What "christian Morals" Have You Now Rejected?

[JGJ@ReligionisBullshit]

 

 

There are some absolute morals... but there is also the point that my body belongs to me... that kid's body belongs to them... get your hands off. You want to mutilate yourself... here's a rusty razor... go for it... but keep your hands off others... especially poor defenseless kids.

 

There are no absolute morals. If you look hard enough you can find an exception to every rule.

 

 

The "absolute" question is actually a semantic one. Does absolute mean "without specific exception" or "without general exception". For example, I have a hard time finding an exception to the rule "don't have sex with 8-year olds" or the position that "the obliteration of the earth's ecosystem is bad". Similarly, rules against killing are generally absolute though we allow other moral rules to supercede (self-preservation being the most common).

 

I like to say that absolutes exist, but when two absolutes meet, they cancel each other out and one or both may be violated. For example, it may be okay to have sex with an 8 year old if it saves the human race from alien annihalation.

 

Absolutism is relative, Relativism is not Absolute.

[Guest Agent Ytnok]

 

Absolutism is relative, Relativism is not Absolute.

 

 

As I said, semantics.

[Taphophilia]

i have rejected absolute moralism in exchange for relative moralism. we are the products of our culture, upbringing, education, socio-political and religious influence.

So what do you think about issues like female genital mutilation in cultures where it is their norm?

 

Or how about male genital mutilation (circumcision) in cultures where it's their norm (USA)?

 

I think that excising all of the outer genitalia from a female with a rusty razor or dull knife on a girl who is, more times than not, older than four years old, and if she dies from infection, it's because she was a whore, is a greater evil than cutting off the foreskin of a newborn boy in a sterile environment.

[kellyb]

i have rejected absolute moralism in exchange for relative moralism. we are the products of our culture, upbringing, education, socio-political and religious influence.

So what do you think about issues like female genital mutilation in cultures where it is their norm?

 

Or how about male genital mutilation (circumcision) in cultures where it's their norm (USA)?

 

I think that excising all of the outer genitalia from a female with a rusty razor or dull knife on a girl who is, more times than not, older than four years old, and if she dies from infection, it's because she was a whore, is a greater evil than cutting off the foreskin of a newborn boy in a sterile environment.

 

One might be more wrong, but I think they're both *absolutely* wrong.

[Guest Emerson]

I don't feel bad about my sexuality. I have needs!

[Guest Emerson]

Another thing that's changed is that I quit being a doormat. Sometimes you can't always "turn the other cheek" or "love your enemies" and why would you even want to love your enemies? I don't want to. I never could do it even when I tried! lol.

 

I've realized how much people just took advantage of me because I was christian back in the day, if I had one stick of gum then I would let someone have it, I thought that it somehow made a difference. It doesn't. I wish I wasn't so naive before! I think bigger actions make a difference, like being there for your friends or being kind to someone.

 

But anyway, in return I would have friends who took advantage of me a lot! If they needed money, I would freely give it to them because I "felt sorry" for them, now I just think its stupid. We all have money woes! That's their problem, not mine. My money is mine. Besides its not like they were out on the street!

 

I have known this one girl who I considered my friend since high school but whenever I needed a favor, she would say no. But then I'd hear from her and other people how she did favors for them. I'm really pissed off about that. Ugh.

 

I guess I've realized that I need to think of myself first and that its NOT selfish to do that. Everyone's trying to survive, one way or another. Even the rich, look at how they try to maintain their wealth!

[godlessgrrl]

Y'know, something occurred to me while I was thinking about how I'd answer the OP...

 

I was thinking about all the things that have changed about what I believe and think and feel since I gave up the Xian meme. And it occurred to me that I've actually believed and thought and felt these things for a long time, I just spent a number of years hiding them because it served me to hide them.

 

I've posted in my ex-timony that my initial conversion to Xianity was dependent on my mom's conversion, and it was. It had a lot to do with trying to be as like her as possible, because when I was in my teens my mom acted like she pretty much hated me for who I was. I got a ton of abusive shit about damn near everything I did or believed in - crap, I seriously even got criticized for *breathing* wrong. (And I'm absolutely not kidding there - she'd chew me out if I wasn't breathing right. Whatever "right" would mean...)

 

It wasn't conscious at all at the time, but I think I converted both to try and demonstrate to her that I wasn't the awful, sinful, evil person she seemed to think I was, and as a way of trying to get her to stop treating me so badly. I adopted her belief system wholeheartedly, so deeply that for awhile, I did actually believe it...

 

...except I think there was always a part of me that held my own thoughts in reserve. I can go over the list of stuff I believe in and realize that hey - I actually believed in that stuff when I was *13* years old. When I was 13, I didn't think premarital sex was necessarily bad, I didn't think marriage was necessarily good, I didn't think being gay was a bad thing, I was pro-choice, I tended towards social liberalism, and so on...

 

So I suppose that technically, what I gave up when I left the meme isn't really stuff I actually gave up. It's more stuff that I buried for awhile and then came back to later on, when it was safe to do so.

 

Heh. Kind of like buried treasure.

 

I will say there was one really big thing that I got rid of when I left Xianity, and that was a deep, inner abiding shame. I mean I was ashamed of breathing - and gee, do ya think my mom's objection to my breathing mighta had anything to do with that??

 

Heh. So I guess what I really gave up with Xianity was all my mom's negative abusive bullshit messages.

 

That ain't so bad, to give shit like that up.

[Max]

I now swear with great zeal. It feels great to just say it like I feel it!

 

Also, not only have I stopped thinking premarital sex is a sin, I think it is utterly stupid to avoid it. Not that you should give it up without discretion, but certainly you shouldn't get married just to get laid.

 

I've stopped judging others and trying to avoid those who aren't "good" enough. All honest, hard-working people deserve respect.

[willybilly30]

1. sex/ masturbation- its natural to desire these things and marriage is a man made concept. im not against it but lets face it few follow it. its human desire i havent met a person yet who hasnt had pre marital sex or masturbated.

 

2. cussing, smoking, drinking, going to bars, watching r rated movies, viewing porn, having fun not being like a parrot in a cage saying nono its a sin.

 

3. not judging people by race, religion, sexual orientation, what they do or dont do

 

4. walking outside at night- i cant understand why walking around town at nights a sin

 

5. listening to heavy metal

 

6. going by my own rules and my own mind as long as its legal.

 

7. not being a door mat screw that turn your other cheek, give to him who asks stuff people will run slap over you if you do that.

 

8. not going to church and wearing tight fancy suits that feel like your being groped everytime you walk.

 

having fun

[theunraveler]

i have rejected absolute moralism in exchange for relative moralism. we are the products of our culture, upbringing, education, socio-political and religious influence.

So what do you think about issues like female genital mutilation in cultures where it is their norm?

my opinion is that if the female population of the country decides its too cruel then they should do something about it but if they cant or will not, that is another question entirely.

[kellyb]

i have rejected absolute moralism in exchange for relative moralism. we are the products of our culture, upbringing, education, socio-political and religious influence.

So what do you think about issues like female genital mutilation in cultures where it is their norm?

my opinion is that if the female population of the country decides its too cruel then they should do something about it but if they cant or will not, that is another question entirely.

 

But what if the nature of the culture is such that women aren't allowed to give opinions, period?

[theunraveler]

i have rejected absolute moralism in exchange for relative moralism. we are the products of our culture, upbringing, education, socio-political and religious influence.

So what do you think about issues like female genital mutilation in cultures where it is their norm?

my opinion is that if the female population of the country decides its too cruel then they should do something about it but if they cant or will not, that is another question entirely.

 

But what if the nature of the culture is such that women aren't allowed to give opinions, period?

then the women will juz have to fight for their right to an opinion.

[kellyb]

i have rejected absolute moralism in exchange for relative moralism. we are the products of our culture, upbringing, education, socio-political and religious influence.

So what do you think about issues like female genital mutilation in cultures where it is their norm?

my opinion is that if the female population of the country decides its too cruel then they should do something about it but if they cant or will not, that is another question entirely.

 

But what if the nature of the culture is such that women aren't allowed to give opinions, period?

then the women will juz have to fight for their right to an opinion.

Easier said than done, but I understand your perspective.

[Dra_Mucd_Uha]

My morality hasn't really changed, except I find it easier to actually be a decent person now that I simply want to. As has been mentioned before, most of the 'good stuff' of the bible (don't steal, don't lie, love your neighbor) is pretty basic, universal morality. So my morals haven't really changed.

 

But since discovering xtianity is so much monkey's bathwater, I actually enjoy being moral. It's nice to be nice!

I'm the same way. I'm nice now for the simple fact that I want to be, I feel good about myself. I enjoy helping others and helping myself. I'm no longer kind for the sake of religion. When I do acts that are considered to be good, now I feel good about myself instead of thinking "Well... God worked through me again..." This does major harm to your self-esteem Now I understand that I am respinsible for my actions and what I do, and this allows me to feel good about myself, and be confident in who I am.