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Does morality come from the scriptures ?

LuisDantas

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Of course morality does not come from any scriptures, although quite a high percentage of scriptures does indeed attempt to be morality guides.

However, by giving the matter a little thought, one realizes that way too many people are exposed to most scriptures, yet there is not much of an effect on morality to speak of.

At the very best, scriptures are a template, a starting point, that may direct the efforts of people to become more moral - but that in no way substitutes or supercedes the actual decisions of becoming more moral and learning to deal with the consequences of such.
 
K

Kerr

Well-Known Member
If morality comes from the scriptures I must be a freak :eek:!

Seriously, though, human morality does not come from scriptures. There are plenty of atheists here that are living proof of that ;).
 
Sunstone

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
It is always alarming when someone gets too much of their morality from the Bible.
 
Riverwolf

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
Scripture (religious or not) that talks about morality are simply guidelines.

Actual morality comes from example.
 
TheKnight

TheKnight

Guardian of Life
We can know complete morality from God and from Him alone. However, God also made us inherently good. Therefore we have the capacity to determine morality to a degree.

It's the same as with religions. We can only know the whole truth from God, but other religions are still able to discern the truth to a degree (which is why almost all religions have many similarities in certain concepts).

So an Atheist can discern morality (not completely, but in part) because God gave us inherent moral sense. However, the source of all morality is God.
 
K

Kerr

Well-Known Member
TheKnight said:
We can know complete morality from God and from Him alone. However, God also made us inherently good. Therefore we have the capacity to determine morality to a degree.

It's the same as with religions. We can only know the whole truth from God, but other religions are still able to discern the truth to a degree (which is why almost all religions have many similarities in certain concepts).

So an Atheist can discern morality (not completely, but in part) because God gave us inherent moral sense. However, the source of all morality is God.
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So basically, no matter how an atheist actually acts he is still morally inferior to someone who derives morality from God?
 
ThereIsNoSpoon

ThereIsNoSpoon

Active Member
TheKnight said:
We can know complete morality from God and from Him alone. However, God also made us inherently good. Therefore we have the capacity to determine morality to a degree.

It's the same as with religions. We can only know the whole truth from God, but other religions are still able to discern the truth to a degree (which is why almost all religions have many similarities in certain concepts).

So an Atheist can discern morality (not completely, but in part) because God gave us inherent moral sense. However, the source of all morality is God.
Click to expand...
Some questions come to my mind. Here is the most spontaneous one. Name me some part of morality that atheists (or other religions) couldnt discern but your religion could.
 
Commoner

Commoner

Headache
TheKnight said:
We can know complete morality from God and from Him alone. However, God also made us inherently good. Therefore we have the capacity to determine morality to a degree.

It's the same as with religions. We can only know the whole truth from God, but other religions are still able to discern the truth to a degree (which is why almost all religions have many similarities in certain concepts).

So an Atheist can discern morality (not completely, but in part) because God gave us inherent moral sense. However, the source of all morality is God.
Click to expand...

Arrogance must also come from god.
 
TheKnight

TheKnight

Guardian of Life
Kerr said:
So basically, no matter how an atheist actually acts he is still morally inferior to someone who derives morality from God?
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Morally inferior? Such terms do not exist in my vernacular. Maybe in a paradigm where it is necessary to label people within a dichotomy such terminology would be appropriate. However it is not in the paradigm of someone who follows Torah.

ThereIsNoSpoon said:
Some questions come to my mind. Here is the most spontaneous one. Name me some part of morality that atheists (or other religions) couldnt discern but your religion could.
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It's not a matter of my religion discerning anything. I believe that God revealed what He wants of us. For instance, at least with the 613 commandments, a person would not be able to logically determine that it is morally right for a Jew to celebrate Shabbat. Or that it is morally right for a person to study Torah. Or tha it is morally wrong for a person to engage in sex acts with person(s) of the same sex.

Commoner said:
Arrogance must also come from god.
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I'm not sure what this has to do with my post.

Jayhawker Soule said:
Might I have a Torah citation?
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God is the source of all things. Nothing exists without His wanting it to exist.
 
TheKnight

TheKnight

Guardian of Life
Commoner said:
I consider the suggestion that there is a "rank" of morality I cannot reach because I don't follow your religion to be an extremely arrogant one.
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I don't recall saying that there is a "rank" of morality that you cannot reach because you do not follow my religion. I simply stated that I believe an Atheist (or any non-religious person for that matter) is unable to completely discern the totality and all the details involved in living according to the moral code I believe to be the best.
 
TheKnight

TheKnight

Guardian of Life
Jayhawker Soule said:
You may be an expert in your own mind, but that speaks to the quality of your mind and not the quality of your expertise. Now, once again, provide the Torah citation(s) ...
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"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil"~Deut 30:15.

"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth"~Genesis 1:1

"I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am the LORD, that doeth all these things."~Isaiah 45:7
 
Jayhawker Soule

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
TheKnight said:
"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil"~Deut 30:15.

"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth"~Genesis 1:1

"I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am the LORD, that doeth all these things."~Isaiah 45:7
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Poor translations but, nevertheless, it's a nice enough laundry list. It's also irrelevant to the thread. Get back to me when you can do better. :rolleyes:
 
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