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If morality is real then it must exist somewhere, if its not just held by individuals then it must be held externally. So the question comes as to where?
This doesn't make any sense.
This is like saying hunger must be held externally somewhere. Or lust. Or any other human feeling, emotion, or thought process.
There is no such thing is a moral "code", just moral behavior.
Which by the way, exists everyday without a "god", considering a "god" does not exist.
If you refuse to understand that people choose to be moral because they understand the reasons to be moral, and not because of some "code" or "outside guidance" then I just don't know what else to say.
I will never understand why so many people have a hard time accepting that you can be a good person without being religious. It really is disheartening.
So, you can be moral, without a code defining what morality is? So, what is morality is not a code of what is right and wrong?
There are plenty of moral codes that aren't God dependent.
Desire Utilitarianism is a good example, but it's a little too complicated for me to write out for you here. You'll just have to google it.
But even if one did believe in God, it doesn't necessarily follow that following his commandments would be the moral thing to do. You have arbitrarily decided to define morality as "doing that which God commands". Others have arbitrarily decided to define morality as "that which brings the most good to the most people" (simply utilitarianism). But your choice is no more rational than most of the others.
Like I said before - different cultures have different moral codes. What is wrong in some cultures is not wrong in others.
There are a bunch of threads on this topic started by theists that can't seem to accept that people can be "good" with out God. It makes me wonder about the people that think this way. Is God the only thing keeping you from raping and murdering?
This is like saying hunger must be held externally somewhere. Or lust. Or any other human feeling, emotion, or though process.
Morality - as I understand it - is a set of rules of right and wrong, one that is broadly shared. Not simply a individual feeling, like hunger, or lust. If morality is just a feeling, like lust, then it seems like there is no morality in the sense that it is generally used, ie there are no universal rule, rights or wrongs.
This means that Hitler, just did what he thought was morally right, kinda like liking short girls, and that this is no better or worse than anyone else's actions.
It exists within the freewill of the beholder. That's why the moral code of some folks lands them in jail while the moral code of others lands them a promotion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattos_12
if its not just held by individuals then it must be held externally.
This is where you are a bit confused. Morality IS, WAS, and always will be held by the individual. We have free will. We can be anything that we want to be. No "God" is gonna stop the rapist, bank robber, or pedophile from being what they are (even if that pedophile is a "man of the cloth"). On the other hand, no "God" can take credit for someone going out of their way to help their fellow man either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattos_12
So the question comes as to where?
Your question is moot because morality is within the beholder.
B - Your videos don't address the question of how morality can be anything but self interest in a post-theist world
How is your morality not based on self-interest, when you believe you will burn in hell for eternity if you don't follow it?
Many atheist pick a moral philosophy that resonates with them and follow it simply because they think its the right thing to do. Pretty much the same way you picked Christainity, (except you didn't really pick Christianity, you were just born around a lot of people who happened to be Christians.)
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