Objective Morality

So I noticed this post about Dr Craig's argument for god by Goosing the Antithesis today and it got me thinking so i wanted to jot down some things that popped in my head..
first here is the statement he lays out..

1. If God does not exist, then there are no objective moral values and duties.
2. There are objective moral values and duties.
3. Therefore God exists.
   

My first thought was the term god could easily be replaced with societies.

1. If Societies do not exist, then there are no objective moral values and duties.
2. There are objective moral values and duties.
3. Therefore Societies exist.

but then I got to thinking some more.. and with this new statement I think it is much easier to see how/where our moral values come from.

I think we could take it a step further and say:

1. If diversity within society does not exist then there are no objective moral values and duties
2. Objective moral values and duties do exist.
3. Therefore diversity within society exists.
   

It is my opinion that morality is based on society, in addition Objectivity increases as Diversity increases. I'm glad I watched that video it seemed to open my mind as to where our morals come from.

If we look through history we know that when societies began moral values were very different than they are today. But as cultures began to intermingle, and society became more diversified, our "Objectivity" to moral values has also increased due to the increase in diversity.

What a fun little exercise :)

Crazy busy...

I've been quite busy for the past few months with some other priorities... And i must say it is quite difficult to just keep up with all post. (Planet Atheism jumping from 39 to 103 blogs! wow) However, things have somewhat slowed down. After I play catchup for the next few days attempting to read some posts, I'll be posting some new stuff. Also, you might have to bear with me but I'm planning on migrating another blog to this one. It's just too much trying to maintain 2 blogs :)

What the hell...

I was flipping through the channels tonight, when this seemed to just glare as an odd and out of place title:

White House Salute to Gospel Music

While I am in no way surprised that the White house would host a Religious Concert it just weird. I mean surly they host multiple types of other concerts at the White House right? Just never thought I would see White House and Gospel Music in the same sentence lol...

** Update **
I did do some research after posting this, and the White House does in fact host many musical concerts in the East Room of the White House. Still that title just got my attention :)

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land

This was an interesting movie, quite long. but informative as well. Any one that watches news exclusively from American media should at least watch this once.

Trip down memory lane...

As I read through this article I could identify with it, hell there was a point in my younger years where i would be supportive of this.. But now when i read it so many things run through my head. but more interesting was some of the comments made in the post itself.

Like some of the following:

Today Pentecostalism and related charismatic offshoots have spread across the globe and account for at least a quarter of the 2 billion Christians worldwide, according to the World Christian Database. A large part of this growth is happening in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. Although the movement was marginalized in the early 1900s, by the end of the century, it had made inroads in such mainstream denominations as Catholicism and Presbyterianism.

Really?

Why the rapid growth?

"It's a very emotional form of worship that enables people in groups to experience ecstasy, emotional release and communal support," said Amanda Porterfield, the Robert A. Spivey Professor of Religion at Florida State University.

It also allows people to share suffering and grief, whether because of poverty and illness or social alienation, she said. And it creates community.

"To belong to a group that is the custodian of a supernatural experience," she said, "is powerful."

aaahhhh, ok that makes sense... So they are taking advantage of those suffering, in grief, poor, sick , and alienated... Yup, that's what made christianity strong in the first place.

The other thing that gets to me about this whole story is how strong the use of peer pressure is being pushed on these people. In practically every story mentioned the individuals are constantly berated and pushed.. Being told that if they don't speak in tongues something is wrong with them or they don't "Truly" believe.

In each case they end with something like this

But she doesn't need to be convinced. Her spirit has already been released to God.

So in the end they finally submitted. It seems as if this a legal way to torture someone until they finally cave to the churches will. Terrible!

You know in your heart....

During my latest encounter with a couple of door to door "soul" winners from the local church... This was the statement they decided to leave me with when our conversation was over:

You know in your heart that god is real. You know in your heart that you should follow god.

As if saying everyone is "Born" knowing that god is real. I happen to disagree with this claim. If you can be born knowing a particular god is real, then why does "christianity" have a specific beginning in a specific area of the world? What about the native Indians... you know those people that lived in harmony with the land before we arrived and practically wiped them out... Also, if you can be born with the knowledge of the existence of a god...... Why are we not born able to speak? or Why are we not born knowing fire is hot? Why does it have to be learned through experience?

I've also noticed that every time I encounter people on their "Soul Winning" salesman pitch, they continue to try to find what your "problem" is. These 2 constantly kept saying things like:

So your problem is with religion?
Is your problem with churches?
Oh your problem is with Preachers?
Oh you don't believe in hell, so you believe in reincarnation?
Well, I don't know what happen to you... but in my experience I found that people who don't believe in god had something happen to them or disappoint them during church.

It continues to get irritating. I don't mind people wanting to understand you and asking probing questions. My problem is when they try to answer themselves instead of listening to what I say. I don't see my lack of belief in a divine being a problem.