Kurieuo wrote:Many Atheists believe morality is simply something to be shaken off by those who know better.
Statements that begin with variations of the phrase "many people" often appear to be meaningful, when in fact they are meaningless (and often pejorative) appeals to anonymous authority. Kind of a cheap trick, really.
Now, in response to your questions:
Kurieuo wrote:Q: Is it "right" or "wrong" to kill off the weak and helpless? Emotions aside, why or why not?
Generally speaking I believe that it's wrong, although there are some situations where it would be morally acceptable to do so. For example, I have no issue with assisted suicide, provided that there's appropriate oversight to ensure that the patient's wishes are actually being honored.
As for why, I think that morality pretty much comes down to the Golden Rule. The weak and helpless deserve the same level of respect and personal autonomy as anyone else, and human life has value.
Kurieuo wrote:Q: Is it "right" or "wrong" for man to rape women? Emotions aside, why or why not?
Wrong.
Again, Golden Rule. Personal autonomy. Our bodies are our own.
Kurieuo wrote:Q: Is it "right" or "wrong" to kill off infants? Emotions aside, why or why not?
Wrong.
Golden Rule. Personal autonomy. All human life has value.
Kurieuo wrote:Finally, do you believe we are free to make choices and act them out, or is "who we are" purely determined by our physiological make-up?
It's not an either/or issue. We have free will and can make our own choices, but only within the broader context of our social and economic circumstances, physical and mental health, intelligence, education, life experience, and awareness of our options.
For example, my sister-in-law got CP as the result of an accident in the hospital. and just like that she lost a ton of options. She's quadriplegic and legally blind, so she is pretty much at the mercy of her aides and her family. Obviously none of those things were her choice. Still, that doesn't mean that she has no choices available to her. She can hire her own staff and manage them well or poorly, as she sees fit. She can spend all of her time alone at home, or she can get out and volunteer or socialize. She can save her money or spend it frivolously. So saying that she is "free to make choices and act them out" is inaccurate until you add a bunch of caveats, but that doesn't mean that who she is and how she lives are purely determined by her physiological make-up, either.
Furstentum Liechtenstein wrote:Thadeyus wrote:Now... we can all agree that Hitler was a bad person as well as being a bad Christian (Of the Roman Catholic denomination) etc.
Nope, we can't agree. You are in the dark, Thadeyus: you appear to not know what a Christian is. Hint: it has nothing to do with one's denomination, or whether one has gone through the ritual of baptism or not.
Could you tell us what a Christian is?
Well, whatever dictionary Google uses says that a Christian is "a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings." That's what I've always understood the word to mean, but I have a hunch that you're itching to provide a definition of your own. So enlighten us. What's
your definition of "Christian?"