for those that believe morality only comes from god...?

Question

what is your definition of empathy and how does it effect human behavior?

is there a reason morality cannot come from empathy? if so why?

i didnt ask where empathy came from.. but it didnt come from god anyway.

Answer 1

Along this line I usually ask theists if they really believe that before Moses descended the mountain with the 10 commandments that people didn't know murder was wrong, then how did Moses know to flee Egypt after committing murder? they will of course say God wrote his laws on our blood pumping organs. But this is silly, since even apes show social rules and punish those who step outside them because they know what hurts and what helps just as we do. God didn't tell us killing hurts. The first time one human being struck another we knew being struck was unpleasant and we didn't want other people doing it. Did God have to tell a three year who's had his toy stolen that having your stuff taken hurts? I don't think so. But the theist thing is always to credit God for the good, Satan for the bad, and Darwin for whatever Satan didn't do.

Answer 2

Sharing feelings still means there is an initial beginning to the empathy. Morality must have a teacher and an initial beginning.

Romans 1:20
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead;
so that they are without excuse.

God says all men have had the revelation of Him, therefore, all men are accountable to Him. God says there is no excuse. God says because of what you see you are without excuse. His creation is evidence that He exists. When we get to the point that we are smarter than the Creator we are already deceived.

Isaiah 60:12
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve Thee (God) shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

The Bible tells us time and time again about the people that did what was right in their own eyes. They perished.

Answer 3

Well let me dust off the ol dictionary here...

Empathy noun 1. the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.
2. the imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudes present in oneself: By means of empathy, a great painting becomes a mirror of the self.

in short it is the feelings that you feel for people...and of course it effects human behavior.

It is not that from empathy, morality cannot come about...its that without morality their would be no desire to empathize...

I work with kids, some kids get it pretty early, some dont, but empathy is taught. thru instruction or observation...no kid would feel bad about someone elses pain unless they had been taught

Answer 4

That's a trick question...

Morality cannot be derived from empathy. Empathy is dependant on the emotions or experiences of others. It isn't self-sustaining. If you find someone who is empathetic, it's because of someone else.

Morality, on the other hand, is self sustaining because it begins from within you. It's the foundation that one may easily base their life on. Moral Lesson, Moral Basis, Moral Perspective. It is a source of behavior.

Empathy is a reaction.

Answer 5

I think I understand where you are coming from.

That is why people are so amazed when they find out I am an atheist. I work very hard at my job. I have never been in trouble with the law. I do not run around with women all the time. I am a wonderful father. I pay my taxes. I have never even experimented with an illegal substance.

So, people who know this of me are always amazed. I get the proverbial "You're an atheist, but you're such a good person". comment. But, you get used to it after a while. I usually reply with "I know, and somehow I still manage to be even though I don't beleive in god."

Answer 6

Then where DO you find your moral absolutes? "Just because"?? Empathy?? That dog don't hunt, I'm afraid.

The Nazis did not behave, nor act on their "empathy" - - and they believed in their hearts that they were doing right. Without the moral absolute of "thou shalt not kill" - then - how are you going to tell the Gestapo officer that he should not be about killing Jews.

"Because it's wrong!" ?? Because of empathy? Nope. Der Fuhrer says he is right. Jews should die!

See where your "logic" fails?

Humans, left to their own devices, will not be "good". Empathy or not.

Answer 7

features that we view as ethical are deeply embedded in the human psyche. Honesty, constancy, trustworthiness, kindness to others, and reciprocity are possibly primeval features that helped our ancestors stay to tell the story. In a international of risky predators, early guy could desire to possibly thrive in basic terms in cooperative communities. stable habit could very practically certainly strengthen the tribal bonds that have been necessary to survival. we are in a position to extremely postulate that what we now call morality is unquestionably a determination of behaviors regular by utilising organic determination in an animal susceptible on my own yet good in numbers. Morality is our organic and organic destiny, no longer a modern from god Christianity: the theory that this is extra ethical to homicide and then ask an imaginery buddy for forgiveness than this is to in no way act immorally and not have self assurance in god.

Answer 8

Without God's Word we have NO IDEA of what morality is, The Ten Commandments [not suggestions] plus The Second member of The Godhead Jesus Christ also commenting upon that subject of morality Matt 5:28 for example, learn more free bible lessons www.itiswritten.com bible questions www.bibleinfo.com talk to me also [e-mail]

Answer 9

you see morals in other things as well. I saw a video of a young boy that was knocked out when he fell into a gorilla pit and an older gorilla kept the younger gorillas from getting to him. I should just digress though because they would just thank god for that too.

Morals come from self preservation genes, whether it be preservation of the self or the species.

Answer 10

Good question.
In fact recent studies show that all higher order primates show empathy, even for those not of thier species.