Sun, 25. July 2010
The Christian Ethical Platform
Much is heard about ethics from people who believe that Christians are the sole authors and owners of ethical conduct. They believe, they really do believe, that Christianity conceived ethics single-handedly and that only Christians have an ethical code to live with. According to the more vocal Christian enforcers, the rest of us would be barbarians with no morals, if we were not forced to live by their 'Christian ethics.'
A few of the ethical standards Christianity have on sale might be described as lofty aims but they are generally the ethics that would apply to all walks of life. Many others are far less worthy. The Christian ethical platform appear to me to consist of five principal planks:
1. The critical importance of Christian recruitment, through churches, schools, radio, television, the internet, door-knocking and missionary expeditions etc. The brain-washing of small children is a crucial factor in this.
2.The imposition of 'Christian standards' on Society through active lobbying of governments to enforce or oppose the passage of certain legislation. By definition this also includes the ultimate desire for a theocracy.
3. Taking the law into their own hands to enforce their will or to extract revenge.
4. To ignore,discredit and cover up facts if they contradict Christian beliefs or threaten the existence of the church in any way.
5. The abuse of power to retain the 'free ride' that religion has unfairly enjoyed for centuries.
6. Sucking as much money out of their followers as possible.
So, these are the great Christian ethical cornerstones. Indoctrination of the gullible; bullying others; illegal actions; ignoring established facts; corruptly obtaining benefits; and money grabbing. These six planks are implemented by church leaders 'carrying out God's will' with the support of a faithfull flock - but they are hardly lofty ideals and are certainly not ethical. As L.K. Washburn concisely said, “Men would kill the truth if truth would kill their religion.”
Many people have their own 'unwritten list' of ethical standards to live their lives by. 'Live and let live' would be very high on many people's lists but this get's no mention in any of the multifarious Christian creeds. I can think of many, many grossly immoral acts that have been carried out in the name of Christianity but I cannot think of any moral act that can be carried out only by a Christian. Not one single child, in the history of human civilisation, has ever been bullied, molested, raped or tortured in the name of Atheism. The same cannot be said about Christianity and that statement is no less relevant today than it was in the Dark Ages, when for centuries the brutal and merciless rule of Christianity tortured, maimed and killed in the name of their vengeful but 'loving' god.
Ethics existed before Christianity blighted the occupants of this planet with it's false and unethical 'carrot on a stick' promise of post-mortem survival. Ethics exist, not because of religion but despite it. The hijacking of ethics and government legislation by vocal Christian lobbyists has always been a barrier to moral progress, simply because they aggressively defend the ethics and attitudes that were adopted by civilisations of yesteryear. We should be defining and refining modern ethics, without committing ourselves to the low moral standards that existed thousands of years in the past, when civilisation was in it's infancy.