theAtheist101:


Better still, get the man am education and a job, so you wouldn't need to feed him again.

superior1:


You obviously don't understand my original post, who/what determines this as being good or bad?

superior1:


You obviously don't understand my original post, who/what determines this as being good or bad?

theAtheist101:


The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Please get caught while violating it, and prove me wrong!

dalaman:


Who else but human society ?

superior1:



If you are gay, you should be sentenced to prison term according to the constitution of Nigeria, good or bad?

MrPresident:


if you draw a mohamed cartoon, you will be beheaded according to some religious laws, good or bad?

if you don't accept a dead jesus as your lord/master you will burn in fire for eternity, good or bad?

superior1:


Human societies isn't homogenous, hence morality isn't?

superior1:
There cant really be societies without laws, the laws give face to a society. The problem however is that each societies/countries have their own laws which may not be in tandem with others, the issue is how do we determine which laws/behaviors are good, bad and human outside religion?

I will like to get opinions of Atheists on this

superior1:



If you are gay, you should be sentenced to prison term according to the constitution of Nigeria, good or bad?

superior1:


What if I love killing, how is killing wrong since I am just doing what I honestly love doing?

jayriginal:


That's the difference between you and lower animals. You can think and feel and you can quickly come to the conclusion that your love of murder is harmful to society.

Control over your base instincts is what makes you human.

theAtheist101:


See I hate discrimination against people, so I oppose the law against gays, but who am I when the majority want something else? With time, Nigerians would come to respect gays since they are just humans like us and they have the right to express their sexuality (my opinion, which opposes that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, so it is useless.)

finofaya:


Religion applies what is known as deontological ethics, particularly the divine command approach. The divine command approach, as you have correctly guessed, views good behaviour as doing whatever the Divine commands.

The divine command approach is one out of a number of approaches under deontological ethics. Deontological ethics considers good to be the doing of one's duties and respecting the rights of others. Deontological ethics forms much of the basis of our human rights laws.

In addition to deontology, there is also consequentialism and virtue ethics, both of which consist of many approaches. As a whole, consequentialism judges the morality of an act from its consequences while virtue ethics judges the morality of an act from the character of the actor.

And both ethics are subjective based on the society in question?

So, in the absence of religion, or the divine command approach, we can have recourse to all of the other approaches under deontology, consequentialism and virtue ethics.

finofaya:


Religion applies what is known as deontological ethics, particularly the divine command approach. The divine command approach, as you have correctly guessed, views good behaviour as doing whatever the Divine commands.

The divine command approach is one out of a number of approaches under deontological ethics. Deontological ethics considers good to be the doing of one's duties and respecting the rights of others. Deontological ethics forms much of the basis of our human rights laws.

In addition to deontology, there is also consequentialism and virtue ethics, both of which consist of many approaches. As a whole, consequentialism judges the morality of an act from its consequences while virtue ethics judges the morality of an act from the character of the actor.

So, in the absence of religion, or the divine command approach, we can have recourse to all of the other approaches under deontology, consequentialism and virtue ethics.

aaronson:
Morality is innate nobody taught you not to kill your mother,somehow you knew if you do it you would miss her affection,love and care.

Human has a natural instinct feeling of empathy and so when you anyway conceive a bad thought towards another person,something in you would trigger your subconsciousness to let you know this is bad and you get emphatic so you don't need religion to know good and bad.

Speaking about rule and law of the society,this is the norms,values and perceived pattern of operation in a society and when you deviate from that pattern of operation then you become deviant/outlaw. No religion is needed in this phenomenon its just rational human condition to a way of life for peaceful co-existence,Religion on the other hand brings about division.

superior1:


By your logic, Nigeria is right discriminating gays and the issue of morality, good and bad is decided by the state

superior1:


You mean to say human are basically good right and we are all born with good nature, we are all born not wanting to hurt one another?

superior1:


Like gays can control their urge for same sex?

superior1:


And both ethics are subjective based on the society in question?

theAtheist101:


Where in my post did I justify the law?

Yes, each state decides their laws and that is the reason their is no absolute morality. But, there are some laws that are common to all states.

finofaya:


I'm finding it hard to understand your question.

superior1:


Can you state one universally accepted moral ethics?

superior1:


I was pointing to the logic of your response.
From your point, moral facts like 'adultery is wrong', 'lying is bad' etc is a fallacy, every man determines what is moral, good and just on his personal scale of measurement?

theAtheist101:


Definitely! In as much as your morality considers the state laws. If not, you are on your own!

finofaya:


You mean ethical approach? No.

superior1:


Interesting!, then i can lie as much as I want, fornicate and imbibe in other vices, as long as the law of the state is not breached, I am a great guy, right?

superior1:


How then do we judge two diverging ethical opinions seeing we do not have a common reference point?

theAtheist101:


Yes now, if and only if, you don't want people to take you seriously and hope nature doesn't pluck you out of the world due to your excess.

finofaya:


Like how do we decide if an act is good or bad? Or is it how do we decide which way of determining good and bad is the best?