I consider objective standards in the humanities, morality, and religion to be a logical fallacy. Even the precepts and ideas carved-in-stone tend to change over time.

In the physical sciences most objective standards are highly subject to local conditions. The speed of light in a vacuum and so on.

I think the soft sciences are even more subject to the observer effect than the hard ones.
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I prefer to use respect when possible, it makes things easier. I read many sites, although I only comment on a handful. I do this because I'm interested in people and what they think, not because I am out to convince anyone. Tacere is part of how I face the World.

Short of crawling into someone else's head, I've no way to rate morality except behavior. I don't think I'm wise enough to judge by anything else. For me at least, so far that has proven effective.

You hae a point about higher morality, but I am not sure it's workable for me.
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In my book, he runs about 35% interesting. Every once in a while he's right, and sometimes he's dead accurate.

I just don't like him libeling other faiths. Particularly when his knowledge comes more from Hollywood and online games than actuality.
➢ original thread

Fair point.

Considered from a fictional objective standard, one religion isn't necessarily morally superior. Many claim to be so, but they require the believer to accept at least some of their moral premises and then dismiss other religions don't accept those moral premises.

Personally I make the distinction between faith and religion. Faith is between you and the Divine, no one else. Religion is the system to get you to faith, and more often than not to restrain your actions.

"…I saw that what had repelled me were the actions of individuals, not the tenets of their faith.

Exactly.

The existence and nature of the Divine is an act of faith. Any logic is going concerning the Divine is going to be self-referential. This doesn't "prove" or "disprove" the Divine, it just means that unless people share a common belief, religion isn't going to make sense. It's not just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, it's if the angels are baseball fans or football fans.

There is no sturdy foundation for building a higher morality within the framework of religion unless everyone concerned shares the religion. Or at least shares similar religions. It's all individual choice. Your morality may be defined by your religion, but that is your choice. Your choice doesn't bind your neighbor any more than their choice binds you. To me that means that any common morality has to exist outside a religious structure. I know of no better example than the Ethic or Reciprocity. I've argued elsewhere that the EoR is the keystone of Western Civilization and one of the few things that humans share outside a cultural context. We know it works.
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I just don't think that a religious label accurately reflects morality. You're not a better person because you are Christian, Jewish, pagan, Buddhist, or Muslim. You are a better person because of how you treat others.

And if the religion doesn't tell you anything about a person's morality, then maybe we should stop emphasizing the label over the action. A man is measured in the lives he touches.
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You've got one person who keeps asking for proof of your smear allegations.
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I didn't say anything about living for oneself. I disputed that any religion has an exclusive claim on higher or more effective morality.

I'm a man of faith, just not one you are used to dealing with. I don't care about the merits or failings on your faith. I'm more interested in how you treat others.
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