GwynJ wrote:

> We also know very well what happens, in
> crimes for instance

I don't know very well what happens. Are you claiming that atheists are, on average per capita, criminals more often than religious people are? I seriously doubt that the statistics support this.

Early mafia families, for example, were apparently quite religious (Catholic). I don't know about modern members of organized crime.

There seems to be an assumption that "Christian" actions, such as brotherly love, selflessness, care of the needy, etc. can only be expected to continue as they have in the world in a Christian-dominated society. I disagree. These kinds of actions are common among most, if not all major religions and cultures (even atheist ones) and existed long before the days of Jesus Christ.

I suggest that much of the "religious" moral code that is not unique to a specific religion, but common among nearly all religions, did not come originally from religion or a desire to obey a supernatural being, but from earlier societal (not necessarily religious) practices. Religion codified these practices into their belief system. Later religions adopted and changed the practices of the earlier religions.

Consider marriage. Was marriage a religious ordinance first taught to Adam and Eve and continued to the present? I don't think so. It was probably a practice based on earlier pair-bonding among our pre-Modern Man ancestors that became part of every religion.

Can we expect the society-supporting actions of charity, brotherly love, hospitality, etc. to continue in an atheist society where the fear of God and eternal judgement no longer influences them or would the Earth become more of a dog-eat-dog world reverting quickly to political anarchy?

• On a large scale, no. - stormcrow - February 6, 2001 - 03:43 UTC
  • Re: On a large scale, no. - bladesinger - February 6, 2001 - 08:06 UTC
    • Re: Re: On a large scale, no. - yanniru - February 6, 2001 - 14:14 UTC
      • Re: Re: Re: On a large scale, no. - alexander - February 6, 2001 - 14:52 UTC
        • Let it to the experts? - stormcrow - February 6, 2001 - 21:26 UTC
          • Let it to the experts. - alexander - February 6, 2001 - 22:29 UTC
            • This Forum Must Be Scientific? - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 01:11 UTC
              • Re: This Forum Must Be Scientific? - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 02:44 UTC
                • Re: Re: This Forum Must Be Scientific? - philosofir - February 7, 2001 - 04:16 UTC
                  • What is a communism? - alexander - February 7, 2001 - 04:45 UTC
                    • Christ Wouldn't Be Crucified Today. - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 17:50 UTC
                      • Re: Christ Wouldn't Be Crucified Today. - alexander - February 7, 2001 - 18:39 UTC
                        • Re: Re: Christ Wouldn't Be Crucified Today. - gwynj - February 8, 2001 - 18:52 UTC
                          • Christ Would Be Crucified Today. - alexander - February 10, 2001 - 03:35 UTC
                            • maybe - gwynj - February 10, 2001 - 19:41 UTC
                              • Our animal genes. - alexander - February 11, 2001 - 00:37 UTC
                                • i suppose it doesn't matter - gwynj - February 11, 2001 - 21:03 UTC
                      • Re: Christ Wouldn't Be Crucified Today. - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 22:05 UTC
                        • Re: Re: Christ Wouldn't Be Crucified Today. - louielouie - February 8, 2001 - 03:36 UTC
                          • the wisdom is - gwynj - February 8, 2001 - 18:50 UTC
                  • you're right - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 21:59 UTC
  • Using Santa To Get Good Behavior. - johnpowell - February 6, 2001 - 16:22 UTC
    • yeah - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 02:38 UTC
      • God has evolved. - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 17:10 UTC
        • Re: God has evolved. - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 21:56 UTC
          • Re: Re: God has evolved. - louielouie - February 8, 2001 - 03:27 UTC
            • Re: Re: Re: God has evolved. - alexander - February 8, 2001 - 16:31 UTC
              • Re: Re: Re: Re: God has evolved. - yanniru - February 8, 2001 - 18:06 UTC
                • Dark matter. - alexander - February 10, 2001 - 02:07 UTC
                  • Re: Dark matter. - alexander - February 10, 2001 - 02:12 UTC
        • Both God and Dark Matter are Invisible. - johnpowell - February 8, 2001 - 20:10 UTC
          • God or Science - yanniru - February 9, 2001 - 00:56 UTC
            • Re: God or Science - gwynj - February 9, 2001 - 03:08 UTC
              • Not much of a God around. - alexander - February 10, 2001 - 02:47 UTC
                • i will fight - gwynj - February 10, 2001 - 19:27 UTC
                  • Yeah, they call it "windmill fight". - alexander - February 11, 2001 - 00:32 UTC
                    • a little inertia? - gwynj - February 11, 2001 - 20:58 UTC
          • You are - gwynj - February 9, 2001 - 03:07 UTC
  • Re: On a large scale, no. - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 02:33 UTC
    • Re: Re: On a large scale, no. - stormcrow - February 8, 2001 - 05:41 UTC
      • Re: Re: Re: On a large scale, no. - gwynj - February 8, 2001 - 18:45 UTC
• More food for thought....The Justice Of God - jisbond - February 6, 2001 - 21:53 UTC
  • The Justice Of God - johnpowell - February 6, 2001 - 23:12 UTC
    • therefore if ye be hypocrites - jisbond - February 6, 2001 - 23:36 UTC
      • I'm Important To God? - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 00:54 UTC
        • Re: I'm Important To God? - yanniru - February 7, 2001 - 13:32 UTC
          • Remote sensing not verified. - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 16:30 UTC
            • I doubt scientists would - gwynj - February 9, 2001 - 03:17 UTC
              • Re: I doubt scientists would - bladesinger - February 9, 2001 - 18:08 UTC
                • but - gwynj - February 9, 2001 - 19:50 UTC
                  • Re: but - bladesinger - February 10, 2001 - 07:25 UTC
                    • i'm with you - gwynj - February 10, 2001 - 19:13 UTC
                      • Science and pseudo one. - alexander - February 11, 2001 - 00:24 UTC
                        • I'll play Devil's advocate now - stormcrow - February 11, 2001 - 02:47 UTC
          • God did not appear in the body of Jesus. - johnpowell - February 17, 2001 - 04:03 UTC
            • Re: God did not appear in the body of Jesus. - yanniru - February 17, 2001 - 21:26 UTC
        • Measure does not bind G_D and boundaries do not contain G_D. - jisbond - February 8, 2001 - 16:40 UTC
          • The attributes of Allah were not revealed by Him - johnpowell - February 8, 2001 - 19:43 UTC
            • Re: The attributes of Allah were not revealed by Him - jisbond - February 9, 2001 - 14:25 UTC
              • Jinns are invisible and blind. - johnpowell - February 14, 2001 - 02:10 UTC
                • Jinns are invisible and blind. - shmotash - June 23, 2002 - 11:34 UTC
  • Also: difference between vengeance and justice. - jisbond - February 6, 2001 - 23:45 UTC
    • Religious Ideas are Man' - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 00:13 UTC
    • Religious Ideas come from Man, not God - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 00:14 UTC