Since when does religion have to be about the Christian god? Are the ethics founded in the Hindu religion irrelevant because they don't account for the Jews in Egypt? To be honest, no, I don't get "the god thing" in your terms. You've set an example of beliefs that are founded on things written in the bible, which are completely irrelevant for people whose beliefs don't come from the bible. The girl who sits next to me at work is Hindu, and believes wealth and prosperity comes from the goddess Lakshmi, for it is written is the hindu scriptures that it is so. What is the christian belief about prosperity founded in, because by the logic used here, if it's not founded in a religion like believing in Lakshmi is, then it's not founded in reality.
An atheist believes that it is really sad that the only reason to treat each other well is an all-powerful judge supposedly watching from the sky.
Which actually is not what Christianity teaches. A caricature of Christianity? Yes, but not biblical Christianity.
So, can I actually "provide a foundation for what people ought to do" or not? Can you? Can anyone? So is my "moral intuition" not founded in reality or does it just not allow me to make statements on how people should behave.
maybe you could re-read my post with a slightly different perspective, not the one where you take the view either that there is no such thing as moral absolutes or that morality isn't a function of divine edict.
a) there is no such thing as Christian morality. that's a false distinction. there is God's righteousness and Man's failure to live up to it. Jesus is the perfect example of God's righteousness. Jesus clarified how to apply some of the 10 Commandments because his Jewish audience had narrowed them to the point that it wasn't necessary to try to do good, just avoid doing bad, but their concept of doing bad was also too narrow. for example, he says that they do well to tithe (spices), but they neglect more important matters (showing mercy, etc.) b) accountability to God had gone by the wayside during the 400 year sojourn in Egypt. the Hebrews demonstrated this by crafting a golden calf. they were willing to worship a created image, which was what the Egyptians did. TCC established a baseline.
some Protestants are confused, though. they actually know a Catholic or two, and them Cath'licks have faith in God. it's a mess, really.
* My favorite song ever is called "Everything Evil". I named my daughter after a line in the song. * Last night, my 20-month old son woke up screaming and had to sleep with me and my wife. The little devil always hogs the covers! * It looks like I am going south when I croak.
You got that right. Having said more than I ever wanted to in the last version of this identical thread, I'm just going sit on the sidelines and take pot shots.
It isn't wrong if you boil them first. If you crack them open and dip them in butter afterward, you'd swear you were eating lobster.