Any society must have at least some rules of social interaction, otherwise that society can not exist. The most basic of these rules (rules about murder, theft, procreation, property, etc) are in effect what we consider moral rules – rules that describe what we consider as good or bad behavior. They are what constitutes basic morality. Thus by simply living together we’ve shaped, out of necessity, the basic moral codes, and they in turn shape us.

Animals do of course not formalize such rules to the extent we humans do. Never the less, we observe apparent moral behavior in many animal societies: elephants, dolphins, and bonobos helping injured members of the herd; buffalos charging predators to rescue a captured herd member; chimpanzees sharing their food when asked to; vampire bats regurgitating blood to feed other sick bats. A great many species of animals adopt or nurture younglings that are not their own – and sometimes not even of their own species. Rats have been observed in experiments to forego food when they know taking the food brings pain to another rat.

All of these behaviors we classify as altrustic and moral when exhibited by humans. I see no practical distinction that says humans behave morally in these examples, while the animals do not.

Morality is very much derived from what benefits the group, and so has been favored by evolution. It is, however, also derived from the sense of empathy we humans possess (and many animals, it appears – A recent experiment indicates dogs have a sense of fairness, refusing to cooperate when they feel unfairly treated compared to other dogs). Sometimes there’s no evolutionary advantage to altruistic behavior in animals, yet their sense of empathy seems to compell them. Is this moral behavior? For all intents and purposes, yes.

You can argue all you like that we humans didn’t naturally develop our rules of morality, and that we are moral while animals are not. But nature doesn’t seem to agree with you.

The Server Monkeys are sick.

“…like the social communities of Hitler, Marx, Stalin, etc?”

Funny how Richie names off communities dominiated by the cult of personality and purposefully forgets a few like, the Pope, Jim Jones, L Ron Hubbard, David Koresh and Charles Manson.

Further Hitler was a Christian. If you want to ignore what someone says in both their public and personal writings just so you can declare them an atheist, that makes you an atheist too Richie.

We have the choice to accept God’s ultimate morality.

The same kind of ‘choice’ you have when you get mugged, carjacked, raped, etc.

It would still be morally wrong for one to randomly murder the other because God has placed His laws on our hearts.

Yes, HIS laws:
Deuteronomy 17:12
Exodus 22:17-19
Leviticus 20:13
2 Chronicles 15:12-13
Judges 21:10-24
Numbers 31:7-18

Your case for having actually read the bible… not going so well.

The fact that I’m using the same p*ss-poor ‘logic’ Matt was using apparently didn’t register with you.

I’m so glad you agree with me though, as that kind of logic is inherently ridiculous.

Now if this message was a bit to complicated for you, here’s a simpler one – fuck off.

I’ll pray for you.

Prove it.