Something to tell my dad. . .

[velvetpage]

The next time he trots out the argument that a moral system without God doesn't hold water. Philosophically, I can see the point, but psychologically it doesn't work, and this article explains why.

I have only one complaint with the article: many of his "Godless liberals" are/were Christians with a social conscience, whose reasons for opposing the other guys were also faith-based.

http://lancemannion.typepad.com/lance_mannion/2006/06/godless.html

Comments

[foxmagic.livejournal.com]

Good observations, and I wasn't even aware of the book in question - it annoys me to read about it. Christian extremist sensationalism.

When I'm faced with someone who asserts that no God = no morals, I just point 'im at this, (http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/intro.html) by the way.

[paka.livejournal.com]

And it just seems like limiting G-d to me. This is going to sound flakey, but it seems to me that having a system of morals and ethics is almost the voice of G-d within you, proof that you hold part of divinity within yourself.

There's more, here, but to be honest I don't think the whole "there are no morals without G-d" isn't so much intended as actual theology so much as a rationale for why governments should legislate a single official religion.