Atheists seem to think they’ve developed their ethics and morality all on their own without the Judeo-Christian Ethic. In pagan societies there were no charities, women existed only for sexual pleasure and bearing children, and if the born child was not well formed or an unwanted female, or even if just unwanted, it was taken out and left to die. Pretty much what goes on in China (atheist State) presently. Archeological sites exist with just the bones of babies piled up, a disposal ground. Human life has value?
Human beings by nature are self centered, selfish creatures. We’re born bad, and that’s much, but not all, of what is meant by the phrase, “we’re all born sinners”.
We live in a culture that mostly reveres birth and children, unlike the ancient pagans. We live in a culture that allows women to vote and work, and contribute to society. Pagans didn’t. We live in a culture that condemns murder, and the pagans gave mixed messages about it. Our culture for the most part honors our parents, pagan cultures didn’t. Pagan cultures practiced slavery on a massive scale. Atheists contend we would have eventually abolished slavery without religion. Really? Did any of the pagan cultures do it? It was primarily Christians that lead the movement against slavery. Didn’t see any pagans, or atheists chiming in.
Much is made of equality in our culture. Atheists say we would have gotten here anyway. Really? Didn’t happen in pagan cultures. It’s because of the Judeo-Christian tradition, the idea that God created us in His image making us all equal that brought forth the idea of equality between men. Like all things, this had to evolve…so slave owners had to recognize the human equality of their slaves and set them free, and men had to recognize the human equality of women and open society for their participation and growth.
The “New Atheists” contend that their ethics and values, that match those that have been the foundation of Judeo-Christian values, would have manifested in modern society without religion. If so, why didn’t it? It was the Jews that first talked about equality among men (the starting point for equality of all), that talked about altruistic love, “love your neighbor” not just your family and fellow tribesmen. It wasn’t the ancient pagans that first came up with the notion. They lived during the same time period, and not a word about universal love. It was the early Christian movement that created the concept of charity, flying in the face of the selfishness. That too evolved into something that atheists see as a good thing. Not an idea pagans came up with, living in the same time period. Even now in Atheist China and the barbaric Islamic Middle East, women don't even rise to the level of second class citizens, and slavery is still practiced. If equality is so self evident, now that we're in modern times, why isn't it being practiced there?
Our culture values charity, universal love, the value of women, the value of children, the value of others not of our tribe. Not one that I can see is the result of pagan thinking or atheists’ philosophy. If these values were so universal that we would have come to embrace the same values, why aren't they, in modern times, embraced by China or Islamic countries?
Atheists should not be so intolerant of the religions, the Judeo-Christian Ethic that gave them the values they claim to hold dear. It should be enough for them, like traditional atheists, to just say “I don’t believe” and let it go. Speaking with a forked tongue about the source of the good things about our culture just shows bigotry and bad form. They should be thanking the Western Religions for these things, not lying and insulting them.
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