Does The Theory of Evolution Lead to Immorality?

[Quoth The Raven]

Why does belief in some god stop you from killing your neighbor?

Well, obviously it doesn't. But that's the assumption made by people who like to tell you that morals come directly from god, therefore if you remove god from the equation - which apparently is so easily done that simply believing in evolution has the same effect on him as dousing the Wicked Witch of The West in a bucket of water - there can be no morals.
Apparently some of us believe in ToE purely because we want to be able to have premarital sex and in lieu of a cigarette after, kill without conscience. I have to say that I'm constantly thankful people who think like that have faith, because I'd hate to think what sort of havoc they'd wreak on the world if they didn't believe they were constantly being watched.

 

[crystalonyx]

Well, obviously it doesn't. But that's the assumption made by people who like to tell you that morals come directly from god, therefore if you remove god from the equation - which apparently is so easily done that simply believing in evolution has the same effect on him as dousing the Wicked Witch of The West in a bucket of water - there can be no morals.
Apparently some of us believe in ToE purely because we want to be able to have premarital sex and in lieu of a cigarette after, kill without conscience. I have to say that I'm constantly thankful people who think like that have faith, because I'd hate to think what sort of havoc they'd wreak on the world if they didn't believe they were constantly being watched.

One interesting question is, if a person already has a bent for killing, will a belief in god stop him/her, or can that person rationalize their way around it? Of course, there's also the killing done in the name of god for some religions.

 

[Francine]

One interesting question is, if a person already has a bent for killing, will a belief in god stop him/her, or can that person rationalize their way around it? Of course, there's also the killing done in the name of god for some religions.

In Gaza they fire rockets at Israeli schools in the name of Allah. And Allah doesn't seem to mind.

 

[Autodidact]

Actually, the logic of evolution should lead to the rejection of morality altogether, thus rendering the term 'immorality' unnecessary. If you believe in evolution, you shouldn't believe in right and wrong at all!

For example, if we evolved from lower life-forms, than morality is simply a social tool, a part of evolution. Therefore, guilt is simply the product of social stimuli and should not be taken seriously. All implications of guilt, morality, and justice should be ignored on a personal level. It's only purpose should be to maintain ORDER and nothing more.

It would be interesting if you had a clue what you were talking about.
I love when people tell other people what they believe, don't you?
What is obvious from this post is that you have never actually studied the theory of evolution, and know nothing about its relationship to human behavior.
In fact there is a lot of studying now about the evolution of morality and human ethics.
Turns out that its evolutionarily beneficial to behave ethically.

 

[Autodidact]

Actually, the logic of evolution should lead to the rejection of morality altogether, thus rendering the term 'immorality' unnecessary. If you believe in evolution, you shouldn't believe in right and wrong at all!

For example, if we evolved from lower life-forms, than morality is simply a social tool, a part of evolution. Therefore, guilt is simply the product of social stimuli and should not be taken seriously. All implications of guilt, morality, and justice should be ignored on a personal level. It's only purpose should be to maintain ORDER and nothing more.

My feeling about morality is that when a person makes a false statement, such as that science always supports the Bible, that may not necessarily be immoral, they may simply be misinformed. But when it is amply and repeatedly demonstrated to them that their statement was in fact false, then the ethical thing to do is to retract it, don't you agree?

 

[Autodidact]

You can, but you have to accept that that is all they are. You shouldn't feel bad for doing something 'immoral', just don't do it so you won't get caught!

In other words, that feeling you get when you run over a cat? It's nothing. Just keep driving.

Just ask God to forgive you and it's no problemo! We call this the "Jeff Dahmer" method.
Now, how do you like being told what you believe, Tomspug? Or is treating others as you would like to be treated not a part of your personal morality?

 

[Autodidact]

Accepting the ToE promotes morality. That is because there is a strong and important relationship between ethics and honesty. Short version: it's ethical to be honest. Honesty involves not only saying what you believe to be true, but exercising some effort to do your best to learn what is true and what is not. Since ToE is true, it is ethical to accept it, and unethical to deny it.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

One interesting question is, if a person already has a bent for killing, will a belief in god stop him/her, or can that person rationalize their way around it? Of course, there's also the killing done in the name of god for some religions.

Ah, but these are the people that god wants you to kill, and apparently these days he's too impotent to do his own killing so he needs all the help he can get.You don't need a conscience when it comes to the enemies of god and some of the more foul and irredeemable sinnerly types.

 

[Father Heathen]

Does the theory of evolution lead to immorality or other ills? Why or why not?

Not any more than the theory of gravity.

 

[Autodidact]

Not any more than the theory of gravity.

Well, I guess if you drop a rock on someone...

 

[Father Heathen]

Well, I guess if you drop a rock on someone...

Intelligent Falling is reality, the godless gravitists and newtonists will burn in hell. Amen.

 

[Yerda]

I have to say that I'm constantly thankful people who think like that have faith, because I'd hate to think what sort of havoc they'd wreak on the world if they didn't believe they were constantly being watched.

Excellent.

 

[Father Heathen]

[SIZE=-1]"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed" - Albert Einstein

An invisible sky daddy is not a requisite for ethics, morality and a love for humankind.
[/SIZE]

 

[logician]

Excellent.

So-called faith will not stop people like this.

 

[Melancholy]

ToE--->door to hell--->God is dead--->murder your neighbor and take his ox.

I am a TE and I certainly don't believe God is dead.
Evolution and the science of the age of the earth helps us to understand the gaps in the bible and it's authors lack of understanding at the time.
I have morals, I even adhere to the ten commandments and I live by the message of Christ via The Sermon On The mount.
Morality also comes from within and is taught from generation to generation. You don't have to be religious or have a faith in God to know what is or is not morally acceptable.
Your peers, family and society help towards that proccess.

I certainly don't want to go out and kill someone, but sometimes my evolutionary proccess makes me want to survive by murdering a pizza now and again.
Food=survival.
:drool:

 

[Troublemane]

Evolutionary theory is the best method we have for analyzing our past, seeing where we come from and figuring out how we fit into this wonderful world we have found ourselves in. True its just another re-telling of our own myth like genesis was, but with each new retelling and continued investigating the story gets more and more interesting.

The Universe is the greatest of Gods works, its a work in progress and we are a part of it, even this forum is part of it.

 

[matthew.william]

Does the theory of evolution lead to immorality or other ills? Why or why not?

It can, such as the eugenics program of the Nazis, rationalization of slavery, racial experiments, forced sterilization, etc.

~matthew.william~

 

[Father Heathen]

It can, such as the eugenics program of the Nazis, rationalization of slavery, racial experiments, forced sterilization, etc.

~matthew.william~

What a wacky non-sequitur. None of those have anything to do with evolution. As for slavery, the Bible has played the biggest part in rationalizing and justifying it.

 

[Izdaari]

Does the theory of evolution lead to immorality or other ills? Why or why not?

I don't see why it would. Evolution isn't a religion or a system of morality. It's very possible to believe in both Christianity and evolution, or any other religion and evolution, just as you could believe in evolution and a secular moral system.

 

[Storm]

What a wacky non-sequitur. None of those have anything to do with evolution. As for slavery, the Bible has played the biggest part in rationalizing and justifying it.

It's not a wacky non-sequitur, evolution was part of the justification for all of those. And yes, the Bible was a justification for slavery, too, but that doesn't negate the fact that evolution was as well.