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Is there room in America for religious morality?
is there room in america for religious morality???
17 Answers
- 10 years agoFavorite Answer
How do you define religious morality? Which religion?
Well, that doesn't matter, all religions and non-religious philosophy agree on what is truly moral. And, yes, there's plenty of room for it.
It is this: What is harmful to yourself, you ought not do to others.
It was sighted by Jesus as the primary moral imperative (Mathew 7:12). Although he may just have been cribbing off of Rabbi Hillel (who, if we trust bible scholars' timelines, died when Jesus was about 12 to 14). Rabbi H said the same thing Jesus would later say (that is the summation of all the law and the writings of the prophets). It's in the Mahabharata. Buddha says it, Lao Tzu says it, and Confucius says it. There are Islamic versions, Native American versions and versions from a variety of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. For instance, Thales, the father of Greek philosophy, said it 7 centuries before Christ. And I love the Shinto version, “The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form.” If nothing else, even if it doesn't represent an absolute morality, such an impressive consensus should allow us to use it as if it were an absolute moral standard. Especially as it requires no eternal threats, nor promises of heavenly reward in order to operate, just enlightened self-interest.
Game theory shows that using a strategy based on a such a code leads to viable long term success: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tit_for_tat
Moreover, evolutionary biology and game theory mathematics overlap, and show that such behavior can confer adaptive benefits on a population: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_and_the_The...
- мooи sнiиeLv 510 years ago
Religious practice or morality? Because religion is not necessary to be moral.
- Anonnie MouseLv 710 years ago
Only as it applies to the individual himself, not as it applies to the government, the law, or other people.
Example: It's fine if you don't want to be gay and decide for religious reasons to live a miserable, closeted life. Sad, but fine. However, it is not fine if you try and impose that version of morality upon others who disagree with your perspective, because we have this little thing which protects us called the Constitution.
- choko_canyonLv 710 years ago
Regardless of how many times you ask it, religious morality is still totally subjective and there's no room anywhere for it except inside religious households.
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- Anonymous10 years ago
Sure there is. Just look around you. There are millions and millions of Americans that are completely free to practice their religion and hold their members accountable for whatever they decide to label as "religious sin".
What there is NOT room for is for any particular religion to make anyone NOT a member of their church to conform to their dogma. That flies in the face of religious freedom and inflicts harm on everyone, including the very ones who attempt to do it.
.
- CeedgeLv 510 years ago
Religion and morality have very little to do with each other. ]
There are some fanatical "christians" that are just terrible people, and non religious that do no harm.
- Anonymous10 years ago
Each person individually can chose how to behave, for any reason they want to. Including religious superstition.
But there's no "room" for it in the law of the country.
Peace.
- Anonymous10 years ago
Be as religiously moral as you want, but don't expect me to follow your religious laws.