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To: betty boop
"...if one cannot learn anything about "the rewards due him in an afterlife," one has no reason to alter his behavior in the here and now."

A common misperception.

It assumes that an individual is incapable of deciding right or wrong, ethical or unethical, and prudent or imprudent, without having Jiminy Cricket harping in his ear.

Not true.

The unnecessary breaking of glass is a wrong action. Why? Because it invites the occurrence of future harm to unknown individuals. It could even bring harm to the one breaking the glass.

Essentially, if you can't undo it, don't do it.

It's a kind of ethical, or practical standard for behavior.

Mindless destruction of resources is stupid, in addition to being wasteful. Why squander what could be of benefit if the circumstances change?

And these are rules that can benefit an individual in a society of only one. How much more beneficial could such actions become in a more crowded venue?

Some of us drive as though we own the road. But the more practical thing to do is to be cooperative.

The idiot who drives aggressively in a pedestrian-crowded parking lot seems unaware that in minutes the roles will be reversed, and he may become the selected prey of a vengeful driver in his own turn.

Most bad behavior is just another word for stupidity.

122 posted on 06/06/2009 2:53:44 PM PDT by NicknamedBob (Error is patient. It has all of time for its disturbing machinations.)
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To: NicknamedBob
It assumes that an individual is incapable of deciding right or wrong, ethical or unethical, and prudent or imprudent, without having Jiminy Cricket harping in his ear.

Is "Jiminy Cricket" your code phrase for Jesus Christ? Is He your Enemy?

Let's for the sake of argument say that an individual is capable of deciding right or wrong. According to what standard does he discriminate right and wrong? That is, how does he tell the one from the other?

124 posted on 06/06/2009 4:09:46 PM PDT by betty boop (Tyranny is always whimsical. — Mark Steyn)
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