- The message they should be getting ...
 But that would be a theocracy, saying that the message should be based upon God. While it would be commendable, society doesn't particularly care whether a would-be bank robber fails to be born again and dedicate or rededicate his life to God and to good works and to charity and alms giving and pilgrimages and contemplative prayer. Society is pleased simply that the bank wasn't robbed, and leaves the motivations to him and his God. |
A religious morality is one derived from any of the divinely-ordained religions, such as the desert religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as Hinduism. They all agree on significant moral issues. No one should be forced to worship God, or adhere to the different and particular customs and usages of a religion, but everyone is obligated to adhere to the kindness of religious morality, regardless of their lack of personal beliefs.
Even if self-interest alone is to be your guide for life, then consider the fact that a religious morality is far superior to a half-finished, half-informed humanist one because a humanist morality is the product of a merely human intellect, with no wisdom. The world is full of surprises, and not all of them are pleasant ones. A humanist morality which precipitated the AIDS plague and can afterwards only offer bandaid solutions, had no way of foreseeing its terrible advent.
Religious morality is contained in these condensed Ten Commandments, and how much smaller our government would be if everyone adhered to those ethics:
Don't be cruel to yourself.
Don't be cruel to others.
Don't be cruel to God.
In other words: Be kind.