this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2026
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[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 4 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Religious people act like they're more moral or have morality that's special because they believe in God. However when you ask why all those pious people back in the day: cheated, stole, murdered, adulterer, were racist, had slaves, raped kids and stuff. They would say that it was the norm at the time and nobody else knew better.

To paraphrase Stephen J Fry: "then what are you for?!"

[–] Zensate@lemmy.world -5 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Sure, but so do atheists. They just believe their morality is special because they believe in the current social norms, within the current societal context. In 10 years they'll be different, should a catastrophe happen it will shift completely. It's just as flippant in its own way.

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

There's pretty solid evidence supporting empathy as a beneficial evolutionary trait, it's not like it's random that "don't be shitty to each other" is a social norm.

[–] Zensate@lemmy.world -2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

But social norms aren't empathy. They are adhered to because of the punishment that will result if you break them. Before you have any chance of developing empathy or emotional intelligence, you are taught as a child that breaking social norms will result in punishment, and from then on your only motivation to follow them is fear of punishment.

And that is exactly the same mechanism as religious morality.

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

you are taught as a child that breaking social norms will result in punishment, and from then on your only motivation to follow them is fear of punishment.

I'm sorry to hear about your sociopathy, but no this is not how most people work.

[–] Zensate@lemmy.world -1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Deflection beats introspection, eh? It always amazes me how easily insults come to the "morally righteous".

At least now you know how people become bad - they don't have the courage to question whether what they're doing is actually good.