Friday, November 27, 2009

The Moral Dilemma For Atheists and Agnostics

Hi, it's been a while. I just thought I would jot something down before I forget it.

I have to admit I'm confused by the youth of today for having the honesty to live how they really feel... y'know having sex - sorry... "hooking up" with whoever they want whenever they want. They must feel so free being unfettered from the morals of their parents. They don't believe in God, so why should they act as if they do believe in God. They are the most honest atheists I've ever met. The atheists that believe that such things as "objective morals" exist have no grounds for their belief. They say it's based on some sort of social system which advances the species, as if morality is a survival mechanism. I think that if the survival of the species was the key, there would be plenty of reason not to subscribe to a moral code.

It's like that song: "You and me baby be nothing but mammals, let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel..." This is the most honest Naturalistic Atheism I have found. Except for one thing... Honesty involves a sense of morality, caring enough to be honest, and we've already seen that for the Atheist morality is inconsistent with his/her worldview. If you're going to be consistent with your Atheism then you would feel no qualms in lying about your sin. After all there is no Higher Power to Whom you are accountable. BUT then you would be acting all goody-two-shoes when you're really not.

It's a LOSE-LOSE situation, because either way you are being a hypocrite: 1) by supposing you can be honest about your sin without recognizing why honesty is important (ie you care to be honest because you were created by an honest God), or 2) by acting religious as a front for sinful behavior. The only real honest solution is to admit that you are borrowing the Christian morality in order to be honest about your sinful lifestyle.

So you might argue, "But you assume that my sexuality is sinful. Who are you to say what's right and what's wrong?" Careful now, are you sure you want to go there? Would you also be so bold as to condemn Christians for behavior of which you don't approve? Maybe even accuse the God of the Bible of horrendous atrocities? And on what basis, morality? But we've identified morality as the commodity of a Christian economy. And some would say that it's the Christian who suffers from circular reasoning?

So it seems evident to me that choosing to live your life regardless of who might approve or disapprove is the only option the Atheist has. But in the back of their mind they still must come to terms with such notions as honesty, convictions, courage, minds, or rationality to name a few, none of which can exist in a purely naturalistic world.