Re: virus: The ugly guy speaks!

sodom (Sodom@ma.ultranet.com)
Mon, 03 Aug 1998 11:46:12 -0400


Nathaniel Hall wrote:

> Tim Rhodes wrote:
>
> >
> > We're talking at cross purposes. (At least you are.) I'm talking stratagy,
> > you're talking morality (or ethics maybe?). I've made no claims about moral
> > codes one way or another. But I will say this: Thinking you're "right" and
> > deserve to win a game, doesn't do you any good if you don't first
> > understand how to *play* and *win* that game.
>
> True. But what point is there to winning if you go about it in a way
> that makes you unable to respect yourself?
> >
> > Righteousness is never a substitute for knowledge or finesse.
>
> True. But to be truly righteous one must act with good knowledge and
> finesse. You artificially split the concept of righteousness here!
> >
> > >I claim that morality is objective. Whatever your
> > >opponents feelings, drives or beliefs are irrelevant if they are acting
> > >in a way which is not objectively moral.
> >
> > Is that a quote from Pat Robertson, perhaps?
> >
> > -Prof. Tim
> >
> One of the reasons I think that folks follow religion like they do is
> that it gives them what they believe is a firm moral code. It is
> unfortunate that the foundation is one of faith and not firm solid
> facts. Very hard to build something solid on mere whims . As weak as
> their position is they stick too it because it satisfies a simple human
> need to know if one is doing the right thing. However if you think of
> people as creatures that live by thinking then the moral code that
> follows is really a simple one: does an action (or a value) help or
> hinder the act of thinking? Pat Robertson holds faith as a virtue.
> Because thinking ends where faith begins I hold faith as one of the the
> worst of the vices. Do I sound like Pat Robertson now?
>
> > (BTW, Sodom, I disagree with you--self-righteous atheists seem just as ugly
> > as their religous counterparts!)
>

So far I would only agree with this in that "An asshole is an asshole" regardless
of religion. Where I claim to prefer the Atheist moral code is in the
non-violence, rational way of life meme that many Atheists share. I doubt you
will ever see Atheists at a book burning, or KKK rally, or offering food and
medical help only after the helpless listen to a sermon. Since being an Atheist
usually requires some ammount of forthought about the subjects of religion,
philosophy, science and others, the concept of withholding knowledge is abhorent,
yet nearly all religions work hard to keep knowledge from the hands of the people.
This is evident in the South of the United States, every Islamic country in the
world, and most Catholic countries. We may be self righteous, but we have a good
track record.

> Ah Ha! A moral judgment! Very good! Soon you shall become as ugly as
> moi! Heh heh!
>
> The ugly self-righteous atheist Nate
> surf.to/nateman

Sodom
Bill Roh
an also ugly self-righteous athiest