TheByte

cawimmer430

I'm with you on this. When we're dead, we're dead. None of that soul stuff...

Rob

I guess I am making the assumption that those who don't believe in life after life/death also do not believe in God.

Does morality exist without God?

Friedrich Nietzsche believed that men were the masters of their own destinies ...and denied the existence of any universal morality (no consequences -- only the outcomes of free will).

The Nazis interpreted Nietzsche's philosophies as justification for any means necessary to achieve the grandiose plans of the Third Reich -- including the eradication an entire race and other "undesirables" .

What is civilization without morality?

Bruce

Interesting discussion!

One thing though..

Arguably though, they're are those few individuals who do not know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. What about serial killers such as Manson, Bundy and dahmer; do they really know what is right and wrong? What about the Middle Eastern territorists blowing up bus' full of innocent people mind their own business. Did they know that murdering those who they did was an act of 'wrong'? Were they blinded by psycosis?

What about the Abu Ghraib prison-torture case with Charles Graner, Lynndie England, etc? They didn't seem to know the difference between what right and wrong. Or maybe they did and didn't care.

That all being said, I personally believe that people are taught the difference between right and wrong - not born with the instinct. After all, it is possible for someone to be brought up in an house which condones violence against women and the child who witness' such violence; might not be aware that it's wrong. But because he was never taught otherwise, he falls victim to the same pattern.

Case in point - I do not believe that all human beings know the difference between what is right and wrong (whether that be because they weren't taught, don't care, are psychotic, etc)

Choleric

Exactly, just as so many cultures are so different, people in the West are outraged at how woman are treated in some parts of the world, but to them it is normal, and vice versa.


Just as you can teach animals right and wrong, if you hit a dog everytime he shits on the persian rug, he wont be doing it for long.

Thats my beef with religion, you believe what you are tought from childhood, it's forced down their throats in most cases.

Michael

Bruce, you bring up very good points of which very few are rebutable. Nevertheless, I think we may never really know what happens in a serial killer's mind or any of the examples that you mentioned. Anger, hate, and feelings along those lines lead a man to commit and do things that they would never have thought they would be capable of. There are some, however, like you mentioned that truly don't care for what is right and what is wrong. I agree with that.

I may be wrong, but I think overall many people with the influence of religion or not, know what is typically considered wrong and/or right.

I will elaborate later on this since at this moment I do not have time. Good points Bruce.

Yannis

I knew you would like it.

I found it here:

http://www.cognitivedistortion.com/

Bruce

Right on Jeff.

That also leads to the discussion; who's moral's (cultural ideals?) are the correct ones? To which the answer I do not think we can answer.

The Diva

Any of you heard the news of that cat in the nursing home who can predict which patient is about to die?

I found it fascinating rather than spooky. They repoted the cat would not leave the side of the patient and would purr. The cat looks very sweet ( not demonic or mean).

Amazing!

NarutoRamen

I'm late to this thread...sorry.

I'm not religious but I'm spiritual. So yes, I do believe that there is life after death. I've seen too many crazy things in life for all of them to be mere coincidences.

The Diva

Would you share some?