By the way, I’m no longer atheist – I’m a Jew.

If there’s something in us that makes us work for the common good, then why aren’t Christians the same? What’s the difference between an atheist and Christian? NOTHING. Both are humans and both have been developed the same. Sadly, the former is normally bigoted and intolerant of religions or anyone who believes in a higher power and – just as you have perfectly expressed – will childishly insult religion or God whenever they get the chance.

I think you’ve never come into a position where you must kill someone. I’ve thought about killing murderers and pedophiles and I’m a devout Christian and when I see their crimes on the news, I think to myself, “I would love to kill these people so they could never harm anyone again.” but when I think about it further, I knew that if ever presented with a situation where I must kill someone evil, I would not like it even though they deserve death – especially if they continue with their crimes and express no remorse to stop – so don’t judge all for the actions of a few. We Christians always choose the diplomatic option before the violence which is a last resort. You atheists act on raw carnal nature and justify it with your belief in evolution.

Gabriel.

Thank you for your insightful response. I disagree, though.

We, like ants and bees, are social animals. There is something innate in us that does make us work towards the common good. Complete selfishness is an untenable behavior unless you’re living like a hermit. The social contract that arises in every society, Christian or not, commands us to look out for our fellow community members.

In fact, in my experience, I have found that non-Christians and the nonreligious (MLK Jr notwithstanding) are more likely to take care of the weak than Christians are, despite that tolerance and caring for those who need help is a central tenet to the Christian ethos.

JM

This doesn’t accurately raise the underlying philosophical problem your interlocutor was getting at (although I’m sure that is how many Christians put the question).

The real problem atheism faces is, if there is no higher source of objective ethical standards other than individual preferences, then on what possible basis does anyone say that one person’s idea of right and wrong is any better or worse than anyone else’s?

The innate sense of morality you mention is nonetheless subjective, and without a self-existent eternal Someone to declare an objective standard by which all lives will be judged, then nature red in tooth and claw (suffering) is only nature being nature, the strong dominating the weak.

Martin Luther King Jr. understood this. So did Jean Paul Sartre. So did Kant.

http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Suffering_If_God_is_good_why.mp3