Holy shit this thread got long, haha. First of all, Zach, I understand you see my point of view as splitting hairs, but when you wanna talk philosophy sometimes its that hair splitting that is the difference between one philosophy and another. Just because the ends of some Christian morals is shared with my Objectivist/Individualist morals doesn't mean that I embrace the entire morality of Christianity. Proulxski made a blanket statement that some others agreed with, that the morals of Christianity are just guidelines to lead a good life, and since since that does not apply to me, and many others in this world, I'd counter that statement. I could go into detail as to why I think christian morals are wrong, if you'd like me to.
As far as your comment on agnosticism, I'd say you're not agnostic, you're just apathetic
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Yaz - What I think you're talking about is more skepticism... I agree its healthy to be skeptical, but not to the point that you never make up your mind about anything. Its healthy and empowering to make firm assessments on things, IMO.
All I did was ask a simple question, a question that I know none of you can answer without using a standard greater than yourself, parents, cops, government, and society. Humans are programmed to feel killing is wrong, I agree with this, however why is that? How could someone who believes in no supernatural power greater than themselves believe in wrong or right? It's not possible, I am sorry, and I am still waiting for a decent answer to this question......waiting......
Here's your answer:
I don't have to look to an authority to know murder is wrong. All living things have an instinct of survival... you can see this in a wolf that would gnaw its own leg off thats been caught in a trap than lie there and die. Its not some enlightenment bestowed on living things from a creator... to die is to cease living, if living things didn't fear death and do everything they can to keep on living, life wouldn't have lasted very long on this planet. If you're going to have respect for the individual, you have to respect that individuals are free to pursue their lives on their own, and by taking their life, you are infringing on their individual freedom. So basically, by knowing my freedoms would be infringed upon if someone killed me, I would be going against my integrity by saying its ok for me to go murder someone else, since that would then mean its ok for someone to try to murder me. Hence, murder is wrong. Now if some lunatic tried to murder me, I'd certainly try to kill him first, since he's essentially said to me "I don't value life", which would include his own.