How does an atheist know right from wrong?

[escapefromboston]

I assume you don't think its "okay" to have an extramarital affair? Do you?? I assume you don't browbeat people who don't smoke.
See she wasn't so great, though her books were okay. I am not bad mouthing your strongly held belief in "objectivism" I am only pointing out that Rand wasn't that great of a person. Thats all.

[LeGrande]

>> I will agree that they weren't attempting to eliminate god and religion from the government. They were simply trying to continue the divide and conquer strategy that they had imposed on the government itself (President, Congress, Judiciary). The result though was that America became the first country to take God out of the government. <<

That certainly was not an intended result! George Washington's second inaugural address made plain that he considered removing religion from government would mean the failure of the republic, warning against the godlessness overtaking the French.

Didn't George Washington kiss the bible when he took the oath of office?

George was probably right about the cheese eating surrender monkeys. I think the other George (Bush) was correct too, when he told the pro lifers that the way to win the battle with the abortionists was to change their hearts and minds. The battle is not Christianity vs the rest of the world, it is understanding vs ignorance.

I don't think we really differ too much in our views dangus although my religious preference would be closer to the deists than yours I think.

[dangus]

Well, I certainly agree with the last statement you made about Bush :^). But I would qualify it by stating at this time : Pro-lifers need a stronger consensus than they currently have. But if 70% of the country were pro-life, I think we'd still see 90% of the abortions we're seeing now... and at 90% pro-life, we'd still see 50% of the abortions. There comes a time to move from consensus-building to action.

[jwalsh07]

Like he said, it was a bald faced lie. At the time that was written a good percentage of the states had state established religions and did for some time after. And that was quite constitutional.

You don't know what your talking about and neither did the other guy. The one principle that this country was founded on and which still is the basis for American philosophy is this:

Rights are granted by the Creator, God. Not theocracy but theism writ large.

[WriteOn]

natural law

[jkl1122]

Just because some people choose to not act morally doesn't make object morality non-existent.

[packrat01]

An atheist in America, or a cannibal atheist elsewhere?

Somebody had to tell them (atheists) right/wrong, want ketchup on him/her?

[packrat01]

Is the US a religious government?

It's not supposed to be...

And if it is, what or who is its god?

Evolution is its' official state religion. Humanism is its' deity.

[packrat01]

The NET Bible translator notes for "murder", in Exodus 20:13

The verb jXr (rasah) refers to the premeditated or accidental taking of the life of another human being; it includes any unauthorized killing (it is used for the punishment of a murderer, but that would not be included in the prohibition). This commandment teaches the sanctity of all human life. See J. H. Yoder, “Exodus 20,13: ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’,” Int 34 (1980): 394-99; and A. Phillips, “Another Look at Murder,” JJS 28 (1977): 105-26.