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Old 07-15-2005, 03:16 AM
bronzepiglet bronzepiglet is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 120
Default Re: Question for Non-Believers

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Basically I'm asking..how do you know killing, stealing, etc. is wrong?

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We don't avoid "bad things" because of some inert moral. We do whatever is in our best interest, period. To answer your question, I most likely won't kill anyone because there are very few situations where that would be in my best interest.

Bluffthis' response links to a post where i expressed most of my views on this subject, but i'd like to add another interesting example to further illustrate this point.

Lets say you were to offer me some amount of money to have my father instantly die. Now, I would only refuse your offer because there is no monetary value that can provide me with the happiness that my father does. Not because of some moral!

If, for example, my father does not provide me with happiness, perhaps he molested me or something, then, maybe some monetary value would make me happier than my father's presence in my life. Therefore, under these circusmtances, i would accept your offer.

Futher, lets say there is a neutral figure involved. For example, lets say that you would pay me some amount of money to have a person to whom i have no association with be instantly killed. Someone who neither positively or negatively impacts my life. So, assuming there are no other reprucssions to accepting the offer (i.e. may impact society in a way that negatively effects me), and i felt that a specific monetary value would prove to make my life happier than that person's existence, i would accept your offer.

Simply put, anytime i equate the value of X (happiness) to be more worthy than the value of Y (happiness) I will surely choose X, regardless of any morals.

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I applaud your candor and logical consistency (despite not coming to the same conclusions myself). I simply do not understand when people say that god is irrational, yet contend that morals are rational. With the arguments of god not being able to be observed, measured, etc. the same things are true of morals.

The choice will typically be both or neither.
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