Morality has nothing to do with God (and F* the Banks)Find out how I went there
I’ve been watching Morgan Freeman’s new Netflix series, “The Story of God.” In episode 5 he asks the question “Why does evil exist?” and toward the end of the episode speaks to a researcher to believes that in order for humans to follow the “rules” as they were, we must believe we are being observed.
AND MY REACTION IS… UMMM NO. AND HERE’S THE SHORT REASON WHY:
In his research, he puts young children in a game one at a time. Group 1 believes no one can see them, while Group 2 believes an invisible princess is in the room with them. As a result, Group 2 does not cheat but Group 1 does.
The researcher states this proves we are better behaved when we believe an invisible figure is watching over us. He goes further to compare it to adults who would steal from a bank if we believed no one would ever find out. He says if we believe God is watching, then we wouldn’t steal.
But I disagree with all of this.
To the children, the princess is a real person. In fact, he says she has the ability to make herself invisible, he does not say that she is always invisible. So in their minds, she could reappear at any moment.
THAT’S NOT THE SAME AS A BELIEF IN AN OMNIPOTENT AND OMNIPRESENT GOD.
FURTHERMORE, STEALING FROM A BANK IS NOT ON THE SAME MORAL LATITUDE AS MORE HEINOUS CRIMES SUCH AS MURDER AND RAPE.
I’d steal the money from the bank, no questions asked if I knew no one would ever find out and I’d receive no jail time, simply because my morality is not bound to man-made restrictions.
In Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, this is called Stage 6: Universal ethical principles. So in the bank example, I don’t believe money is of value and I don’t support the abusive system of currency or banks, so per stage 6, it is not unethical to steal from the bank and then use that money to assist those who have been oppressed.
ON THE OTHER HAND, NO MATTER WHAT, I’M NOT GOING TO KILL OR RAPE ANYONE BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD DO NO HARM UNTO OTHERS,
and on a deep spiritual level, it hurts even to just tell a lie to someone or to even just hurt their feelings unless they’re an asshole. But I still won’t take a life or abuse their natural human rights.
So someone out there is going to say…. “Well isn’t it doing harm to steal from the bank?”
DEPENDS ON HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE BANKS.
If I saw someone raping another person, I’m going to attack them and protect the victim. In my view of banks and the currency system, I constantly see people being abused by that, so to steal from a bank and then give that money to others and rebuild communities is a just and valid thing.
I don’t need to know that God is watching to stop me from killing or raping and in fact, I will steal that money if I can never get jail time because the Creator wants his creation to live safely and joyfully.
So his research is limited in that way.
PEOPLE WILL BREAK A LAW NO MATTER WHAT THEY BELIEVE OR DON’T BELIEVE ABOUT GOD. MORALITY IS NOT TIED TO THAT BELIEF.
I KNOW A FEW ATHEISTS WHO WOULD SAY THE SAME.
They would react to each situation above in the same way, they would not kill or rape,
