Craig R

My wife is frequently invited to "selling parties" where the hostess is sponsoring a company that comes in to sell stuff to those in attendance. The hostess receives credit for the sales and is able to buy stuff herself at a discount or free.

Should these be viewed as a business transaction in which one is free to simply decline if they are not interested in the merchandise being sold? Or is it a social event hosted by a friend in which the invitation should be accepted out of courtesy even if she has no interest in the product being sold?

She doesn't sponsor these things herself, so there's no issue of hypocrisy here (declining others' invitations then expecting them to come to hers) but doesn't want to hurt the feelings of her friends who hold these parties.

The keyword is "legitimate". I mean scientists who are respected by the ENTIRE scientific community, not just someone who dons a lab coat and calls himself a scientist.

If there is no god, then you are the only source of morality for yourself. You can't get your morality from others, becuase theirs is just their opinion, just as yours is. Even if a bunch of atheists got together and voted on right and wrong and accepted the majority view, the idea of "accepting the majority view" is just an idea that some of you came up with and carries no more authority than accepting the minority view.

What is the logical basis for anything being right or wrong for an atheist which isn't just your own opinion or the opinions of others?