Recently I was in conversation with a person who made the claim that without the guidance of God, society would descend into chaos. According to him, only religion can provide the basis for morals and good behaviour. He didn’t say which religion was the most useful in this regard but, as I learned later, he is a Catholic, so I presume his faith is the one he was promoting!
So, according to his belief, if we were without religion to show us the way, there would be no reason to look after others, to be honest or caring, to avoid conflict with neighbours, or not to cheat or steal, or even murder.
If you read another of my blogs (avetsview.com) you will see why this is nonsense. As we are all members of the same species, we should automatically ‘look after our own’. Horses don’t kill and eat other horses, or cows eat cows. Add to this the fact that we are rational animals and can therefore anticipate the outcomes of any of actions which involve other people.
If you want a guide to good behaviour, Do as you would be done by, is a good start. And given the present state of the world, perhaps Think twice before following any leader would also be useful.
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