Garling Gauge

Doug Giles and the Twelfth Commandment

Doug Giles is the center of his own universe

Giles asserts Christianity is the center of atheist morality

In the May 26th, 2007 article by Doug Giles, Hey Atheists … Get Your Own Moral Code, Giles argues that atheists can not have a strong moral code in which God and the Bible are irrelevant, and yet follow moral and ethical codes “similar to the principles inherent to the Judeo-Christian traditions”.

The question is, why not?

Since Gaylord Parkinson/Ronald Reagan safely coined the eleventh commandment (they can have it), Giles must have proclaimed the twelfth: Do Not Mimic Me!

In Giles own words:

“The problem I have, however, with the atheists and their goodness and their morality claims is that all your ethical codes of conduct sound strangely similar to the principles inherent to the Judeo-Christian traditions.”

Why is that a problem?

You would think that Christians would be pleased to have atheists follow moral and ethical codes similar to Judeo-Christian principles, even if they do not subscribe to a religious doctrine.

The evolutionary river of moral responsibility has many tributaries, Judeo-Christian traditions amongst them. Obviously the Bible has some good ideas in it, how else could it have endured so long as such a powerful force. But arguing that atheists cannot adhere to a moral and ethical codes similar to those in the Bible is self-righteous Christian egomania.

You can live a life with high moral and ethical standards without ever hearing of a book called the Bible. Judeo-Christian traditions are part of human heritage, and atheists living a life of high standards are going to use the most fruitful ideas humanity has to offer, while rejecting what they view as the rotten ones, such as religion.

Giles explains how atheists should act:

“If I were an atheist and I believed that God didn’t exist, that the Bible was a bunch of weird bunk written by religiously deluded men several thousand years ago, that Jesus was an apocalyptic, sandal-wearing, hippie forerunner of David Koresh who went around spitting out cheeky clichés who needed not to be heeded, but straight-jacketed or at least ignored—I sure as heck wouldn’t be borrowing any tidbits of His wisdom to navigate my life’s glide path.”

Giles is mistaken in his belief that atheists have hand-picked parts of ‘God’s wisdom’. Atheists believe morality and ethical responsibility are human traditions, human principles.

Mr. Giles’ statements expose the root problem of many unnecessary tragic human conflicts around the globe and throughout human history, all stemming from religious perspectives.

Would the Crusades have occurred without the impetus or excuse of religion? Would the women of Salem have been viewed as witches without God in the mix? If the Middle East was secular, would there be as much conflict and tit for tat murder?

Many religions assert that their way is the correct one, and all others will suffer if they do not convert. Many faithful feel it is their duty to convince other people that they should believe in the mythology they do.

While Mr. Giles has the right to speak his mind, it is difficult to respect those who feel you are wrong (or simply going to burn in eternal damnation) if you do not share their beliefs. It is doubly difficult to respect those whose religious beliefs promote the indoctrination of others. Just the other day Mormon missionaries knocked repeatedly upon my door. What arrogance.

While Giles is not attempting to indoctrinate anyone with his article, he is claiming morality as if Christians invented it.

He asks to atheists the following questions and offers suggestions:

“Are you going to continue to blather on about there being no God and then live like there is one and that His word and will matters? Get consistent, why don’t ‘cha? Don’t live by the Ten Commandments. Don’t live by the Golden Rule. Don’t do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That’s our stuff. That’s the Judeo-Christian way.”

That’s our stuff?

I’m afraid Mr. Giles is mistaken again. Some of the Ten Commandments are simply common sense rules to live together in an honorable society, such as Thou shalt not murder. Um, duh. The “Golden Rule” has also been around a lot longer than Christianity and is packaged in many forms. I’m sure you’ve seen the poster:

Poster

By subscribing to religious doctrine the faithful are donning their belief-blinders, shunning the ideas of other religions, secularists, and philosophers, and unable to see the cornucopia of ways others choose to live a moral and ethical life.

Just as many once believed the Earth was the center of the universe, Mr. Giles demonstrates what many faithful still believe, that their religion is the center of the universe, and what is similar to it must be based upon it.

Doug Giles fails to recognize that morality and high ethical standards are principles created by people, not the divine. By following high moral and ethical standards, atheists demonstrate that you do not need religion or the belief in a supernatural being to live a life of virtue.

I’m sorry Mr. Giles, but faith and morality are separate issues.