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FooManChoo
| Favorite team: | Georgia |
| Location: | |
| Biography: | |
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| Number of Posts: | 47501 |
| Registered on: | 12/1/2012 |
| Online Status: | Online |
Recent Posts
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re: We all knew Stretching-Gretchen was a freak. Maybe NSWF
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 9:30 pm to loogaroo
Interesting how the Democrats ally themselves with all that is good and holy according to His word.
re: James Talafrico reciting one of his favorite poems at his church.
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 2:52 pm to BoomerandSooner
He is absolutely blasphemous. I sure hope he turns from that wickedness before he meets his end, because otherwise, he will not receive mercy for what he's done.
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 2:47 pm to ReauxlTide222
quote:No, it can't. You can't go from an "is" to an "ought" without justification.
All of it can be explained without a hint of religion entering the conversation.
What you are saying is that because most societies share similar moral codes, that it must have evolved that way, and therefore that's what morality ought to be.
That's irrational.
You need to explain why majority opinion creates a moral obligation to go along with the majority, rather than the minority. For most of history, chattel slavery was (and still is, in some societies) considered morally permissible if not morally noble. To say that we've evolved past that is to say that there is some objective standard out there that states that chattel slavery is morally wrong, since you have to have a standard in order to compare an action against to say it's "good" or "bad".
When you say "why are y’all like this?", it tells me that you actually haven't thought much about this.
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 2:37 pm to SlowFlowPro
quote:I didn't quote the Bible. I just provided an explanation to you how all groups of human beings can have a shared moral outlook, and then told you that the Bible supports that explanation. In addition, you explained why you didn't want me to quote the Bible (because you presuppose that other populations aren't aware of or don't believe the Bible and base morality on it). My response doesn't presuppose anything about what people believe about the Bible. It only presupposes that the explanation given by the Bible is sufficient to answer your question, regardless of whether or not human populations are aware of it or believe it.quote:
And don't quote the Biblequote::lol:
The Bible explains why
You are the one questioning my assertion that moral subjectivity is necessarily irrational. Why don't you provide a positive reason why it isn't?
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 2:27 pm to Boom33
quote:You didn't provide reasons for it. You just said you didn't like it. You didn't ground your dislike in anything other than, what I can only assume is, your opinion.
You literally do it right here.
I have told you over and over EXACTLY why I find your version to be evil.
Simply saying God is evil for doing something doesn't mean He is. I can call you evil for having the user name Boom33, but unless I ground that in something concrete, it's just me giving my opinion. That's what you're doing: giving your opinion. That's all.
quote:I didn't say anything about you not having morals. I said you had no foundation for your morals. That's a big difference.
You just started to trying to pretend like I had no morals or any foundation to make such judgements on.
I've noticed that you are becoming increasingly sloppy in your attempts to state my positions.
quote:I don't think your disagreement is in the number of people going to heaven. It's in the basis for anyone going to heaven.
You then constantly assume that my disagreement is in that everyone is going to heaven and what not and I just don't like it.
quote:That's your belief, or your "dogma", if you will. You believe that to be true based on what else you believe to be true. Perhaps you should explain why you believe that.
So let me say it plainly - Most people ARE NOT going to heaven. You are NOT going to heaven.
quote:You seem to be admitting here that something called "hell" exists in some form or fashion, and that I'm either not going there or not going there for forever, which means I could go there. If I could go there, then how might one avoid that? And if it does exist, and it is unpleasant, and it is something to be avoided, then how is you telling me how to avoid it not also a concept of pure ignorance and fear mongering?
That doesn't mean you are going to hell either (at least not for eternity), a concept which is pure ignorance and for the sole purpose of fear mongering.
Christians telling others about hell is not "fear mongering". A "fearmonger" is someone who needlessly spreads fear and alarm. "Needlessly" is the key word there, since a person shouting that a house is on fire and all occupants should leave immediately or risk death isn't a fearmonger, but is sharing caution out of concern. That's what Christians do. We are telling you that you're in a burning building and you need to get out, and you are saying we're fearmongers.
quote:Why are you upset at God not automatically granting forgiveness to people all over the world who have not heard the gospel message and believed it, then? You also believe that people are barred from some sort of good (?) eternal state for something that they aren't aware they are supposed to do or learn. You said before that this life is about learning, but how does anyone know that, or what the right things are to learn? Is it not unfair for people to be denied heaven because they haven't had the same revelation from "god" that you have?
But let me repeat, you do NOT get automatic forgiveness, you are NOT going to heaven.
quote:I do not. I worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
You worship the God of this world, Satan.
Your father is Satan because you reject Christ the Son of God.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 1:01 pm to Boom33
quote:Yes, cherry picking. You didn't show where the text associates those events with a purposeful sun god narrative. You are looking at two events out of many to prove a direct connection without anything linking them. You'd have to first show where the crown of thorns and walking on water actually were originated elsewhere, and then you would have to make the direct connection to the disciples of Jesus making that same claim (that He is a son god). Otherwise you are just looking for similarities and making a claim of association without evidence.
So your response to me showing you where things were based on other religions is to claim those things are cherry picking?
I guess that's another word you don't understand the meaning of.
quote:God has no debt. Humans have debt. It's important to be clear here, because you keep misrepresenting the actual Christian position.
God is in fact paying his own debt by your own claims as I originally said.
Jesus, the Son, paid the sin-debt owed by humans, to the Father, who is owed that sin-debt.
So no, God did not pay His own debt.
The Son paid the debt that was owed to the Father by sinful humans. That's different than what you've been saying.
quote:God is not paying His own debt. See above. It's important that you understand this, since I've explained it multiple times to you now.
Aside from the fact you are back to claiming God is paying his own debt, you're also ignoring that God isn't physical and you are worshiping the physical entity. Not to mention all the statues and everything else.
God in His essence is a spirit, but the Son has taken on a human nature, including a physical body. That physical body does not take away from His spiritual essence. Also, His physical glorified body is not a "spiritual body", which is unclear what exactly that means, but His human body acts somewhat differently than our entirely physical bodies. Jesus' human nature does not take away from His divine nature. Therefore, to worship Jesus is not idolatry, because He is still divine and one person of the one godhead.
Also, you keep talking about the statues, cross necklaces, and all that, but I actually think those things are violations of the 2nd commandment, and I do not have any pictures of "Jesus" (we don't know what He looks like exactly), and so on.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 12:44 pm to Boom33
quote:I don't pretend like they all agree with everything, but total agreement isn't necessary.
This is a lie. There are many different versions that different Christians believe. If you weren't attacking me, you'd be attacking them.
Why do you need to pretend like they all agree?
Why do you say I'm attacking you? You said things I thought were wrong, and I went about correcting you. That isn't an attack. I've been providing reasoned responses to your claims.
quote:Paul confirmed what Jesus taught, and Peter agreed that Paul's writings were "scripture". What is Scripture is God-breathed, and that includes Jesus' words that have been recorded. So in that sense, Jesus' words and Paul's words are of equal authority, because they are both "scripture".
You are a follower of Paul, not Jesus
Paul said to imitate him just as he imitates Christ. Jesus is the standard, but Paul was an apostle of Jesus. Your rejection of Jesus' apostles is a rejection of Jesus, Himself.
quote:Wrong. Jesus' primary message was about Him being the Messiah, coming to set free those who are enslaved by sin. What you described is what many call a "social gospel", which is focused on the here and now. Jesus' primary focus was on repentance of sin and faith in Him for forgiveness for sins. Jesus taught consistently with the Old Testament law, particularlly summarizing the 10 commands with loving God and loving neighbor. Paul taught the same thing.
General Message:
Jesus: The Kingdom of God. Jesus focused on a radical restructuring of society here on earth, uplifting the poor and flipping social hierarchies.
Paul: The Theology of Christ. Paul focused almost exclusively on Jesus' death, resurrection, and how an individual gets to heaven through faith.
quote:Jesus said that people should pay their taxes, giving to Caesar what belongs to him. He was executed by Rome for a false charge of political rebellion, and Jesus, Himself, said that His kingdom is not of this world.
View of the State:
Jesus: Subversive & Resistant. Jesus mocked King Herod (calling him "that fox") and was ultimately executed by Rome as a political rebel for claiming to be a King
Paul: Submissive & Obedient. Paul commanded believers to submit to the government, stating that "the authorities that exist have been established by God" (Romans 13:1).
quote:Jesus didn't flip the rules. He upheld the law perfectly. What He rejected was the sinful application of the law. He healed on the Sabbath but referenced the Old Testament law regarding rescuing an animal on the Sabbath, among other things.
Religious Law & Practice:
Jesus: Flipping the Rules. Jesus constantly broke Sabbath rules, touched the unclean, and fiercely condemned the Pharisees for being rigid, hypocritical rule-makers.
Paul: Pharisaic Structure. Paul brought back intense rules regarding church hierarchy, modesty, head coverings, and how women should behave in assembly.
quote:No he doesn't. And yes, he did meet the living, resurrected Jesus (Acts 9, 1 Cor 15).
Paul, who never met the living Jesus, completely shifts the focus
quote:"Almost never".. that's quite the qualifier. He most certainly does quote, summarize, or reference Jesus' earthly teachings and commands, such as Jesus' teaching on divorce, paying gospel ministers, and the institution of the Lord's Supper.
Paul almost never quotes Jesus’ earthly teachings, parables, or ethical commands.
Even so, Paul's purpose was instruction to the churches, not a biography of Jesus. His teachings are consistent with Jesus'.
quote:Are you friends with Squirrelmeister? I didn't think I'd ever meet someone who took a mythicist position, much less two on the same forum.
Instead, Paul focuses entirely on Jesus as a cosmic, divine sacrifice.
If you are taking that position, that's simply false. I've spent a lot of time and energy refuting that with Squirrelmeister, so I'd rather not start over with you, but Paul refers to Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father. Jesus is very human in Paul's teaching, as well as very God.
quote:You clearly misunderstand what Paul was saying. He was saying that God is sovereign over all authorities, no matter if they are earthly or spiritual.
Further proof you worship Satan:
Jesus says:
John 12:31: "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince (ruler) of this world will be driven out."
John 14:30: "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me."
John 16:11: "...the ruler of this world stands condemned."
Paul says Satan is the god of this age and teaches submission to the state - which he claims God has placed.
Romans 13:1: "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."
To summarize: you are wrongfully pitting Jesus and Paul based on cherry-picked verses that don't actually say in context what you want them to say, and you are ignoring other verses that actually show alignment between Jesus and Paul.
You aren't a Christian, don't have an understanding of Christian teaching, and are claiming things about the Christian religion that are simply false.
And no, I don't worship Satan, but you clearly have been deceived by him.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 11:51 am to Boom33
quote:A claim without support is an assertion, and if you agree with the claim, it's a personally-held belief.
I haven't posted beliefs.
quote:I've provided logical reasoning for what I believe regarding the nature of morality. You haven't even done that, and you haven't even argued against my premises or conclusions. You've just stated disagreement.
You have done none of this. All you do is claim everything is moral because God said so and other forms of dogma.
You either cannot justify your position or you are being lazy.
quote:Smelling is a sense. "Feeling" isn't (unless you're talking about touch, but based on the context, it doesn't seem like you are).
You think having senses is the same as emotions? What a stupid thing to say.
quote:I tried to make it easy for you by linking to a few different places where the explanation is given. There is no inherent logical contradiction at all. I just think you are struggling with the concept of logic at this point. You certainly aren't trying to use it to support your positions.
They are logically contradictory. And I'm unsure why you keep claiming you are demonstrating things when you've done nothing of the sort. You keep repeating the same few lies over and over.
quote:First, I am providing arguments. I'm providing premises and conclusions. You are not contradicting my premises or conclusions with any premised-based conclusions of your own, but are merely asserting that I'm wrong.
You do not provide arguments; you make claims that by default anything you say is true because you claim it is of God. You claim that is reason.
I refuse to do the same and I refuse to accept your dogma and for that reason you keep claiming
Second, yes you are refusing to do the same thing as me: you are refusing to present argumentation for what you are claiming. You are just making claims.
Lastly, you have your own dogma that you are providing, and you need to get a dictionary.
quote:False. I worship the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I reject Satan as a deceiver and the father of all liars, like you. You may be lying because you are deceived by your father, Satan, but you still need to repent and put your faith in the one who is The Truth: Jesus Christ.
You're a liar and you worship Satan.
quote:"a coherent series of reasons, statements, or facts intended to support or establish a point of view" LINK
And now the 100th claim that you've done something you have not. I'm not sure you remotely understand what rational arguemnt is.
quote:That was an example of how a term may be redefined entirely and then claimed it's a context change instead of a redefinition. I'm claiming you are redefining terms.
I'm not even sure what the frick you are talking about here. At what point did I ever call self defense murder?
quote:My argumentation is throughout my posts. Your childish language about the Bible doesn't change that.
And then you follow it up with more marketing material. Is this what you are claiming is your rational arguments?
quote:You are condemning the conclusion (saying it's untrue) without attacking the premises. You aren't actually engaging with what I've been saying, but only negating it with the equivalent of "nuh uh". You need to do better.
It's not a reasonable explanation because none of it is true. It's an excuse because you are just telling me why you don't care that it's not true.
quote:You haven't shown that you've received your positions from reason. You haven't even proven that reason exists in your worldview. You are just assuming it. I've at least grounded the existence of reason in biblical Christianity (the biblical God upholds reason through His consistent and reliable mind and will, and reason reflects that).
It's impossible to reason with someone who didn't get their positions from reason. It's not my fault and there is nothing I can do about it. Jesus couldn't fix that in people either, nobody can.
This is just another example of "nuh uh". Show your work. Don't be lazy.
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 11:37 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:The Bible explains why: as image-bearers of God, He has give mankind a conscience that testifies to the moral law of God. We inherently know good and evil because we were created to know it. We often times pervert it and suppress it in our sinful rebellion, but it's still there.
Then why have the basic tenets of morality been seen near universally with populations that have never interacted with each other, with the vast majority never interacting with this "objective truth" to consume the content of that truth?
And don't quote the Bible, because this question presupposes those populations have never consumed that particular content.
In summary: humans generally share the same moral outlook because we share the same moral creator.
re: We should listen when mooslums tell us who they are and their goal!
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 11:33 am to Boom33
quote:You said this about me (I assume): "I had a Christian last week tell me he wanted to replace the 1st amendment of the constitution with a declaration that Christ is King."
Feel free to clarify, I do not bear false witness on purpose.
Here is what I actually said in that thread:
I'm also in favor of changing the Constitution, but that's a different matter. My suggestion would be something akin to the recommendation of the National Reform Association from the 1860's, which would have altered the preamble to the Constitution, rather than the 1st amendment, directly.
We the People of the United States, [recognizing the being and attributes of Almighty God, the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures, the law of God as the paramount rule, and Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior and Lord of all], in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
LINK
I specifically said I would be in favor of altering the preamble of the Constitution, not replacing the 1st amendment entirely with a single statement about Christ being King.
I also said that I would alter what the 1st amendment looks like, but didn't say I wanted it replaced with "Christ is King" ( LINK)
Here, I said I didn't want to get rid of the 1st amendment (which is essentially what you were implying), but change it, and not simply to "Christ is King", as you are alleging ( LINK)
Here, I responded to your claim that I wanted to have the 1st amendment say the opposite of what it does today by saying I didn't, but wanted to modify it to recognize Christianity while not establishing a state church or remove private religious freedom. ( LINK). I even went on to say in this post, that "I don't advocate for forcing anyone to be Christian. All I'm saying is that the government should formally recognize Jesus Christ, even if each individual doesn't, and that religions and ideologies that are inherently hostile to the general equity of a nation that doesn't practice that religion should be limited if not banned entirely."
More clarification can also be found here.
There's more I can link to, but suffice it to say, you are misrepresenting me. Maybe not purposefully, but you are.
re: I've flipped. I'm Pro-Abortion af nowadays
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/31/26 at 11:04 am to Squirrelmeister
quote:You know, you can't just ignore evidence that doesn't support your narrative and then claim that "the evidence" supports your narrative. That's deception, like I said. You are a deceiver.
Not according to the evidence and not according to the consensus of experts.
quote::lol: no... you, again, take the minority position because it best suits your anti-Christian beliefs.
The author of “Luke” adapted the gospel of the Lord which had been published by Markion of Sinope and edited and appended to it into the version we have today.
Early patristic writers, Irenaeus and especially Tertullian, say that Marcion butchered the existing text, as he did in other places, including leaving out the entire Old Testament because Marcion didn't like the OT God compared to the NT God. It's more consistent to see Marcion pruning the text than someone else adding to it.
The supposed "additions" follow the same style as the rest of the book (and Acts), which also lends itself to a rejection of them being additions compared to Marcion subtractions.
Luke and Acts form a literary unit, and most scholars already date Acts prior to Marcion due to things like the absence of Paul's death or the fall of Jerusalem.
So again, there is plenty of evidence that Luke predates Marcion, but you would rather go with the theory that discredits the Bible. Shocker.
quote:When you interview eye-witnesses and then write down their collective testimony, that isn't the telephone game.
We call that hearsay. The telephone game. The author of canonical Luke wrote that he had compiled what “really” happened because none of the other gospels before his got it “right”. Canonical Luke is a compilation of a collection of stories - bottom line.
Luke's gospel also doesn't read like a correction, but a confirmation. He states that eyewitnesses were already teaching these things, and that Luke wanted to write an "orderly account" of them. That tells us that the narratives were already there, but in order to due them justice as a historical account, Luke wrote them down to support the claims of the eyewitnesses, since Luke wrote as a historian. It doesn't give any hint that he was correcting false narratives at all.
quote:Now you're pivoting.
I got a book that records that a very small chicken witnessed the sky was falling. It doesn’t make it historical or true, even though such a book does align with biblical cosmology of a hard dome of sapphire comprising the top of the sky.
Christians don't claim every book that makes a truth claim must be accepted as true. Christians had good reason to accept Paul's claims.
quote:Paul wrote before the 4 gospels were written, yes, but as Luke said, many others had undertaken to write down what had happened before, so there were likely accounts circulating even before the gospels writings were. Until that point, the stories were mostly oral in nature, which is why they were eventually written down. It's also why both Paul and Luke (and John) appeal to eyewitnesses of public ministries to support their writings.
Not Paul then. Paul wrote before the gospels. The gospel of Luke and Acts is fan fiction based on Paul.
quote:Whatever the consensus of critical scholarship thinks of 2 Peter, you consistently find ways to reject biblical writings. Either they are fraudulent (as you claim for 2 Peter, in spite of critical review of it by the early church before accepting it), or they are edited copies from other writings, or they are just made up "fan fiction".
It’s the consensus of secular biblical and historical and textual scholars. I didn’t figure it out.
quote:What you just said is absolutely irrelevant to whether or not Peter claims to be an eyewitness of the actual events, such as 1 Peter 5:11, and 2 Peter 1:16–18. He's speaking of witnessing (past tense) the things he's speaking of.
In the same sense the modern Arian cult Jehovah’s Witnesses are witnesses. A witness in the biblical sense comes from the Greek “martyrs” but of course you know that - you’re just being dishonest. It simply means one who gives testimony. In English, and it’s the same sense of 1 Peter and of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the word “witness” is one who testifies to a belief while a “martyr” is simply a witness who died defending their belief.
quote:1 Peter 5:1. He witnessed the sufferings of Christ. 1 Peter 2 describes events tied to the earthly trial and crucifixion narrative accounted in the gospel writings. 1 Peter 3 mentioned Jesus' resurrection and ascent into heaven (not the 7th heaven, mind you).
1 Peter makes no mention of a Jesus on planet earth or of his “public ministry”.
For you to think 1 Peter makes no mention of Jesus on planet earth is to assume that ridiculous view that you think the AoI teaches.
quote:I admit that the specific line you referenced may have been edited later, but the mentions of Jesus by Josephus are not really disputed. You are taking a potential later emendation and applying it to his entire writing about Jesus, which is two separate passages. His mention about Jesus being the brother of James is not disputed much at all. You are the one who isn't being honest when you reject the entirety of Josephus.
Be honest for once. Josephus ain’t writing that Jesus was more than a man and was the christ and rose from the dead, idiot. Just come out and embrace it. Christians edited Josephus’ work and forged it. It’s what Christians did - make shite up.
quote:Thank you for your opinion on the matter :lol:
There isn’t a consensus. I don’t get the ones who claim there’s a kernel, like Bart Ehrman. He’s like “none of this shite ever happened and none of it is remotely reliable, but there still must’ve been a dude named Jesus that it’s based on.” It’s an assertion, a belief, and nothing more. Maybe he’s right, but there’s no way to know if he was right, and there is plenty of doubt, and there is plenty of evidence Christians were worshipping Jesus when he was just a heavenly figure before the gospel stories were invented.
quote:Show it, then.
You’re mistaken if you aren’t being deceptive.
quote:You're wrong about this. The reason scholars like Tacitus as an independent source is precisely because he is speaking factual about the account of the crucifixion. He expresses personal disdain for Christian superstition, but then goes on to provide a factual account of what seems to be based on Roman records.
He also had access to Christian tradition. By the time Tacitus wrote in about 120CE, early versions of the gospels probably existed or at least the oral tradition of a historical Jesus had developed and was widely known. Tacitus isn’t a contemporary independent source for the historical Jesus.
No, he wasn't a contemporary of Jesus, but he was writing within living memory of it, based on official records, not some rumors or beliefs. His document wasn't intending to give accounts of minority religious beliefs, which is why most scholars agree that he is an authentic, independent, and historically reliable source.
re: We should listen when mooslums tell us who they are and their goal!
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/30/26 at 3:29 pm to Boom33
quote:You are misrepresenting the actual statement. Why are you doing that?
I had a Christian last week tell me he wanted to replace the 1st amendment of the constitution with a declaration that Christ is King.
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/30/26 at 12:16 am to lepdagod
quote:Arbitrariness is irrational. However, if one's morality is based on an objective truth, then it is not arbitrary. The problem with moral subjectivity is that it is necessarily irrational, because there is no necessary reason to be moral at all, much less to adhere to any particular brand of morality. All the "reasons" all boil down to person preference, which is necessarily arbitrary. Having a moral standard that is grounded in objective truth is not arbitrary, however.
True… one’s morality is arbitrary by definition… doesn’t mean it irrational…
quote:Right and wrong are synonyms for moral and immoral in the context of morality, though. Right and wrong are judgements according to some standard. In the context of morality, they are moral judgements which correspond to moral and immoral.
I disagree with this premise… consequences in a society doesn’t come from an action being deemed moral or immoral rather right or wrong… no one considers not being taxes “immoral “ per se … yet we all pay our taxes because of the consequences of no paying them
Even paying taxes has a moral component to it. First, there is the moral question of due submission to lawful commands by authorities. Then, is the moral question of taxation at all, and whether one should pay taxes for the good of society. Whether or not there is a penalty associated with not paying taxes, there is still a moral question about whether one has a moral obligation to do so.
quote:I mentioned this in response to you saying a child acts according to consequences, not some notion of God's command. The point I was making was that what is moral or immoral is not based on whether or not an action has negative consequences, as you can certainly have negative consequences for doing "good" things ("nice guys finish last" and "no good deed goes unpunished" are phrases that exists for a reason), just as many people prosper due to selfishness and lack of ethical/moral behavior (like politicians that get wealthy off the backs of their constituents without repercussions).
No… a murderer getting away with murder doesn’t mean that said murderer believes murder is moral…
But to your statement, it doesn't matter whether or not a murderer believes murder is moral or not for it to be moral if consequences are all that matters. But even if consequences are irrelevant to the morality of an action, moral subjectivity requires that if a person thinks an action is morally good, that said action must be actually morally good.
There's also the notion that what one decides to do is what is the most moral choice, and if that's true, then if a murderer desires to murder and believes that is the best choice for them, then that action must be moral by default. After all, the murderer believed, even if for a moment, that it was the "right" (moral) thing to do over and against the alternative (not murdering).
quote:You'll need to clarify for me, then, because you initially said, "society determines if the action is right or wrong", to which I responded that Nazi Germany must have been "right", since they decided that genocide was right as a society. Therefore, I don't understand what you mean if not that society can determine moral right and wrong.
I’m saying the exact opposite actually… I don’t believe the Nazis or slave owners you mention believed they were standing on the moral high ground… and if they did that proves my point even more of morals being arbitrary…
Regardless, what you've described so far is not that "morals [are] arbitrary", but that subjective morals are arbitrary. I think you're trying to lump all morality in with subjective morality. You can disagree that there is a God, and therefore there is no objective moral law-giver, but you have to recognize that if God exists, then He would necessarily be an objective moral law-giver. My contention is that Christianity should be preferred to atheism because of that fact alone, as Christianity provides a rational basis for what people already assume to be true (at least in practice), namely that there is an objective moral standard of right and wrong that all people should be accountable to.
quote:No, morals are not arbitrary at their core. Subjective morals are arbitrary at their core, for the reasons I mentioned.
Of course morals are arbitrary at their core … what’s exactly the objective standard ???… right and wrong are innate qualities… morality is not
I defined the objective standard earlier: God's moral law that all people are required to obey. Specifically, the 10 commandments as a summary of that law.
Right and wrong are not innate qualities, but are judgements. "Right" compared to what standard? "Wrong" compared to what standard? What is "right" depends on the standard you use to measure it, and has no meaning apart from a standard.
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/29/26 at 10:59 am to lepdagod
quote:Actually it's saying a lot. It's claiming that morality is either grounded in objective realities or it is not. If it is not, then it is arbitrary, and therefore, irrational at its core. That's saying a lot.
This saying a whole lot of nothing…
quote:I'm stating that the "innate" quality has to have some sort of grounding in an objective reality, or else it is arbitrary. If [negative] consequences are what one cares about, then morality is whatever is right in your own mind that you can act upon without receiving negative consequences. If you can get away with murder, then murder is moral. If you can get away with rape, then rape is moral.
morality is somewhat innate in human beings with or without religion… children sneak in do stuff not because they fear God but because they fear consequences…
My contention is that morality is innate because, as humans, we've been made in the image of God with morality written on our hearts. We may twist that innate knowledge or suppress it, but it's there. And, since God is our creator and our moral judge, we are all accountable to obedience to His moral standard whether we think we can get away with it or not in this life.
Morality has to be grounded in something other than consequences, because even in society, the consequences flow from an existing belief of an action being moral or immoral. We choose to punish certain behaviors because we already believe they are bad. You can't say they are bad because of the consequences.
quote:That's not helping the problem of moral subjectivity. Either "society" is one or a few tyrants imposing their subjective morality on others, or "society" is governed by a representative shared but still subjective morality. A majority of people preferring vanilla ice cream to strawberry ice cream doesn't mean vanilla is objectively better, after all.
ones moral standards doesn’t determine rather an action is good or evil… society determines if the action is right or wrong
All you're saying is that whatever the majority says, goes, in terms of morality. Therefore, in the German society during WWII, it was "moral" to round up, torture, and execute millions of Jews, because that society had determined so.
It's also true that slavery was "moral" in our western context 150+ years ago because our society accepted it, or that slavery is still "moral" in other nations today because those societies tolerate or even promote it.
This is what I was getting at before: if morality is not grounded in an objective standard, then it's arbitrary at its core, and therefore, irrational.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/29/26 at 10:45 am to Boom33
quote:Give me an example of one explanation you've provided. You have only asserted things and provided no reasoning for your assertions. So no, you have not shown that anything I said is false. As I said previously, you've basically said "nuh uh", without providing any reasoning for why that is. You have just emoted, saying you don't like what has been said. You don't like the God of the Bible. You reject His justice. You reject His mercy. You reject eternal life through Jesus Christ. However, you have not said why He's actually unjust or unmerciful, but have rather resorted to straw man arguments, misrepresenting what the Bible teaches in order to paint God in a bad light. You aren't engaging with what the Bible teaches, even while you reject what you claim the Bible teaches.
I have over and over in this thread. Your refusal to accept it is your problem.
quote:I don't believe you and you have given me no reason to do so.
I don't need you to believe me, what I believe or understand. I'm not trying to pretend I can "save" you.
I'm not trying to start a religion. I'm not looking for followers. This idea that I somehow owe you something or am required to do something for you simple does not exist. I have no religion for you to subscribe to.
I'm not trying to start a religion or looking for followers, either. However I do want you to be saved.
If you thought I were wrong, wouldn't you want me to know what is right? If there is no salvation in whatever it is you believe, then there's no point in me, or even you, believing it. If we can just wander our entire lives and learn whatever we want until we die, then what's the point of your beliefs?
There are eternal consequences to sin, though, which is why it's important for you to turn from your sins right now and believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life. There is no second chance once you die.
quote:All you did was make claims of your own in response. You're acting as if you made some good, probing questions to lead me to a rational position away from what I believe, but you did no such thing. You didn't question God, you rejected Him. You said He was evil. Don't downplay what you've been doing.
You are the one trying to convert me into yours. You made claims, I questioned them.
quote:Unable to defend your critiques? :lol: You haven't even supported your critiques. You don't understand the definitions of the words you are using and have not engaged in good faith with the biblical teachings as I've presented them. You've gone after straw men with mere assertions and no logical support. You haven't explained why what I believe is wrong, but have only asserted that I'm wrong. You haven't engaged with my argumentation as it is, but have had to twist it into something else. You are a bad-faith actor in this, and I hope I've exposed that to others.
But you are completely unable to defend my critiques and now you've just started to look for anything you can find or assume about me so you can attack that in response.
It's also interesting that you seem to be an alter, and others are now seeing you for what you are, as well.
quote:That's on you, then. I think I've exposed you as a fraud who tried really hard to keep your beliefs out of the public, but you slipped up and let them come out, confirming you are an alter. You have no support for your own beliefs (or haven't provided them), and have not even supported your criticisms of Christianity. You merely assert your emotions and do not provide logical argumentation for why you are to be believed and why what I believe should be rejected. It just boils down to your own discomfort, which doesn't matter to me or others.
As such, I don't see much use in continuing.
Next time you want to pick a fight, try to support your position.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/29/26 at 10:32 am to Boom33
quote:Jesus did many miracles and you are only looking at one, or maybe two. Are you just going to pick and choose which ones you think best fit your beliefs?
They are references to the sun. Sun worship was extremely popular in ancient times.
In ancient times, sun gods were often depicted wearing crowns of the sun, aka the crown of thrones.
The rising after 3 days is also in reference to the sun and it's solar cycle. Or I guess it's just a coincidence that Christmas and "He is Risen" is just coincidentally shared on the winter solstice.
These are obvious references to the sun.
Walking on water is an ancient reference to mirroring the divine. A perfect unbroken reflection that is only possible when the surface is completely calm. It's not about physically walking on water as a "miracle".
Also, the texts, themselves, give no indication that these events are related to the sun or sun worship. In fact, they occur in the context of a broader narrative that condemns worshipping the sun or any other idols. The focus is on Jesus Christ, the God-man, who was able to perform miracles by His own power.
Also, the crown of thorns is a laughable example. The thorns were given to mock and ridicule Jesus, not to be an example of how He is truly king as the sun god. He was also given a purple robe and a reed to show He is "king". How do those fit into your narrative :lol:
What you're doing is typically called "cherry-picking", and if the Christian writers who composed the Bible really had intended on showing Jesus as a "sun god", then they did a terrible job, considering no one believed that.
quote:Nope, that's not what Christianity teaches.
Except for when it comes to paying the debt. Don't forget the need to be 2 then.
One God (in essence or being), subsisting in three persons.
For someone so hostile to Christianity, you should at least spend some time understanding the most basic elements of the religion.
quote:Not according to God. He cannot be an idol. He is God.
And it's still an idol.
quote:Idols are bad because there is only one God and He deserves all worship. If we worship an idol, we are glorifying something made of our hands and/or imagination and not the one, true, and living God.
This is why idols are bad.
Whatever this view of a god you have is an idol because He has not revealed Himself as such.
quote:I suppose there is only so many ways I can say the same thing before it becomes a pointless endeavor. If you are deaf, there's no point is talking to you. I have explained myself many times and in many ways, and you either ignore it or (seemingly) purposefully twist my words.
And from here on out you just keep repeating the same thing over and over and making claims that is starting to border on gish gallop.
You should start engaging with the actual arguments if you want me to stop repeating myself. You're basically saying "nuh uh".
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/29/26 at 10:20 am to Boom33
quote:You did not apply it accurately, and I have been explaining to you exactly how. You need to pay attention.
I did apply it accurately.
quote:This part is true. How you described it before is not true.
You claim the people are burning in hell glorifies his mercy/love for those that aren't.
Yes, God is just, so punishment is Hell is what we all deserve. He pardons billions of people so that they do not receive the punishment that they deserve, and in pardoning them, He should be glorified for His mercy and love.
What you keep getting hung up on is this notion of moral neutrality or innocence, and that you think God owes everyone eternal life. Him punishing anyone for eternity, then, is cruel. I say that your understanding is not accurate, so therefore your conclusions are not accurate, either. You don't understand God's holiness nor the seriousness of sin.
quote:It doesn't have two different orders of creation, and that's what I've tried to explain to you. Genesis 1 is focused on the big picture narrative, and Genesis 2 and 3 are focused on the events in the garden of Eden.
Literally nothing changed in what I said.
It has 2 different orders and neither of them is correct.
Here is another article that explains the situation. As long as a reasonable explanation exists, you cannot call it a logical contradiction.
And in regard to the event as a whole being incorrect, that would be a difference in belief about the age of the universe, earth, and how the earth was created. You are merely asserting the Bible is wrong there. You're free to believe what you want in that matter, but disagreeing doesn't mean the Bible is incorrrect.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/29/26 at 10:05 am to Boom33
quote:The one and only version taught in the Bible, summarized by the ancient creeds and the solas of the Reformation, but regardless of "version", the truth claims of the Bible can suffice. You disagree with a lot of them, apparently.
Which version of Christianity?
quote:You're sympathetic to people who follow a myth (from your perspective)?
I am sympathetic to Christians who actually follow Jesus.
You reminded me of the shitty people I grew up around.
You don't even know what Jesus taught and you claim to be cool with those who follow Him, even though I do follow Jesus and you reject me.
Perhaps you are the one who believes a myth about Jesus and you don't like anyone who disagrees with your false view of Him.
quote:OK, so you like the idea of some made-up person that aligns with your arbitrary ideals?
The same way I like Neo in the Matrix
quote:Says who? God declared this in the 10 commandments and defined what was meant by it, but why should I care about your own arbitrary commands?
and the same reason you shouldn't worship idols.
quote:I'm also trying to "set [you] free" from your sin by explaining that Jesus has purchased your freedom as long as you receive it. In the Matrix, you had to swallow a pill to be set free, but all Jesus demands of you is to believe Him. Would it be helpful if I sent you a sugar pill to take?
If someone wants to talk about philosophy or things using the Matrix as a storyline, I will enjoy that. How he learns the truth about reality, and then tries to set people free with the truth and how a system that relies on the lie and blinds people from the truth views him as a threat, wants to kill him and so forth.
quote:The analogy doesn't go so far. Neo didn't claim to be God, accepting worship. He seemed to deny such a thing, actually. Jesus accepted worship and made claims that only God could make. Neo is dead, but Jesus is alive right now and is anticipating your worship.
But then here you come along trying to claim Neo is real, and that we must all donate to the telephone company so they can keep payphones everywhere in case he needs to come back again. And how the important thing is we need to worship him and the time he died in the Matrix while trying to free others.
To which you start putting a gun on a necklace around your neck to celebrate the death, claiming he sacrificed himself for you. And that's the important thing, not the fact you are trapped in the Matrix in a system of lies being manipulated and controlled as a resource. And now we must wait for his return to save us, as if the information itself wasn't that which was supposed to save you. As if that isn't exactly what the Matrix/machine/system would want.
quote:You reject the biblical teachings of sin and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone, for one.
Name the way I am morally hostile to Christianity
quote:I understand how reason works and how truth claims work. You are just making an assertion that I'm wrong and then not backing it up. You are the one who doesn't get how this works.
As I said earlier, you do not understand how things work
quote:You need to describe what you mean by the son being the limitation. From my understanding, the Son is certainly a limitation, since no one else has enough money to pay off the debt. I used $20 to make it simple, but it's more actually an infinite debt that no one has the credit to pay except Jesus.
The son is the limitation, but I'm sure you don't understand that.
And you claim it was created by God so it's still God paying himself by the process of human sacrifice.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son to pay the debt back to himself
God didn't create the debt. Man did, and we don't have the funds to pay off that debt.
I find it ironic that you quoted John 3:16, because in that verse, it speaks of salvation through belief in Jesus. I'm talking about how Jesus actually saves people, but that verse hits it at a high level: we are in need of salvation, and those who trust in Jesus will not perish. You refuse to even believe that message.
quote:Which one? We were talking about the root of morality and justice.
Understanding of the topic we are talking about.
quote:Link to that definition for me, please. I haven't been able to find one like that online.
a "truth claim" is not dogma. Dogma is when you make a claim and then use the same as the authority on the reason why it's true. Like saying the bible is the word of God because the bible says the bible is. And then using that as a basis for other things such as claiming what God does is just because it's God doing it.
What you are saying is that if one dares to use an ultimate authority as an ultimate authority, that that is a "dogma". Do you then claim that "laws of logic exist" is a dogma?
quote:You actually aren't supporting your claims at all. You are just making claims.
I'm not supporting the claim with the claim.
quote:Well it's a truth claim on your part, and based on your prior definitions, it is also a truth claim.
You are born ignorant. You learn during life how to act, good from bad, etc. And somehow me pointing this out is now a "truth claim" and "dogma".
It's also a non-sensical claim. Learning during life how to act is a claim that there is an objective standard that people are all learning to conform to, but you haven't said what that standard is or how we know we are getting close to it. It goes back to our prior discussion of objective morality: you have no basis for it. You just claim it exists, apparently.
quote:It's rational to provide rational justification for the truth claim. God can do what He wants according to His will or He can't. I'm claiming He can, based on His own testimony and the logical examination of the claims, themselves. I've explained how if His claims are true, then they are internally consistent (rational). You haven't shown that they are irrational or untrue.
Claiming God can do whatever he wants and it's justified is not rational grounding
quote:You want God to arbitrarily forgive people. That isn't justice. You want an unjust God. You reject that God should take sin seriously, which is both a denial of His justice and His holiness. You assume that the God of the Bible is different from what He claims to be, and then you judge Him based off of your false beliefs about Him.
And the crazy part about it is you claim God MUST have the sacrifice of Jesus and people to believe that. Otherwise, there is no justice etc.
God can do anything except forgive people outside believing in the human sacrifice of Jesus. Born and killed immediately? Tough shite. Never heard of Jesus? Tough shite. Had any doubts about the claims that seemed crazy to you? Tough shite.
The only "Just" way just happened to be joining your religion.
God's justice requires payment for sin-debt. You can't pay it off, so He sent His Son to pay the debt. You are offered a free gift of paying off your debt and you reject it, and then claim God isn't just because some people haven't heard the free offer, as well? No one deserves to have their debts paid, mind you.
quote:I'm talking about logical fallacies at this point, and you don't even understand them. It's clear that having a rational discussion with you is not possible, because you are irrational, and prefer to merely emote. You just don't like the God of the Bible, so you are saying so. You have no justified reasons for it, only that it makes you uncomfortable.
But then when I point out the dogma you get upset with me, call me irrational and whatever other bullshite.
re: Passing a law designating Islam as a political movement
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/29/26 at 9:34 am to Boom33
quote:No, I mean you aren't support your claims at all, with reason. You can connect your claims to a personal belief if you want, but so far, you've only just made assertions.
You mean I'm not citing some other book and claiming it's the word of God?
quote:Here's an example of one for objective morality:
Sure, let's see it.
P1. Objective moral obligations must bind universally and unconditionally, regardless of any individual's or group's beliefs, desires, or consensus.
P2. Human experience (individual or collective) is contingent, variable, and non-binding beyond itself, as it can describe what people do value, but not establish what they must value.
C. Therefore, if moral obligations are truly objective, their ground cannot be human experience; it must lie outside and above it.
You have yet to ground any of your moral judgements in anything beyond your own opinions, which means they are necessarily subjective until proven otherwise. If they are subjective, then they are only really meaningful to you, and no one else has any rational obligation to accept them any more than you condemning someone's favorite flavor of ice cream.
quote:Aside from your misuse of the word "dogma" again, you used the word "feel" here. That's an appeal to emotion, not reason, which further illustrates what I've been saying about and to you. You are not being reasonable, but merely emoting your frustrations about the God of the Bible. You can dislike Him all you want, but you haven't supported your dislike rationally.
I don't force you to resort to dogma when pushed. It's not my fault when pointing out how you would feel about a person who created billions of people, giving them senses and things to feel pain, just so I could then use that pain to torture them for eternity you claim it's justified because "God".
quote:I've made truth claims, provided where those claims originate from, and provided coherent, consistent argumentative support for those claims. You just don't like the source. However, if the source of a truth claim was an eye-witness account, you couldn't dismiss it outright because you don't like the supposed eye-witness. You'd have to provide justification for dismissing the person and the claim. You've done neither so far, other than trying to show that Genesis 1 and 2 contradict each other. I've demonstrated that they are not logically contradictory, so you have failed to discredit neither the claim nor the source. You can reject them if you choose, but you should provide justification for it beyond that you simply don't like them. That's not a rational position to take for any truth claim: preferences don't determine truth.
You could respond and show justification for it, if such a thing is possible, but you can't actually justify it with reason or anything else. So it just becomes "God can do it because he's God". And you can't even question if such a thing is even true about God because you claim, "The bible is the word of God".
quote:I stand corrected, and agree with your point here: there has been no real debate. I'm providing arguments and you are providing emotions. You aren't debating anything, but are only making emotional appeals.
I'm just pointing out why what you believe is dog shite. There has been no real debate on my understandings because you aren't capable of it.
My point stands regarding your engagement, though: you are spending a lot of time and effort to say that you aren't actually engaging in a debate, even though you are expressing disagreements over and over again. Perhaps I should say, you are "venting". Is that better?
quote:Yes, I'm a sinner, but I'm not longer "blinded" by sin, at least not the in the same way you are. I have the Holy Spirit residing in me, and you do not. You are dead in your sins and need God's Spirit to open your eyes and soften your heart. No amount of argumentation will convince you of the truth, otherwise. My desire in this is to show you have absurd your position is. Whether you agree with mine or not is a matter of spiritual blindness.
One minute you're telling how much of a sinner you are and how much you need Jesus to be your free ticket. Now you are claiming I'm the one blinded by sin.
And why am I blinded by sin? Because I won't accept that someone wants to give me a "free gift".
quote:I'm not glossing over anything. I've provided rational argumentation to support my position and disprove your own conjectures based on the teaching of the Bible that you are attacking. It isn't merely a context change, but an understanding of what's actually happening. When you knowingly call self-defense "murder", you are actually being deceptive, not changing the context. Likewise, when many people are judged for their crimes, that isn't murder, but justice. You fail to see that because of your blindness.
No, I provide context you wish to gloss over. It's like claiming robbing someone is removing them of the burden of how much weight they carried. And if I point out - well no you are robbing them, you start claiming "That's not the context I chose!".
You want to focus on "he's saving you", but when I point out according to your claims billions of others are burning in hell, I'm suddenly "butchering" things.
For you, in particular, I was highlighting that no matter your concern for the rest of humanity, you refuse to accept the free offer given to you. You reject the pardon you don't deserve and then complain every other prisoner isn't aware of the same offer, so the King must be unjust. You are refusing to think in biblical categories while rejecting the Bible. You are being purposefully inconsistent at this point.
quote:I love how you call a reasonable explanation an "excuse" :lol:
You've done nothing of the sort. The closest you could do was try to make up excuses when it was pointed out the creation myth contradicts itself, neither of them is actually right.
And then you do things like claiming billions burning in hell for eternity is justice, because "God" while claiming that is morality.
Your statement is just completely false.
What I said is not false and you haven't shown that it is. You just keep asserting that it is false, as if I should just believe you because you said it. As I keep saying: prove it. Justify it. Provide reasoning for it.
So far, this has been a one-sided discussion. You are being absolutely unreasonable, and I mean that in it's typical sense: lacking reason.
quote:You have told me a lot of things that I disagree with, but not because I'm incapable of understanding, but because you have not supported your claims with reasoning. You criticize me for basing my beliefs ultimately in the testimony of God (as I believe it) while you want me to take your testimony at face value. Why should I believe you over God, when the Bible provides consistent philosophical support for the reality we live in, and you have not?
I could tell you things, but you wouldn't understand.
quote:I understand what you are claiming, but I don't understand your reasoning for claiming these things. Perhaps if you could explain them to me and support them with reasoning beyond your dogmatic assertions? Or, at least explain why I should take your word for it over the Bible's (or anyone else's, for that matter)?
You don't understand why time isn't real for example. You don't understand that the universe/creation is static, without movement. You don't understand that life/experience is a limitation within it. You don't understand the extra dimensions around you and how choices change the path in it. You don't understand what a soul is, you don't even know who you are.
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/28/26 at 8:39 pm to VooDude
quote:I see this more as a philosophical discussion rather than a religious one. I’m simply addressing the logical conclusion of atheism which makes it unlike Christianity. Christians are held to a “Christian” standard because of our beliefs, but atheists attest to a worldview that does not provide objective morality, so in order to have a Christian morality, they have to assume it arbitrarily out of preference.
I didn’t mean for this thread to get into a religious debate, but I know a few UGA atheists. GT, Emory, and UGA grads are pretty smart these days. I’ve never met an atheist with bad values, just those hiding behind religion. My point is that we can draw more of those GT, Emory, and UGA grads by not shaming them on not believing in god, but having those god worshipping/fearing Christian values that our society needs. Young Americans are more confused than ever.
It’s one reason why I think atheists are necessarily irrational: they adhere to a worldview that necessarily rejects objective moral reasoning all while acting like it really exists. They know instinctively that murder is immoral, but they have no grounding for that instinct. As evolved animals, we could just as easily condone rape, murder, and theft as the strongest of the species seeking to carry on their genetic line, which fits nicely with evolutionary theory in an godless universe. We recoil at rape and murder because we are made in the image of God with His morality imprinted on our souls. At least that’s what I believe. :cheers:
re: Why can’t we separate Conservative values from religion?
Posted by FooManChoo on 8/28/26 at 8:21 pm to VooDude
quote:All moral judgments require some standard to compare an action to in order to determine “right” (“good”) or “wrong” (“evil”). Christianity sees God as an objective moral law-giver who has provided an objective moral law (the 10 commandments). It’s objective in the sense that it originates outside the human mind and applies to all humans equally across time, space, and geography. While the application of it may differ at times, the standard, itself, does not change. In addition, all people are held accountable to that standard by God.
Please elaborate since this could be groundbreaking if you could make sense of that.
Atheism, on the other hand, posits that morality is subjective, originating from the human mind. Since there is no singular source for morality other than the human mind, it necessarily fluctuates from person to person, place to place, and time to time, based on whatever social agreements may exist in the microcosm. Because of this, there is no singular moral standard that applies equally to everyone everywhere and at every time, so if one society chooses to believe it is right to kill off the weak or rape their way to a stronger society, that’s “right” for them, and there is no outside moral judge that we can look to in order to judge otherwise. Human flourishing and empathy are arbitrary measures we typically use to say something is “moral”, but we could just as easily use the opposite as a moral standard.
In other words, without an objective moral framework to go by, atheism reduces morality down to shared preferences, like a favorite flavor of ice cream.
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