Atheists
frequently invoke a dastardly indictment, accusing theists of being the same as
them. The horror. They argue that theists merely claim to follow a higher moral
standard; when in fact, they are really just following their own conscience,
just like atheists. That is to say, they contend that theists are really just taking scripture and interpreting it to fit the moral zeitgeist of the times,
and not extracting from the Bible a divine moral code.
I understand this point, and do not
find it without any merit; but I think it ignores a fundamental truth. In other words, there is
little honesty in saying that religious people do not allow their own hearts to
guide them when interpreting written texts like the Bible. Indeed, even the most
avid fundamentalists do not possess immunity to this bias; disagreement amongst
fundamentalists has to come from somewhere, right? Yet, assuming of course the
Bible reflects any degree of a divine will, the forthcoming morality is not the
same as that which comes from an atheist’s heart.
First, let me ask you a question: Do
you think that when interpreting laws, a judge's control over people is more constrained than the legislature who may make those laws anew? I assume
the answer is yes. This is because the judge must fit his version
of justice into a pre-existing moral framework, i.e. the one previously set out
by the legislature. Whereas, the legislature is not similarly bound.
So now let's apply it to humanity.
Who is more bound -- or stated differently, guided -- by an external and higher
moral standard? The religious person who must at least pre-textually pay homage
to a written code like the Bible, or an atheist who must not take similar steps? The answer should be apparent. It is the theist who is more guided. Therefore, herein lays the difference between a religious person and an atheist. Even
though we must filter biblical morals through our own conscience, we still can
come out with a less bias result.
Is that a good thing? I think so.
Just like we would not like judges
making up laws as they go along -- we want them somewhat constrained by the
democratic will -- so, too, a human's inevitably biased and self-centered heart needs to be
constrained by some higher moral will as well. Because, if for nothing else, while bad religion does
exist, when evil marches under the banner of secular ideologies like Nazism,
Communism or Maoism -- where the only constraint is a dictator’s demented heart --
the ensuing death and suffering knows no equal.