General News “Decapitate her head off”: Phil Robertson’s vile message to atheists

Exactly. This is what he is saying. My response to that is that it makes virtually anyone who believes it evil by default, and anyone they are using that argument against good by default. The underlying argument here is that the individual being hurt (the Atheists in this case), are capable of discerning socially acceptable behavior from anti-social behavior. However, the individuals engaged in horrific acts, in this case Christians who have been freed from threats of eternal damnation because there is no God, are now going to run rampant engaging in horrific acts of anti-social behavior such as mass rape, mutilation, terrorism, and murder. Why? Because they can.

The entire premise is based on the argument that Christians are only moral people because they are afraid of burning in Hell. Once you take that away from them, according to this argument, they turn into savage animals that cannot be trusted.

I reject this claim, because I think Christians are capable of being good people with out God. However, this is Phil's argument, and it is the argument you are supporting. Now, if you want to support this, I have no problem with that. It just makes Christians everywhere look horrible, which as an Atheist does not bother me one bit.

There is no such thing as morality being written on "everyone's heart." Morality for most people is defined by culture. This is why everyone here, despite being of different belief systems, can be horrified by Phil's comments. We all agree that mass rape, mutilation, terrorism, and murder are bad things. Even Phil thinks that, which is why he is using them in his example. We all agree on this because we were raised in a culture and a society that rejects the types of behaviors and actions he all too gleefully outlined.

The problem is that not everyone thinks these are bad things in all circumstances. People, even here where there is strong agreement about many things, will disagree over what constitutes rape, mutilation, terrorism, and murder. We have these arguments all the time. Some people believe abortion is murder, and others do not. Some people believe the death penalty is murder, and others do not. Some people believe circumcision is genital mutilation, and others do not. Some people believe that having sex with someone you know has had a lot to drink is rape because their ability to consent is inhibited due to the alcohol, and others do not. And of course, one individuals freedom fighter is always another individuals terrorist. On, and on, and on we'll go.

People should never follow something just because it "feels right" or reject something because it "feels wrong" -- this is what 'written on the heart' means. The values humans should hold can only be determined through logical reasoning, and then by looking at the evidence to support or dismiss those values. The values humans should hold should be an objective thing, not something left to the whim of feeling, culture, or religious texts. A value is something that should have to be defended as being a good value, there should be an argument behind it beyond simply, 'it's in the Bible.' Just because something appears in the Bible or some other religious book, or just because something feels right does not make it good or right.

Certain actions and beliefs will objectively lead to human flourishing, happiness, and a reduction in human misery and suffering. Certain actions and beliefs will objectively lead to human destitution, hopelessness, and increased human misery and suffering. Because of this values can be measured, and good values can be separated from bad values.

This is what real morality looks like.