"Keep The Merry, Dump The Myth!"

[JNieman]

And if this life is it, why bother with morals. They are nothing more than an ancient myth of acceptable behavior, designed by old men to control people and perpetuate their own position of influence or power.

Somehow, that sounds familiar. Oh right, that's one of the primary, worn out arguments against faith.

So then, can someone explain that if I abandon the moral precepts of my faith, why I should substitute the moral precepts of man.

Morality existed long before Jesus.

 

[GOAT]

http://i.imgur.com/qR467.jpg

Too true for everybody.

 

[JWG223]

and by believing that it's all a myth we can call it " of no profit " b/c then the pay-off of Eternal Life is a myth. It's odd that before I became a believer I still felt that life didn't end in death, but went on in some form forever. I was definitely NOT raised in a Christian home or environment.

To believe life ends at death is as far fetched to me as the belief that the universe came from an amoeba. Just always felt that way

I don't remember what I was doing before I was born. I won't remember what I'm doing after I'm dead. Not existing, and rotting, respectively, are what I believe those activities to be. I view the human desire to believe that there is "something after death" to simply be a fear of death that we are trying to cope with by ignoring the fact of death. YMMV, and I hope it comforts you, I sincerely do. Maybe someday I will need that comfort, too. I honestly wish I had it, but I cannot.

 

[JWG223]

And if this life is it, why bother with morals. They are nothing more than an ancient myth of acceptable behavior, designed by old men to control people and perpetuate their own position of influence or power.

Somehow, that sounds familiar. Oh right, that's one of the primary, worn out arguments against faith.

So then, can someone explain that if I abandon the moral precepts of my faith, why I should substitute the moral precepts of man.

They are one and the same. Some people simply choose to think some laws are of a god, and some of a man. They all came from the minds of men, and many of them are perfectly good.
^That is what I think, and you are entitled to what you think, of course.

Now, to answer your question. Let's just say that we do away with these laws, be they of man or a god or whatever, because "you only go once". Okay, if you are going to do something, expect an equal reaction or a retaliation. You want to rape someone? Fine, they will kill you if they can. You want to steal? Earthly treasure is the only thing we own---again they will kill you if they can. You get mad and want to kill someone? This life is all we've got, they find out about it and they might come for you first, or they may defend themselves more effectively than you thought likely.

However, if you acknowledge that "you only live once" and say "Hey, why not help that guy carry his crap up stairs, I see he's moving." Then that guy is so much more likely to help you move, too, and both of you save time doing things you don't like doing because at that time the other was having a lame boring afternoon and needed a work-out. Plus you might make a new friend to spend more of this temporary existence joking and smiling around rather than sitting around alone.

There are many, many reasons in a world without a god to still do good.

Isn't that the reason we have interpersonal relationships? Because sometimes a group that gets along is more fun than a person sitting alone?

 

[JWG223]

http://i.imgur.com/qR467.jpg

Too true for everybody.

I'm not offended, and it offends me that you would accuse me of being offended.

 

[GOAT]

I'm not offended, and it offends me that you would accuse me of being offended.

 

[TomTerrific]

Have you tried the opposite? lol.

Here it comes, the circular logic of "try it my way" "didn't like it" "Then you didn't do it good enough"

Typical refuge of the scoundrel.

 

[jayd]

Well this one had run its course....