The Atheist As Moralist

Townhall.com ^ | October 15, 2010 | Michael Gerson

[SonOfDarkSkies]

The idea "that you may be terrified" is no reason to "abandon the principles of a lifetime."

Hey, Chris...wait until you're REALLY terrified and see if you feel the same way?

[Zionist Conspirator]

Excellent!

Hitchens (and any atheist) has no grounds to object to "bullies" or any other "evil" since all morality and ethics must be something we create and re-create at will.

Every atheist moralist (and that seems to include all atheists, at least at this time) is a contradiction in terms.

[Mr. Silverback]

The idea "that you may be terrified" is no reason to "abandon the principles of a lifetime."

Why would someone convinced beyond any real doubt that there is no God, so convinced in fact that he is part of an effort to brand religious belief as an unmitigated evil and remove it from the human sphere the way we removed smallpox, be afraid of death at all, much less during the course of a painful an ugly disease?

[Mr. Silverback]

The idea "that you may be terrified" is no reason to "abandon the principles of a lifetime."

Why would someone convinced beyond any real doubt that there is no God, so convinced in fact that he is part of an effort to brand religious belief as an unmitigated evil and remove it from the human sphere the way we removed smallpox, be afraid of death at all, much less during the course of a painful and ugly disease?

[mainestategop]

This should sum it all up.

Of course we can be good without God, but why the hell bother? If there are no moral lines except the ones we draw ourselves, why not draw and redraw them in places most favorable to our interests? Hitchens parries these concerns instead of answering them: Since all moral rules have exceptions and complications, he said, all moral choices are relative.

Or Like this atheist said...

Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem.

Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach.

I believe in one thing only, the power of human will.

It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.

Death solves all problems

And who was this wise atheist who drew up his own moral compass? The man inthe picture below of course...

The fool hath said in his heart,There is no God.Psalm 14

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.Proverbs 26:11.

When all philosophies shall fail, This word alone shall fit; That a sage feels too small for life, And a fool too large for it. -Chesterton, G(ilbert) K(eith) Ballad of the White Horse, bk.8.

[Guyin4Os]

Hitchens says that Christianity is a net-loss for humanity. I wonder if he believes that his Christian friends who are fervently praying for him are a net-loss. In this time of his greatest need, it isn't atheists who are providing him companionship, comfort and encouragement. It is his Christian friends.

If he does not wish to come to faith because of the "coercion" of terminal illness, he should come to faith because of God's love for him, as exemplified by God's people reaching out to him in his time of deepest illness.

[Tribemike1]

Can we say “to hell with him” then?

Atheists continually hijack the principles of the Christian worldview — of life and reality — in order to live and function daily. If I punched one of these loudmouths in the face, the objection would come back...”that’s not nice..” Based on WHAT?

Yet, Hitchens continues to spew forth constant denials about the reality of and existence of his Creator.

[MrB]

To be consistent,

a “moralist” who rejects the idea of objective morality and objective right and wrong

cannot object to anything “evil” or “wrong” in the world as those concepts are defined by the individual and are nothing more than an opinion.

No one lives that way, though. They will be afronted when someone “wrongs” them, or will be upset about some evil or suffering in the world.

[RC2]

I have always figured that if you totally believe in God and you are wrong, you haven’t lost anything. If you don’t believe in God and you are wrong........you best cover your butt because all hell is going to break lose.

[oldbrowser]

Hitchens claims to be an atheist but his comments all seem to be directed at religious congregations and their leaders.

There is a major difference between God and religious organizations. Religious organizations and people are human and subject human error, that doesn't prove that God doesn't exist.

[Zionist Conspirator]

No one lives that way, though. They will be afronted when someone “wrongs” them, or will be upset about some evil or suffering in the world.

Exactly!

[Captain PJ]

I’m an atheist and I am probably of higher moral character than most believers. It does not take a god to instill a good sense of right and wrong.
Those people who think that it takes a belief in god to achieve a higher moral state are a little annoying.

[Elwood P. Doud]

Love him, hate him, or pity him, this is a guy who’s dying with class.

[tumblindice]

`Man cannot make a worm but he can create gods.’
Montaigne

[SonOfDarkSkies]

I’m an atheist and I am probably of higher moral character than most believers.

Humbler, too.:-)

[Zionist Conspirator]

I’m an atheist and I am probably of higher moral character than most believers. It does not take a god to instill a good sense of right and wrong. Those people who think that it takes a belief in god to achieve a higher moral state are a little annoying.

Who makes the rules that govern morality in your little world? Do you pull them out of your tachat or do they exist in some sublime Platonic sphere of Ideals?

At least you have the "humility" part down!

[miss marmelstein]

Again, the Coke on the keyboard...

[MrB]

Why are your morals valid, or more valid than someone else’s that would be in opposition to yours?

[Alex Murphy]

A handful of related threads:
In Drunken Rage, Atheist Guru Hitchens Bullies Hero Priest of 9-11 (Father Rutler!)
Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson
Is Christianity Good for the World ? (The Doug Wilson-Christopher Hitchens debate)
Christopher Hitchens: Faith No More, What I've learned from debating religious people worldwide.