Atheist morality

I asked a question over on Askville a while ago. I wanted to get atheists and Christians to talk to each other in different ways. There are fairly large and active communities of both groups there, and the site has morphed into a place for discussion more than anything else. I thought it would be interesting to get the two groups to interact without arguing; it might lead to some new understandings on both sides.

It turned out to be a lot harder than I expected.
( Read more... )

Third time's the charm, or so I hoped.

"Christians, atheists: What do you fear/think/feel/believe about people on the other side of the fence?".

It has taken some work, but I think the result has been a remarkably civil and thoughtful discussion!

Eventually, I was asked a tough question in the DB: What's the source of atheist morality? I dragged my feet for quite a while, but eventually responded:

I intended to answer this the first time you asked.

But I ended up putting it off over and over. Why? Well, partly because I am busy (which reminds me: I'll be away and offline from this Friday through Sunday). But mostly, it was because I felt that I had to do a really good job. I didn't want to give anyone - okay, I'll be honest, any Christian in particular - a reason or excuse to despise my personal moral code. Because that's something that I've seen thrown at atheists online a lot, including me: that our morality is somehow defective.

( Read more... )

Atheist morality

I asked a question over on Askville a while ago. I wanted to get atheists and Christians to talk to each other in different ways. There are fairly large and active communities of both groups there, and the site has morphed into a place for discussion more than anything else. I thought it would be interesting to get the two groups to interact without arguing; it might lead to some new understandings on both sides.

It turned out to be a lot harder than I expected.
( Read more... )

Third time's the charm, or so I hoped.

"Christians, atheists: What do you fear/think/feel/believe about people on the other side of the fence?".

It has taken some work, but I think the result has been a remarkably civil and thoughtful discussion!

Eventually, I was asked a tough question in the DB: What's the source of atheist morality? I dragged my feet for quite a while, but eventually responded:

I intended to answer this the first time you asked.

But I ended up putting it off over and over. Why? Well, partly because I am busy (which reminds me: I'll be away and offline from this Friday through Sunday). But mostly, it was because I felt that I had to do a really good job. I didn't want to give anyone - okay, I'll be honest, any Christian in particular - a reason or excuse to despise my personal moral code. Because that's something that I've seen thrown at atheists online a lot, including me: that our morality is somehow defective.

( Read more... )

The Washington Post: Protect Torturers!

The WaPo editorial board feels that torturers shouldn't be prosecuted - American torturers, that is. Because they were acting from the noblest of motives.

My comment:

---

Wow, I want to be a torturer! Because if I was, the whole Washington establishment and media hacks like Fred Hiatt and the WaPo editorial board would be falling ALL OVER themselves to praise and protect me!

Instead I have the misfortune to be a regular working-class American. So all I get is ignored by the wise men like Fred who tell us all that torture is really okay, in a noble cause.

Clearly, my parents led me astray when I was young. If only I'd known...I could have been a torturer!

The Washington Post: Protect Torturers!

The WaPo editorial board feels that torturers shouldn't be prosecuted - American torturers, that is. Because they were acting from the noblest of motives.

My comment:

---

Wow, I want to be a torturer! Because if I was, the whole Washington establishment and media hacks like Fred Hiatt and the WaPo editorial board would be falling ALL OVER themselves to praise and protect me!

Instead I have the misfortune to be a regular working-class American. So all I get is ignored by the wise men like Fred who tell us all that torture is really okay, in a noble cause.

Clearly, my parents led me astray when I was young. If only I'd known...I could have been a torturer!