Where did our moral system come from? ( friendly Debate

[NemesisQ]

"Legal codes and doctrinal-moral systems were developed several thousand years before the Old Testament was developed, so how could anyone credit morals to the Bible? Even the Ten Commandments evolved from Babylonian commandments, such as those of Hammurabi. Indeed, most of the Biblical commandments involved measuring and ceremonial rules or laws (some 600 of them!)

Moral laws evolved as an ideological means by which a society could most efficiently achieve its goals (the means to the goals), and each society is based on an ideology that has goals. Christian goals involve reaching "Heaven" by being "rightous" as well as faithful. Our secular system goal is "the pursuit of happiness" and "the American Dream." (The latter set of goals tells you something about why our society is sinking!)

Even so, humanity has always been "moral" because we evolved as small group social beings who have innate social behavioral relationships that forus each member towards supporting the group. In other words, we evolved moral.

Remember, Biblical lore is that after "Creation" we "fell" and "lapsed into sin." That is, that we have to have New Testament sayings and old Commandments in order to "save us." Isn't that a degrading and insulting view of us? A more accurate view would be that by evolving we managed to ascend above all the other animals and take command of the Earth.

Now we need to take care of it." ~ by Charles Brough from Religiousforum.com

Brought an interesting topic from a forum.

[agentaaa]

Well, it depends on the point of view. Certainly, it might seem degrading or insulting to some who read it. But the fact is that we, who have evolved so far past what an animal is capable of, have truly "Fallen" given how often we still listen to the base instincts of the human animal. We have the capability to build massive skyscrapers and literally have the survival of the earth sitting at the touch of a button. Yet we still do so much that's much better suited to an animal. The main difference being that an animal, powerless in comparison as it is, cannot do nearly as much damage as man. A wolf pushing to become alpha of his pack might injure or kill one or two wolves. A man with a military force wishing to become ruler of his country may kill thousands.
So, yes, It's an insulting view the bible would take. Nonetheless, I find it a more accurate one Than Charles brough's.

[Shemuel]

Yet statistically, we kill ourselves far less than wolves do. Restraint is a part of our everyday lives, and we usually kowtow to it.

I'd say communities with a strong set of harmonial principles is more likely to be successful and progress through the ages. Perhaps in general troublemakers are less likely to pass on their genes as they get killed/rejected by society?

It's certainly true that Christianity has done much for us in terms of developing morals - to an extent, before the more large-scale monotheistic religions, there was more of an emphasis upon rules (compulsion) rather than morals (coercion)

[Quantum Rain]

Let's see, Romans, Greeks, Humarabi (or however you spell his name), the Bible, and various other sources.

Mostly the Bible for the US anyway, this largely being because the Constitution was made by Christian people, with some humanist ideas.

But that's law, as for morals, they tend to vary from person to person, generation to generation. Said morals usually originate from your parents, your family values, and your own, personal experience. (Normally anyway...)

For countries, it's similar. Usually religious based and motivated, sometimes humanists and other types of people. (Renaissance humanists, not modern day.) At first starting in Europe, then spreading to the new world, these moral codes came from their mother countries. So, your laws and such are likely to come from said European countries, except for the rebellious countries, in which case, they come from ideas that also motivated the civil war in France against Kind Louis the... I think it was thirteenth or fourteenth... I'm thinking of the one after the sun king... I can never remember the numerals...

Anyway, yeah. There's my two-cents.

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