"Why Believe in God" ad campaign

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Even moreso, moral and ethical standards change in ways that foster the continued survival and flourishing of a group. Back in more tribal times, morality, laws and religion tended to be highly "us vs. them" (out of brutal necessity) with "us" given divinely favored status. In this very different world, the in-group grows ever larger and more inclusive, and our laws and morality slowly shift to accomodate.

Back in the day, "thou shalt not kill" meant "don't kill one another within our tribe." Read your Bible and you'll find that ruthless slaughter of the other guy was not just the norm, it was commanded by the deity.

Of course, the classic "reciprocal ethic" (the Golden Rule) predates any Judeo-Christian tradition by centuries. You'll find it in ancient Mesopotamian religion, Hinduism, Taoism, and on and on. And even that core ethical notion is (and always has been) open to debate.