How do agnostics live? (Introduction)

by dhw, Monday, June 09, 2008, 08:28 (6009 days ago) @ Mark

Mark's summary of our discussion so far is more a travesty than a summary: - Mark: Atheists are free to make up their own moral code.
dhw: But they don't. - Mark goes on to argue that "atheists can find no basis for their morality other than to state as a brute fact that it is part of our nature. There is nothing else which tells them that they should live that way." - You have totally ignored virtually everything I wrote in my posting on 08 June at 7.57 am. I pointed out that atheists and agnostics are subject to the same legal and moral codes as everyone else in the society in which they live. The basis of all these codes is the smooth functioning of society, and anyone who breaks them will face the judgment of society ... whether institutional or personal. - You have also ignored my reference to humanistic codes. You seem to think that someone who does not believe in God is also incapable of loving, respecting, considering, caring for his fellow human beings. If you only refrain from evil because you are afraid of God and not because you love your fellow humans, your religion will be pretty barren. Indeed, as I pointed out before, religion without humanistic principles can lead to atrocities such as Islamic "martyrdoms". - I'm grateful to you for raising this important issue, but perhaps instead of regurgitating and ridiculing Richard Dawkins' Darwinian theories, you could respond to the points I have raised. Let me offer you a summary so far: - Mark believes that atheists are free to make up their own individual moral code. 
DHW argues that they are subject to the same social, legal and moral codes as everyone else in their society, and are perfectly capable of love and respect for their fellow humans without believing in God. - I notice that in your latest posting, you are also avoiding the issues raised by David Turell.