Atheist Morality Debate: Skierkowa's Opening Statement

[VpVanja]

By trying to negate that western moral is not derived form Judeo-Christian, you are cutting the branch you are sitting on.

[Skierkowa]

@VpVanja I think you meant to say "assert," rather than "negate," so I will assume you did. Please correct me if I've misunderstood.

That said, I have no particular desire make that claim. I don't even believe that. What I'm arguing is two things:

1: JC (Judeo Christian) tradition's influence was not "magical," and did not convey onto modern morality any insight that, however novel in it's time and place, could not have come about otherwise.

CONTINUED...

[Skierkowa]

@Skierkowa

...CONTINUED

2: "Judeo Christian," as it is understood in the West as a cultural phenomenon, largely means "Roman Catholic."** It is important to realize that the West was fundamentally Roman, for some until the fall of Constantinople, others the death of Charlemagne (this one is debatable). There was a lot of pagan influence on the culture itself and the Christian religion, which resonates just as much in the Western world as do the holy land roots of the faith.

CONTINUED...

[Skierkowa]

@Skierkowa

...CONTINUED

**This is not an insult, incidentally, from my point of view. I was Catholic myself, and while I grossly disagree with some their moral prioritizations, I am more-or-less respectful toward this culture, in general. I am a thoroughly Western individual, by today's memes, and I don't consider it a slight to be so.

[ignati123]

So in other words, we shouldn't take certain questions seriously?

But should we not debate? Should we not seek truth? How are we to learn truth if we choose not to answer certain questions, because of how ridiculous our Post-Modern culture claims they are?

[Skierkowa]

@ignati123 I'm afraid I don't understand your objection.  Could you clarify what part you are responding to?

[ignati123]

@Skierkowa Sure. If I understand correctly: You closed your argument by regretfully lamenting how it is so sad that we take certain questions seriously e.g. "can atheism yield a consistent morality?"

It sounded as if you were displeased that this question has arisen.

If someone came to me with a question like your example: "are women as intelligent as men" I would engage them in this debate instead of simply laughing at the question. I would also reiterate conclusions from previous debates.

[Skierkowa]

@ignati123

I don't think you and I mean the same thing by "taking a question seriously," at least in this context. It is not so much that we are discussing it in serious terms, that I object to, but the fact that a large portion of what is considered "polite society" in America actually take David's position on this question. It may sound elitist, but I think what we know from anthropology utterly explodes this view.

I certainly don't laugh at the question. I don't find bigotry to be funny.

[pakenhamin]

If only all debates between opponents were of the spirit I see in this debate. I'm enjoying both sides even with my christian biases.

[MasauFuku]

What's the name of the song in your intro?

[MasauFuku]

@MasauFuku Nevermind, found it.

[Skierkowa]

@MasauFuku "Only Half of What I Say is Lies."

[holdontoyourwig]

Your intro is sooooooo bloody long.

[Skierkowa]

@holdontoyourwig LOL! Alright, that settles it. I was waiting for someone to say something, and finally somebody did.

Yeah, I know, it's waay too long, but I liked making it a lot. I secretly hoped nobody cared that it was too long, but yeah, it totally is. I'll come up with something shorter by the next video I put out.

[holdontoyourwig]

@Skierkowa I was not asking you to change it. Its fine work but it is a bit on the long side. Don't change it for me please.

[Skierkowa]

@holdontoyourwig Don't feel bad, I'm not changing it for you. I already thought it was too long. Besides, it's not like I would take down the videos that already have it.

It's too long, because anybody who happens to watch two of my videos in a row, for whatever reason, has to sit through a minute-long sequence they just saw.

And it goes without saying that people who watch two of my videos in a row are people who should be treated like royalty, so they should never be inconvenienced.