild.
Now we can scientifically explain most things. So, there's no need for religion unless to used to justify hate.
Love and peace ❤️
Everything I see from the religous right makes me 🤮
I wish it were otherwise, but here we are.
But even at the age of 6 in a country with religious education, I couldn't believe in any of it. And found my thoughts were so naive.
Full blown Fascism
https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-and-vance-host-american-hero-daniel-penny-in-box-at-army-navy-game-along-with-hegseth-gabbard-and-speaker-johnson/
Amerikkka
For such people "God is real and if you so much of as think of passing judgment on anyone else your ass is going to hell"
Are we returning to the days of Oliver Cromwell?
Religion has been used as an excuse to kill people since the day humans dreamt it up.
It was never hi-jacked !
Even gangsters know deep inside they are in the wrong!
The greatest tragedy is covering morals & FOLLOWING blindly based on FANCY/WHIMS
He opens the score 1-0
— Isaac Asimov
Absolutely!
Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
And yes, I know I'm not as good of a Christian as I should be, so save ur time by pointing out the "judgment" in my comment
Government is the label given to an organization which focus on rules to keep others safe.
That's why Adultery is a Religious rule, no longer a government one.
The Evangeliban is a moral morass of failed parenting.
They use God to excuse their criminal and diabolical behavior.
Religion is often just as you quoted.
Unfortunately, what you see most in the USA is religion!
Not something a true Christian wants to be associated with! Don't judge true believers as religious.
Beliefs are simply imaginations run wild.
And calling faith “true” or “false” is a good description of how religion starts.
One side is looking at it from the stance of "is it moral?" (that's determined by whoever they follow)
And the other is asking "does it harm?" Which is a very different question.
I don’t need god to be good.
If you’re profile pic doesn’t pop up I’ll Venmo you 10k
#Religion does not equal #Morality.