CelticBear’s Musings

Listening to Penn Jillette’s radio show, and he mentioned some conversation he had with some self-appointed religious morality police on an interview once, where the guy brought up the common Christian arguement that without God why not start murdering and raping and pillaging, and Penn (a flaming atheist) felt creeped out by this guy and wanted to leave the room.

Penn’s feelings, what kind of freak thinks that humans when left to their own devices will suddenly start thinking killing and raping and pillaging is a good idea? This guy?

Think about it: If there was suddenly absolute proof of no God, would YOU suddenly start wanting to kill and steal and rape?! If so, what the heck is that saying about YOU!

Just a reminder, those of us agnostics, atheists, non-theists, do believe in morality and ethics!

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism#Tenets

Secular humanism describes a world view with the following elements and principles:

• Need to test beliefs – A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether religious, political or social, must be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted on faith.
• Reason, evidence, scientific method – Commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence, and scientific methods of inquiry, rather than faith and mysticism, in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions.
• Fulfillment, growth, creativity – A primary concern with fulfillment, growth, and creativity for both the individual and humankind in general.
• Search for truth – A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding that new knowledge and experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it.
• This life – A concern for this life and a commitment to making it meaningful through better understanding of ourselves, our history, our intellectual and artistic achievements, and the outlooks of those who differ from us.
• Ethics – A search for viable individual, social and political principles of ethical conduct, judging them on their ability to enhance human well-being and individual responsibility.
• Building a better world – A conviction that with reason, an open exchange of ideas, good will, and tolerance, progress can be made in building a better world for ourselves and our children.