Is God’s law relevant without enforcement?

[Greatest I am]

Is God’s law relevant without enforcement?

Most of us follow secular laws regardless of what our religious laws say.
In fact, those who sometimes follow what they think is the laws of God are often punished by secular law if the believer breaks a secular law in following the law of his God.
We follow secular law primarily for altruistic purposes or from fear of retribution or enforcement. That and most recognize that Biblical law is draconian, outdated and unworkable.

Has God then become redundant as most of us follow a secular God, so to speak, who can enforce and explain the logic behind that law and change them as we evolve?

Does that mean that the trend of religiosity will continue to decline, as it has of late, and that the near or further history of man will result in no religion at all or in one that has little to no meaning to the daily lives of the vast majority?

Having said this and if you think it holds some truth, do you think the religious should be confronted to help religion die as soon as possible?
Is religion, as it is, holding back other more worthy endeavors based on reality and not myth, fantasy and magical thinking?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victor-stenger/why-religion-should-be-co_b_775163.html

"Whoever imagines himself a favorite with God,
holds other people in contempt.
Whenever a man believes that he has the exact truth from God,
there is in that man no spirit of compromise.
He has not the modesty born of the imperfections of human nature;
he has the arrogance of theological certainty and the tyranny born of ignorant assurance.
Believing himself to be the slave of God,
he imitates his master,
and of all tyrants,
the worst is a slave in power."
--Robert Ingersoll

This quote, if true, shows that religions will never unite or cooperate enough to help us solve problems that can only be solved by a world government or world body that is given authority by the all of the people; religious or not.

Is it time for secular tolerance to be moved to a more firm demand that the religious of all stripe either accept their Gods as myths only so that we can progress or should secularists lay back and allow religions to keep us in our progressive doldrums as we see our world ecology and economies cause severe hardship for all of us?

Regards
DL

 

[Minor Axis]

From your link:

Religious extremists in America have tried to argue that atheism and secularism would destroy the foundations of society. Televangelist Pat Robertson has asserted that when a society is without religion "the result will be tyranny." In her book Godless, conservative writer Ann Coulter says societies that fail to grasp God's significance are headed toward slavery, genocide, and bestiality. Influential television commentator Bill O'Reilly has said that a society that fails to live "under God" will be a society of "anarchy and crime" where "lawbreakers are allowed to run wild."

Slippery salesmen...

 

[Greatest I am]

From your link:



Slippery salesmen...

Teflon.

Regards
DL

 

[BornReady]

I think religion is probably here to stay and I'm fine with that. As long as people don't hide behind their religion to justify bad behavior. But just as some will always be religious, some will not. And that's fine too. We don't need religion to have a moral society. What we need is empathy and cooperation.

I agree unenforced laws are not worth much. Even if someone believes they will be punished or rewarded in the afterlife it doesn't work as well as an immediate incentive. If you try to compensate for the delay by making the punishment and reward ridiculously extravagant then you will have trouble making people believe it. The best bet is to give appropriate punishment and reward as immediate as possible. Any animal trainer knows this. We're not as different from animals as we like to think.

 

[Greatest I am]

I think religion is probably here to stay and I'm fine with that. As long as people don't hide behind their religion to justify bad behavior. But just as some will always be religious, some will not. And that's fine too. We don't need religion to have a moral society. What we need is empathy and cooperation.

I agree unenforced laws are not worth much. Even if someone believes they will be punished or rewarded in the afterlife it doesn't work as well as an immediate incentive. If you try to compensate for the delay by making the punishment and reward ridiculously extravagant then you will have trouble making people believe it. The best bet is to give appropriate punishment and reward as immediate as possible. Any animal trainer knows this. We're not as different from animals as we like to think.

In some ways, they appear to be brighter in fact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIAoJsS9Ix8&feature=player_embedded

Regards
DL

 

[BornReady]

That's interesting.

Children don't develop critical thinking skills until later in life. This is actually good considering the tremendous amount that children need to learn in order to succeed in our complex society. They must be very good at absorbing information. But unfortunately this puts them at the mercy of adults to not teach them nonsense.

 

[Greatest I am]

That's interesting.

Children don't develop critical thinking skills until later in life. This is actually good considering the tremendous amount that children need to learn in order to succeed in our complex society. They must be very good at absorbing information. But unfortunately this puts them at the mercy of adults to not teach them nonsense.

A responsibility that literalists and fundamentals have not been taught to do well.

Bigots are taught to be bigots , they are not born that way.

Regards
DL

 

[BornReady]

I was indoctrinated with fundamentalism as a child. I was taught not to question what I was taught or God would be very angry. I was almost 40 years old before I started thinking for myself. Beliefs that children form (even irrational ones) often hang on for a very long time. This, of course, is why people who wish to indoctrinate children try to get to them young.

 

[Greatest I am]

I was indoctrinated with fundamentalism as a child. I was taught not to question what I was taught or God would be very angry. I was almost 40 years old before I started thinking for myself. Beliefs that children form (even irrational ones) often hang on for a very long time. This, of course, is why people who wish to indoctrinate children try to get to them young.

Let's thank God, so to speak that you shed that curse.
I also hope that many hear your voice and think about it.
Both the poor souls still trapped in someone else's thinking and parents that force such indoctrination on their children.

Perhaps some day, secular government will recognize it as the child abuse that it is.

Regards
DL

 

[sexysadie]

Have mercy....lmbo