Why don't Atheists run amok?

Tricky said:
One of the things it's interesting to ask theists is: "If you discovered for certain that there was no god or gods, would you run amok?"

Of course, it's hard to get an answer, since few are capable of envisioning such a possibility, but most of the honest ones will admit that they would not. It would be a very poor set of morals you have if you have no empathy and the only thing keeping you from running amok is fear of punishment.
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As I said in my first post, this is because the only atheist materialists who run amok are those whose actions are fanatically harmonious with their actual worldview. The rest, in practice, behave as if mankind was more than merely material.
The key in your response is the word empathy. In a materialist world there is no justification whatsoever for having empathy for some being from whom you cannot materially benefit.
In a theistic world the possibilities for empathy are opened up because the identities of empathiser and 'empathee' are not necessarily restricted to their biological loci, immediate interests and the like.

Tricky said:
LOL. Seeing where this was going, I knew it wouldn't be long until the "No True Scotsman" fallacy made a guest appearance!
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Well, I guess you believe everything people tell you then :rolleyes:
 
Captain Obvious said:
As I said in my first post, this is because the only atheist materialists who run amok are those whose actions are fanatically harmonious with their actual worldview. The rest, in practice, behave as if mankind was more than merely material.
The key in your response is the word empathy. In a materialist world there is no justification whatsoever for having empathy for some being from whom you cannot materially benefit.
In a theistic world the possibilities for empathy are opened up because the identities of empathiser and 'empathee' are not necessarily restricted to their biological loci, immediate interests and the like.
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I'm sorry, but your "insight" into the minds of atheists is nothing more than a self-serving strawman. The idea that life is less valuable because it is material is unjustified. If anything, it is all the more precious because of its impermanence.

Well, I guess you believe everything people tell you then :rolleyes:
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Ironically, you seem to want him to believe you.
 
Foster Zygote said:
Plumjam, is that you?

Even if what you say were true (it isn't), the fact remains that it took many thousands of people buying into Hitler's Christian rhetoric for his policies to be implemented. Or were they all just pretending to be Christians?
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Exactly. I've pointed it out before. Whether Hitler was Christian or not (or a true Scotsman or not) is irrelevant, really. The atrocities perpetrated by the Third Reich did not belong solely to Hitler, they belong to (nearly) the entire German population: specifically those who stood by and did nothing and those who manned the gas chambers and ran the trains and so on.

They were mostly avowed Christians. They believed they were fulfilling their god's plan.

As for whether it was Darwin's Theory that was also responsible...only if we consider Newton's Theory of Gravity as responsible for someone dying after they're pushed off a building. Misappropriating an idea does not make that idea responsible for atrocities committed under it's twisted name.

Blame it on whatever anti-theist scapegoat you can find, it doesn't change that Christians perpetrated the crimes against humanity. Not just Hitler, nor just Goering, nor just Hess, nor Himmler, etc.

That aside:

Morality exists as a construct of society. Thus differing societies have different mores. It's really not a result of religion. Rather, religion is more likely a result of a desire to codify those social mores.
 
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Captain Obvious said:
In a theistic world the possibilities for empathy are opened up because the identities of empathiser and 'empathee' are not necessarily restricted to their biological loci, immediate interests and the like.
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Tell that to the Muslim hating Christian nutter that "empithetically" killed so many in Norway.
 
ynot said:
If there's no god and there's no rules or consequences to life what does it matter what you do in life?

If good and bad are merely subjective terms why don't Atheists do whatever they want whenever they want?

Do Atheists live by morals and ethics they have inherited from Theists?

In case anyone doesn't already know, I'm an Atheist.
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Morality evolved, it wasn't dictated by a fictional book.
 
ynot said:
If there's no god and there's no rules or consequences to life what does it matter what you do in life?

If good and bad are merely subjective terms why don't Atheists do whatever they want whenever they want?

Do Atheists live by morals and ethics they have inherited from Theists?

In case anyone doesn't already know, I'm an Atheist.
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I never thought about this before. You raise a very interesting point.
Since there is no god or gods I am free.

I would elaborate but I now have work to do.
Just in case all you atheist are mere foxhole atheist I suggest you now pray I do not live near your neighborhood.

Thanks ynot! You questions have truly enlightened me!


Oh Yeah.

MMWWAHAHAHAH!!!
 
ynot said:
If there's no god and there's no rules or consequences to life what does it matter what you do in life?

If good and bad are merely subjective terms why don't Atheists do whatever they want whenever they want?

Do Atheists live by morals and ethics they have inherited from Theists?

In case anyone doesn't already know, I'm an Atheist.
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  • I don't want to die.
  • I don't want to suffer.
  • I don't want anyone to steal from me.
  • It bothers me when others suffer (empathy).
  • It bothers me when others lose their property.
The golden rule or something akin to that works pretty damn well. By being a good citizen I make society better. I like that. I don't need a god.
 
And Stalin studied to be a priest until he decided there was more mileage in being a sociopathic tyrant.
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And as I recall he went and re-established the Russian Orthodox in any case so's to make the Russian people easier to control.
 
One of the things that always amazes me is when a theist appeals to my sense of morality, why? If atheists hve no morality why appeal to it?
 
Captain Obvious said:
Interesting how so many of you 'skeptics' are only too happy to take genocidal dictators at their word... when it suits your own belief system.

By their fruits you shall know them.
(Clue for the truly retarded: rather than believe everything a genocidal dictator says, simply look at their actions to discern their real worldview, motivations and inspiration)
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And it seems you just assume "bad person thus atheist".

Or am I strawmanning? :rolleyes:
 
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