| richardhutnik said: I remember seeking Christopher Hitchens bring up a challenge to Christians in a debate: http://www.religionforums.org/Thread-The-Christopher-Hitchens-Challenge Name one moral or ethical action or behaviour committed or carried out by a believer that could not have been committed or carried out by an atheist.
So, then the conclusion from this challenge (I am taking the first part) is that an atheist can live a completely moral life without God. Well, if that is the case, then why are there ethical lapses? If it is simple for man in and of himself to end up doing what is right, then why do people have ethical lapses? And, I would have to ask then here: Does anyone know anyone personally, or themself, who could end up saying honestly that they never had any moral lapses? In short, how many sinless people do you know of? If Hitchen's challenge is that simple to do, then why does it seem to fail so much? The second half has to do with doing evil in the name of God. |
I don't think Hitechens is suggesting that humans are innately moral, ethical beings. We are capable of doing what is both right and wrong. His point is that religion doesn't necessarily make one moral or ethical, people can be moral or ethical sans religion.
That being said, as a philosophy, I believe there are several good things to be learned from Christianity, as well as other religions. Some of them, however were tenants of other religions before they were the tenants of Judaism or Christianity. As an atheist myself, I strongly believe the point and purpose of religion was to explain phenomena and events that couldn't be explained.
There are several aspects of Christianity that today we would find neither moral nor ethical. Most Christian's just choose to ignore those parts. The Bible is filled with some of the most absurd paradoxes, and sadly they were the best of the best Christian and Judaic works they could find to assemble into the Bible.
