Announcement

Collapse

Apologetics 301 Guidelines

If you think this is the area where you tell everyone you are sorry for eating their lunch out of the fridge, it probably isn't the place for you


This forum is open discussion between atheists and all theists to defend and debate their views on religion or non-religion. Please respect that this is a Christian-owned forum and refrain from gratuitous blasphemy. VERY wide leeway is given in range of expression and allowable behavior as compared to other areas of the forum, and moderation is not overly involved unless necessary. Please keep this in mind. Atheists who wish to interact with theists in a way that does not seek to undermine theistic faith may participate in the World Religions Department. Non-debate question and answers and mild and less confrontational discussions can take place in General Theistics.


Forum Rules: Here
See more
See less

Behold, atheists' new Ten Commandments

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Behold, atheists' new Ten Commandments

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/living...html?hpt=hp_t4

    1. Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.

    2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.

    3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.

    4. Every person has the right to control of their body.

    5. God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.

    6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.

    7. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.

    8. We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.

    9. There is no one right way to live.

    10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.
    That's what
    - She

    Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
    - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

    I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
    - Stephen R. Donaldson

  • #2
    Originally posted by Bill the Cat View Post
    http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/living...html?hpt=hp_t4

    1. Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.

    2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.

    3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.

    4. Every person has the right to control of their body.

    5. God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.

    6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.

    7. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.

    8. We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.

    9. There is no one right way to live.

    10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.
    Some of those aren't phrased as commands. Interestingly, most of these principles--perhaps even all of them--are consistent with the average theist's principles. 5 is a little iffy.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by whag View Post
      Some of those aren't phrased as commands. Interestingly, most of these principles--perhaps even all of them--are consistent with the average theist's principles. 5 is a little iffy.
      I was about to say. If theists genuinely believe that God is a god of truth, then #1 and #2 should absolutely apply to them. The scientific method IS the most reliable way of understanding the natural world. I think everyone should agree that each individual does have the right to bodily autonomy; the only potential issue is whether, say, a being that might also count as a person is living in one's body. There shouldn't be any dispute that in all other cases, people definitely should have control. As for #5, honest people should be able to acknowledge that intellectual belief in God (as traditionally thought of in the major monotheistic religions) isn't necessary to be a good person or to life a full and meaningful life, although some may argue that goodness inherently derives from God's nature, in which case it would be impossible for goodness to exist if God didn't exist. The Bible's plethora of sayings about the consequences of sin and loving your neighbor as you love yourself cover #6, 7 and 8. For #9, Christians might point to the Biblical sayings about the narrow road and Jesus being THE way to the Father as an argument that there's only one right way to live, but I think the "command" is more about differing lifestyles, in which case it's true that there's no one right way to live. The Bible seems to acknowledge this in Paul's admonition about distinguishing between strong believers and weak believers. Finally, if you believe that heaven is not about abandoning the world, but rather about reforming it and making it anew, then #10 ought to be accepted as well.
      Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.--Isaiah 1:17

      I don't think that all forms o[f] slavery are inherently immoral.--seer

      Comment


      • #4
        4 is little more than double-speak for "a woman can get an abortion if she wants to do so." For 5, they probably should have added "Belief in" to the beginning. 9 is left a little more open than I'm comfortable with (the implication being that there is no wrong way to live). The others I don't see any issues with, from my perspective.
        Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

        Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
        sigpic
        I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Bill the Cat View Post
          http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/living...html?hpt=hp_t4

          1. Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.

          2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.

          3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.

          4. Every person has the right to control of their body.

          5. God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.

          6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.

          7. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.

          8. We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.

          9. There is no one right way to live.

          10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.
          James wrote, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."

          Even if, for the sake of argument, these ten commandments are good, the problem is that no one could do those things perfectly, and thus all men fail on the problem of sin.

          The simple problem of humanity is not lack of guidelines/laws, the problem is not able to do all the guidelines/laws.

          The book of Ecclesiates described man the same as any learned atheist does:

          Eccl 3:18-20
          18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

          Whatever goodness humans have are just a product of our biological nature, which even beasts possesses.

          Whatever that God does as good to humans is simply an act of GRACE, or MERCY.
          Last edited by FarEastBird; 12-20-2014, 01:10 PM.
          ...WISDOM giveth life to them that have it. (Ecclesiastes 7:12)
          ...the ISLES shall wait for his law (Isaiah 42:4)
          https://philippinesinprophecies.wordpress.com/

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
            4 is little more than double-speak for "a woman can get an abortion if she wants to do so." For 5, they probably should have added "Belief in" to the beginning. 9 is left a little more open than I'm comfortable with (the implication being that there is no wrong way to live). The others I don't see any issues with, from my perspective.
            I might quibble with your take on #9. There can be ways to do things wrong even if there aren't best ways to do things. There's not a singular right way to be a parent, but there are a lot of bad ways to be a parent.

            For #5, I don't think it reasonable to expect these so-called commandments to be acceptable to theists of any sort. Adding "belief in" to the beginning doesn't make it any more correct from a non-theist/atheist point of view.

            Of these, #4 is the only one with which I would disagree. I don't believe in rights as things, so the right to control one's own body wouldn't exist.
            I'm not here anymore.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Carrikature View Post
              ]
              I don't believe in rights as things, so the right to control one's own body wouldn't exist.
              I am, I think, steadily reaching that same conclusion.

              But how then would you express what is often expressed in 'rights' language eg. right to life, right to freedom etc?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Carrikature View Post
                I might quibble with your take on #9. There can be ways to do things wrong even if there aren't best ways to do things. There's not a singular right way to be a parent, but there are a lot of bad ways to be a parent.
                True. I just view it as a jab at Christianity's (in particular) exclusivism more than anything else.
                For #5, I don't think it reasonable to expect these so-called commandments to be acceptable to theists of any sort. Adding "belief in" to the beginning doesn't make it any more correct from a non-theist/atheist point of view.
                I agree. As it stands, though, IMO it is grammatically awkward.
                Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

                Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
                sigpic
                I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by whag View Post
                  Some of those aren't phrased as commands. Interestingly, most of these principles--perhaps even all of them--are consistent with the average theist's principles. 5 is a little iffy.
                  Agreed. It probably ought to say "Religion is not necessary..."

                  Roy
                  Jorge: Functional Complex Information is INFORMATION that is complex and functional.

                  MM: First of all, the Bible is a fixed document.
                  MM on covid-19: We're talking about an illness with a better than 99.9% rate of survival.

                  seer: I believe that so called 'compassion' [for starving Palestinian kids] maybe a cover for anti Semitism, ...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Neat gimmick. Nothing to take seriously.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      AC Grayling wrote 'The Good Book: A humanist Bible' which is an interesting read. His 10 commandments are:

                      Love well
                      Seek the good in all things
                      Harm no others
                      Think for yourself
                      Take responsibility
                      Respect nature
                      Do your utmost
                      Be informed
                      Be kind
                      Be courageous
                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Book_(book)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by pancreasman View Post
                        AC Grayling wrote 'The Good Book: A humanist Bible' which is an interesting read. His 10 commandments are:



                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Book_(book)
                        Sounds like a pretty good manual for mass extinction.
                        "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

                        There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Darth Executor View Post
                          Sounds like a pretty good manual for mass extinction.
                          Thinking for oneself and being informed leads to mass human extinction?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
                            True. I just view it as a jab at Christianity's (in particular) exclusivism more than anything else.
                            It may be just that, though I think it's the Abrahamic religions in general that tend to be more exclusive in nature.


                            Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
                            I agree. As it stands, though, IMO it is grammatically awkward.
                            A bit, sure. I think Roy's alteration to 'religion' is a good fix.
                            I'm not here anymore.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Paprika View Post
                              I am, I think, steadily reaching that same conclusion.

                              But how then would you express what is often expressed in 'rights' language eg. right to life, right to freedom etc?
                              Shared goals. We strive to protect those things which we all value to a similar degree. I'm not convinced that most people that give it serious thought actually hold them to be inviolate and/or inalienable. We do, however, wish to maintain them as priorities. We all understand the well worn example of shouting fire in a crowded room. Few of us wish for our lives to be ended against our will.
                              I'm not here anymore.

                              Comment

                              Related Threads

                              Collapse

                              Topics Statistics Last Post
                              Started by whag, Yesterday, 03:01 PM
                              20 responses
                              79 views
                              0 likes
                              Last Post alaskazimm  
                              Started by whag, 03-17-2024, 04:55 PM
                              21 responses
                              129 views
                              0 likes
                              Last Post Hypatia_Alexandria  
                              Started by whag, 03-14-2024, 06:04 PM
                              78 responses
                              415 views
                              0 likes
                              Last Post tabibito  
                              Started by whag, 03-13-2024, 12:06 PM
                              45 responses
                              303 views
                              1 like
                              Last Post Hypatia_Alexandria  
                              Working...
                              X