"Why Believe in God" ad campaign

[David E]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

So you're saying that, without personally holding a belief in an omniscient, omnipotent entity, you desire morality. You have an internally motivated desire to act morally, and you have a desire that the people around you act morally. Would you agree with that assessment?

Yes, my desire for morality may be biological (or maybe some more enduring metaphysical part of me? Can't prove or disprove that), but the specific morality that I desire is cultural as I mentioned several times.

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Assuming you do, I'd have one more set of questions. Do you consider yourself abnormal? Do you consider yourself significantly different than a large percentage of the population? Is that internally motivated moral desire something that you think is largely unique to you?

While the desire for morality may be common, that part is invisible and therefore irrelevant; the results or choice of moral systems are radically different, so yes, I do think there are fundamental differences in people and groups. I don't understand Oprah Winfrey's assertion that "We are all the same inside". Was Hitler the same as Mother Teresa? Is a torturer the same as you or me? Is the mother of a suicide bomber who says she wishes her other sons would do it too the same as the moms you know?

Actually, looking at history and the rest of the world, our way of thinking is probably more of a minority. Which is why I hope we can appreciate and preserve it.

[flippyshark]

Originally Posted by David E

I don't understand Oprah Winfrey's assertion that "We are all the same inside". Was Hitler the same as Mother Teresa? Is a torturer the same as you or me? Is the mother of a suicide bomber who says she wishes her other sons would do it too the same as the moms you know?

We are definitely not all the same inside. (I don't think anyone here claimed as much.) I suspect Oprah hasn't thought that one through very hard. (Of course, she's no heavy thinker. She's more about making her viewers feel warm and fuzzy.)

My goodness it's late.