Comments on: Tract #17: Should I Follow the Ten Commandments?

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:22:39 +0000

What about the Seven Deadly Sins?

God says, “Thou shalt not kill”, and yet there are many instances of God striking down people in the Bible (for what seems like silly things, looking back on them)or telling his people to kill other people. Jealousy is a deadly sin, and yet he says “I am a jealous God”, which, by the way, is why we must “have no other gods before him”. I think this also falls under the sin of “pride”. Wrath – Jesus’ tirade in the temple (cause Jesus is God right?). I think he went a little overboard even if he was “justified” which some claim.

How can God be good if he doesn’t even follow his own rules?!

By: ideclare

ideclare — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:30:30 +0000

Shameless plug: For a partial answer to that question, read my book “Ask Yourself to be Moral,” which will be available in October.

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:49:25 +0000

So what should atheists follow to be moral? How do I answer the question, “how do you judge what is good if there is no divine judge?”

By: keddaw

keddaw — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:41:55 +0000

There are only two commandments that are illegal (and hence considered sufficiently immoral by society to be punishable): killing and theft. The other 8 are, at best, civil issues.

As for the 10 Commandments being the starting point for morality… has there ever been a society that thought killing your neighbour was an acceptable act?

I think any group of humans (or any social animal for that matter) living together will form some general rules for making things run smoothly. Recent studies have shown most animals have some innate sense of fairness and I can only imagine that the more complex the animal and more social the group the more fairness will play a part.