27th November 2010
“We do not need the idea of God to teach us what is good and what is bad. We can learn this from society itself, not from tablets of stone handed down from Mount Sinai.”
Mary Warnock
“We do not need the idea of God to teach us what is good and what is bad. We can learn this from society itself, not from tablets of stone handed down from Mount Sinai.”
Mary Warnock
November 27th, 2010 at 1:49
Proof: Mayan religious human sacrifice used to be considered “good” and “lawful”. The Roman arenas were considered “good” and “lawful”.
Then there’s my most favorite and most recent. Dueling. Pre-President (and Christian) Andrew Jackson challenged Charles Dickinson to a pistol duel. Dickinson shot Jackson, Jackson still stood, and the rules of engagement stated that Jackson could take a shot at Dickinson and Dickinson could only stand there. Jackson took his shot and killed Dickinson.
Now here’s the fun part. Did Jackson get arrested? Nope. Why? Because society at that time agreed that pistol dueling was “good” and “lawful”.
Now I’ll ask once more, is it God that creates moral standards, or is it society?
Extra fun fact: Jackson never did have that bullet removed. It stayed with him through out his whole life, including his presidency.
November 27th, 2010 at 12:55
Are you going to make a point G E S?
November 27th, 2010 at 13:38
tech,
Are you?
November 27th, 2010 at 14:48
GreatEighthSin,
Appropriate point made about that “good and lawful” Mayan ritual.
Today’s quote really goes with my comment from yesterday, about how obeying “tablets of stone” is a form of unjustified certainty that leads people to commit truly heinous acts throughout history. When, if just for a second people might consider that gods don’t exist and these religious laws are full of crap, then people might pause to treat others with a measure of tolerance and respect. And they might just for a second consider that maybe ancient goatherders didn’t know all that much about medicine, natural history or astronomy.
So score two for the mysterious quote-finder behind this blog for good quotes, IMO.
November 27th, 2010 at 19:17
Dan, I too have pondered on the invisible mystery behind the quotes. Do you think we do enough to appease the great one with our offerings?
November 27th, 2010 at 23:07
@Tech Fine, I’ll dumb down for you. American tribe people story. Man made fire from fire boom stick at other man. Man not fall dead from fire boom stick. Not dead man must stand still while other man take shot with his fire boom stick because rules say he must. First fire boom stick man fall dead from second man’s fire boom stick. Second fire boom stick man not die, but becomes mighty ruler of the American tribe people. Many years later, second fire boom stick man becomes ruler of American tribe people because he did nothing wrong in their eyes. This nothing wrong goes against Mighty Sky Ruler’s commands, but people not care because it is American tribe people that make rules, laws, and declare what is right and wrong, not Mighty Sky Ruler.
November 28th, 2010 at 21:57
Good point GreatEight, maybe might ruler is not the culprit but one of the better methods do make people act in insane form without question their own values e consequences,a barbarian law is in barbarian style, humanism is not achieved by blind faith, criticism is necessary for changes.
You can see the civil laws change all time, the religious not.