Breaking Political Myths Part 2

Political

Some of the concepts identified above are a part of faith-based morals and many exist independent of any spiritual or faith-based principles. But let’s examine one specific issue: killing. This has been appropriated by many religions, in particular Christianity, as one of the most fundamental issues of morality.

We know:

there are people who willingly kill (for different reasons) and people who refuse to kill (for any reason);
there are also people who believe in God and people who don’t;
there are people who believe in God and are willing to kill; and
there are people who don’t believe in God and are not willing to kill.

Logical conclusion: morality (respect for life) is not inherently religious. It can therefore exist beyond and outside of a religious belief.

Similarly, on the issue of cannibalism, I can’t imagine any Christian today saying such a practice is moral, and yet the Bible has many references that could be viewed to condone cannibalism.

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. — Jesus Christ. [The Eucharest] (John 6:55)

With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. (Lamentations 4:10)

I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives. (Jeremiah 19:9)

And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.” (Leviticus 26:29)

And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters. (Deuteronomy 28:53)

Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers. (Ezekiel 5:10)

This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him. (2 Kings 6:28-29)

Logical conclusion: morality (taboo against cannibalism) is not inherently religious. It can therefore exist beyond and outside of a religious belief. Moreover, these excerpts from the Scriptures further suggest that basic human morals trump even religious teachings which would appear to condone not only cannibalism, but infanticide.

Obviously, no political candidate has to campaign against cannibalism. It’s a universal taboo and (I sincerely hope) extremely rare. What I find interesting in the Scriptures I quote above is not that they actually may condone infanticide, but rather that, at least metaphorically, they may be condoning a sacrifice, choosing one life over another — something the religious right vehemently opposes (notwithstanding their support of a President who may not practice what he preaches).

Let’s briefly discuss our newly identified basic human morals in terms of the recent stem cell bill vetoed by Mr. Bush.

I was recently reminded of a pro-choice, pro-stem cell research riddle:

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