Monday, June 3, 2013

Lions, Gorillas, Androids, and God

Popular atheist arguments against God include:

"Yahweh, as described in the Bible, cannot be good because a good God would never kill women and children."

"My moral values are far superior to Yahweh's morals in the Bible!"

Yet, atheists do not impose human moral values and obligations upon lions, gorillas, or grasshoppers. We don't put a lion on trial for "murdering" a gazelle or even a human. We don't put a gorilla on trial for "murdering" a fellow gorilla. The reason for this, is because atheists realize that moral values do not apply or work the same way across different species.

In addition, if we humans were to invent a race of androids like "Data" in Star Trek the Next Generation, we would program our moral values into the androids, and we would reserve the right (as creator/inventor) to deactivate the androids if they began to interfere or impact our lives negatively, began hurting people, or even if they began destroying our property or other androids. (A similar example would be the right of a society or government to arrest, punish, or put to death dangerous criminals)

Both of these principles (the acknowledgement that moral values don't apply the same across different species, and the right of a creator of androids to deactivate dangerous ones) should be pretty self-evident, even among atheists. I know I would be very interested in seeing atheists make any logical arguments against these two principles.

Now apply these principles to Yahweh-- Yahweh (if He exists) is a different species than we are, and therefore, we know that we don't have the right to impose our human moral values and obligations on Him. In addition, assuming He exists, Yahweh created us and governs us, thus giving Him the right to "deactivate," "arrest," or "put to death," any evildoers that He deems dangerous.

Once we get atheists to agree on these two principles, they end up losing many of their moral arguments against Yahweh or against any other "God." But if atheists still cling to those arguments even after admitting they are faulty, they are showing their double-standards, illogical thinking, and desperation.

Another key point: In order for atheists to claim moral superiority over the God of the Bible, they must be using a separate (3rd party) standard or umpire of morality, by which they are judging Yahweh "inferior" to their own moral values. But, when asked about this, atheists will acknowledge that no such standard of morality exists in reality. All moral values are subjective and relativistic within the worldview of atheism.

One more thing: If atheists are not under moral obligation to save gazelles from lions or to save every gorilla from being attacked by another gorilla, then why would Yahweh be under moral obligation to save every human, especially since the Bible says that comparing God to humans is like comparing humans to grasshoppers?

If atheists feel no guilt in killing insects or killing cows, pigs, chickens, etc., then why should God feel guilt in killing human beings?

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