Sunday, September 30, 2007

Cold blooded murder. Why not?

Okay, my new atheist friends. Here is your challenge for today.

I'd like you to give me one reason, both self-evident and independent of individual preference, why I shouldn't kill you and take your stuff.

I'm not talking about reasons like "Any idiot knows killing is wrong" (why would they know that if no one told them?) or "I wouldn't like that." (Well, I would like it. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not you. Why should I care about your suffering if I'm the one benefiting and I never have to answer to anyone for my actions?)

No, little ones, I'm talking about something inherent in the nature of the universe. Just what is it about murder and theft that you find so...um...uh...wrong?

Okay, let's say I'm killing you and taking your stuff and along comes a passerby. Why should this person help you? It would only endanger their own survival.

"Well," you say, "they might be next."

Okay, then let's assume that this passerby is infinitely more fit than me, the one doing the killing. They are in no danger, but they still have no reason to help. Why should they help you?

"Because I'll give them anything they want."

Okay, but let's not forget that this person is more fit than either of us. Now the question isn't, "Why should he help you?" but "Why shouldn't the passerby kill both of us and take both of our stuff?"

If you're a monkey being attacked by heinas and along comes a lion and scares them off, why shouldn't the lion eat you instead?

Really, will you guys stop riding on the coattails of religious morality and just admit what you actually believe in already. Animals kill other animals and take their stuff all the time. Why exactly should we be any different?

I think the terrible truth is that the new atheists can't admit that survival of the fittest (i.e. ruthless dictatorship) and nihilism are their only honest options as far as morality goes, because deep down they know they aren't the fittest. It's a superiority complex masking an inferiority complex.
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