I'm sure it is correct, to an extent. There are enduring moral values, and there are some that relate to society and culture. But I have never heard an atheist that is as morally relativist as Christians when they discuss the Old Testament.
Christians, if you disagree, please discuss the attitude toward slavery in the bible, OT and NT, and what you think of the practice today. After that tell us whether people should be put to death for working on Saturday, and whether women should offer two turtles or pigeons to the priests each month to atone for the impure act of menstruation, and whether or not you wear clothes of blended fabrics.
2007-07-23 02:33:04 · 15 answers · asked by Diminati 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sophie, thank you for providing a good example. "Different times, different laws" is the very definition of moral relativism, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just curious why some Christians use the term as a dirty word and accuse others of the practice as if they were above it.
2007-07-23 02:48:50 · update #1
At least we're not trying to justify the actions of our ancestors in the bronze age and then say why we should be listenting to them...
example:
"They didn't know any better then. That's why they had slaves and thought the earth was flat. But we should listen to them when they say we aren't allowed to be gay. That was right."
**edit**
notice how the placement of my answer just happened to be right after a theist pretty much confirming my example...
2007-07-23 02:40:02 · answer #1 · answered by Some Lady 6 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Your question really is directed at the 6% of *professing* Christians (in the USA) who comprise the RRR Cult -- the "Religious" Radical Right. Who are mostly PSEUDO-Christians. Since the other 94% are America's **actual** Christians, and they are sensible and tolerant people who recognize "moral relativism" for what it really IS: the exercise of the free will and intelligence that God gave us so that we could WEIGH the factors in complex problems, and make SENSIBLE decisions based on those analyses.
(Don't expect the doltish lemmings of the RRR Cult to even comprehend that. They are the closest things to automatons that our society has, and are interested only into imposing hateful agendas against some of our most important individual liberties -- for NO good reason.)
Actual Christians, for the most part, couldn't care less about the legalisms of the OT. And the RRR cultists only focus on the ones they choose to be hateful about -- such as homosexuality -- while IGNORING fortune-telling and seances... which were JUST as roundly condemned in the Bible.
So -- want to see a HYPOCRITE? Don't look to the Christians. Look to the pseudo-Christian bigots of the RRR Cult for that. They are EXPERTS at it.
2007-07-23 02:49:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Interesting. True morality is instinctive, and derives from the basic Golden Rule that all social animals must have to maintain their society. All other moral rules should be derived from that basic drive to be a little bit nice to everyone.
But if your morality is defined as a set of rules that includes arbitrary things like special holy days, respect for those who have not earned it, worship of imaginary beings etc., then they won't be self-evident.
That makes relativism inevitable and essential, which is a lousy basis for civilisation.
CD
2007-07-23 02:44:41 · answer #3 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Good point! Unless you accept the Old Testament in its entirety, your "truth" is as relative as any other claim of truth. Everyone accepts only as much of it as they can stand, some more, some less, some none at all, until their own better sense of morality takes over and says, "well, that might be going a bit farther than we need to now. That was just the way they did it then. We'll just pick and choose what we want to take seriously." Howgwash! If its God's word and you want absolute truth, either accept it or reject it and forget this lukewarm mamby-pamby attitude. God wants obedience!! God wants blood!!
2007-07-23 02:47:41 · answer #4 · answered by Boris Bumpley 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'd say moral relativism is something which is a part of society, rather than something controlled by religious beliefs, and the examples you give are good - on one hand, moral consistency SHOULD be a positive thing, but in reality, it doesn't always work out like that.
i don't think it's fair for Christians to accuse atheists of that in particular - it's a fact of life, rather than being directly to do with religion, i reckon...so that's not really a fair comment.
2007-07-23 02:38:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Search me, Dimi... Atheists aren't any more or less "moral" than anybody else in my way of thinking. And frankly, if the focus for Christians is who is the most moral in the world, there was a certain Jewish teacher 2000 years ago who said something about that.
He called those people hypocrites...
2007-07-23 02:38:42 · answer #6 · answered by Bryan A 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I thought that the statute of limitations had run out on those laws. I was especially hoping that the law against coveting my neighbor's wife had been rescinded. I finally adjusted my telescope to zoom in on her side of the bedroom.
2016-05-21 00:17:12 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Utilizing religion, atheism or any type of doctrine to justify any type of individual action is just a cowardly, irresponsible act in itself.
2007-07-23 17:41:03 · answer #8 · answered by Crazyquestions 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a Christian, and a moral relativist. I think it is quite closed minded to think that everything is just black and white. There's an exception to every rule.
2007-07-23 02:37:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 1⤋
You are searching for knowledge. That is a good thing>
2007-07-23 02:47:02 · answer #10 · answered by buggered 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋