Rome, when it fell, was Christian, not pagan. -- Terry Gould

Morality and Ethics

Practical Ethics How do we manage our lives if not according to religion? After excluding religions there are still many other people telling us how we should live our lives. The only thing we have really lost is the concept that one is right and all the others are wrong. That simplicity is very comfortable and its loss is enough to make many insist there must be a God. With or without religion, each of us must decide using some combination of thinking for one's self and listening to what others say. For me, it's like this:

It is clear to me that there is no God who cares what we do. Here's why. Therefore, there is no right or wrong, good or bad, moral or immoral that we need to learn about or discover. These only exist to the extent that we create them. For what purpose we create them, if any, is up to us (as individuals). I see value in a system of morality or ethics in that it provides a guide for everyday decision making. The only sensible purpose or direction for it to lead is my personal best interest. (If this seems strange to you, write an explanation of how it is best to act contrary to your personal best interest and send it to me.) One thing to keep in mind when creating this set of rules is that it needs to work in the world as it is, not as it would be if something were different. It may include an effort to make the world a better place - that's something else. Similarly, it must take into account our inner sense of balance and integrity, but may seek to refine it.

There's a lot more I want to say here but I have not been able to put anything together that satisfies me. During this time (years, now) I have been looking at how others put it together and most of what I find is junk (sorry). Finally I found something I'm willing put here. Please read this. Well, yes, it seems to be about animals but look more closely. It was produced by people interested in animals but really it's about us.
Here's an interview with Peter Singer.

Why am I saying all this? Here's why.


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