Ten Commandments, Atheist Style
“I think the question that Sam Harris has to answer is this: on atheism, why should a person limit their own pursuit of happiness when they can be more happy by being selfish and spurning the ‘fourishing of humans?’ Why should any individual atheist care about the flourishing of humans when self-sacrificial actions to improve the flourishing of others diminishes his own happiness? Why should an atheist sacrifice his own happiness so that other humans can flourish, when his own lifetime is all the time he will ever have for pursuing his own happiness?”
Wintery Knight 02/16/2011 William Lane Craig on Sam Harris’ attempt to ground morality with science
The question proposed is answered like this: A person should engage in moral behavior because moral behavior infers a “public” sense of propriety. In other words, morality is only necessary in a group to ensure survival. When you’re “behind closed doors” morality is merely what causes harm to another.
Here’s a more simple explanation. When you’re in a group, you don’t want to get yourself beat up, or worse, killed, so you come up with a set of rules that keep things peaceful. When you’re in your own tent, you get to do what you want, as long as that behavior doesn’t cross the threshold on your way out.
Therefore, the ten commandments aren’t necessarily God given, they’re developed from thousands of years of trial and error within societal groups. If you ask what happened to those who failed in this experiment, then you will get quickly pointed to an evolutionary answer of extinction, and alternative evolutionary growth. If you say that this isn’t how the Israelites interpreted the meaning of the Ten Commandments, you will be told that the Jews were an oppressive, slave mongering people who worshiped a vengeful, oppressive, tyrannical god.
This answer provides an excuse for aberrant, or bad behavior in private, and gives a reason for the invention of morals by the “herd” or the “tribe.” In other words, I get to do what I want, as long as I don’t fear my own extinction. Among “consenting adults” any behavior is sanctioned as long as that behavior doesn’t interfere with someone else’s idea of happiness.
The result? Simple, look around you. It’s everywhere. Children being sexualized, women being physically and psychologically defiled, the elderly being shuffled off into quiet corners to die, the unborn murdered in the womb. These are all “private” behaviors that are sanctioned under the name of “choice” and “freedom.”
Humanist morality is based upon mutual benefit, not mutual beneficence. The underlying fault is; in a society based upon “me, me, me” eventually you are going to cross purposes with me. The only answer humanism has is “he who has the gold, rules.” Simply put; O.J. Simpson. What happens to those who don’t have the gold?
One’s behavior will never stay behind closed doors, because behavior is inherent to psyche. I’m reminded of a saying from Buckaroo Bonzai; “remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” Whether you’re behind closed doors, or out on the street, you still have the same thoughts. When you subscribe to the new atheist’s form of thought, the only reason you don’t actualize this behavior is because you fear for your continued survival. What happens when you no longer need to fear, or when you gauge that your fear is not enough to hold you back? Simple answer; New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina.
Once again, look around. Riots in the streets, rampant drug use, legalization of prostitution, theft, murder, homosexuality on parade are all results of this mind set. The incidence of adultery is so high, and so popular, that there is now a television show devoted to that one single condition.
But, here’s the ironic part. The humanists blame the religious for their “oppression” as the cause for all of this unrest. It seems that if we Christians would just give over and let the humanists have their way, then utopia would ensue. I suppose that depends on what your idea of utopia is.
A society that has no boundaries, has no limits. If you let men seek after their desires, their appetites can never be sated, because everything within this existence is temporal. Food passes, drunkenness fades, pleasure is temporary. To fill oneself with these requires a constant, consuming pursuit. Sooner or later that pursuit will take you out of your door, across the threshold, and out into the street. The actions that you do will carry on through others, for one simple reason; to get what you want requires someone else. The question is, which someone do you go to?
Another humanist reason for good morals is that you need stuff, and in order to get stuff you must rely upon others. It is best not to anger others in case one day you might need their stuff. For this reason there are rules you must obey. The humanist is perfectly willing to submit themselves to these rules, as long as they believe that they are in control of that exchange. This is also the reason they despise the concept of God. This all started when Eve decided she’d like to be like God, but then, that would presume that Genesis is actually true.
God sets the rules, men break the rules, then promptly blame God for having established the rules. Isn’t it funny how the Bible describes this very paradigm with such brevity, and wit.
Here we find the end of the loop. The Ten Commandments are rules, given by God, for acceptable behavior within society, but beneath these rules is a common thread; it’s not about you. The only thing that can fill up a human’s heart, is giving, not getting. This is what God asks. Give him everything you are, continually. God is infinite and cannot be exhausted. His capacity to receive is never ending. By giving, there is another piece to the equation. It is within God’s nature to give.
When the Bible says that God will give you the desire of your heart, it means this literally. But, as with everything, there are conditions. The assumption is that God is omniscient. In other words, He, and He alone knows what giving you that desire will do to everyone else, not only in your time, but in the times to come.
Secular humanists are receiving the desire of their heart. Look around. They will, throughout all eternity, continue to receive that desire, until eventually it chokes them, bloats them. Think of it this way. Eat pizza every day for the rest of eternity. No, you can’t have a salad. Just pizza. Again, and again, and again, and again… God gave the Israelites manna every day for forty years because they complained once about not having food. Just imagine what eternity is going to be like for these people. But, then again, this assumes that the Bible is true.
What is the desire of your heart?
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