[Eidal]

Preface: I am an atheist.

Morality is a broad topic and I think lumping every question regarding "right" and "wrong" actions/thoughts together dilutes meaningful debate.

From an atheistic perspective, it seems only logical to agree that there can be no absolute moral truths regarding anything. For example, if you (pretend you are an atheist for a quick second) and I were standing outside a Starbucks and we watch as a man runs across the street and savagely kicks a dog in the ribcage.

While you may call this action immoral, you are actually only stating your emotional response (disgust) at the action. By using the term "immoral" you imply that not only does it disgust you, but it OUGHT to disgust everyone else. This interchange in our language gives rise to the concept of morality, when really, its nothing but insistance that because one human responds in one manner, every human should.

Now, when we include a deity into morality, things get less clear because many humans are boggled at the idea of omnipotence. We are raised in a structured reality, where, more or less, power sets the rules... so when confronted with a belief system that describes their deity (in this case, your God) as having absolute power, many people simply connect the dots and decide that absolute morality exists and is as described in the Bible.

In my opinion, any concept of absolute morality is human arrogance at its finest, because it reduces every shade of interchange of thought between humans into white/black. I can, however, see why the founders of the Church included the concept of morality and sin -- but that would be a topic for another thread.

Suffice it to say, if your atheist friend were to maintain that there ARE moral truths, and me to maintain the direct opposite, we would be at a deadlock.

For example.

Friend: ("Rape is immoral.")
Eidal : ("Rape is not immoral.")
Friend: ("You're so wrong, rape hurts people, that makes it immoral.")
Eidal : ("Rape also makes people feel good, whats your point?")

Between atheists, its just opinion. Between theists, they'll have to decide the TRUE INTERPRETATIONS of whatever books their gods left them.