Morality

The term religion and God in this post refers to Abrahamic religions with an emphasis on Christianity as it is the bulk of my experience.  

I just finished listening to the audio book of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.  In the book he makes several arguments, not just about the fallacy of God's existence but about the uselessness of God.  He spends an entire chapter pointing out that we don't get our morality from God but rather from social and Biological evolution.   After listing a sting of horrific offenses advocated by God in the Bible he states "My point is not to say we shouldn't get out morals from God (though I believe that to be the case), my point is we DON'T get our morals from God. 
    I think that he can take this one step further.  I think it would be fair to say religious people (especially Christians)  have a stronger inclination to give up their morality in the face of God.  I am not even referring to the atrocities performed in His name.  My point is that if people have to settle for the idea that no matter what they do, no matter how hard they try they will always be covered in icky icky sin as long as they live, all because some ancient lady got hungry for exotic fruit:  then they have no need or incentive to be to good.  I can't be perfect so trying is only a let down.  We all like stories of how someone fought the nay-sayers and won anyway, but the truth is more than not if you have no positive influences in a situation...you're screwed.  Cleansing ourselves of sin is much the same.  After all if you are taught you carry someone elses mistake forever until you die, you start a step behind. 
   The problem get's worse when the natural byproduct arises.  If God tells everyone their evil, he needs to give them hope for finding heaven.  So BAM God will forgive you if you ask.   Any sin.  They are all the same in his eyes:  Littering-sorry God-Bam forgiven;  Arson- sorry God- Bam forgiven; Torture, Murder, Rape, Incest-sorry God- Bam forgiven.  Now their isn't even consequence.  You want in...fine apologize for pissing off God and your Golden. 
   This is FURTHER compounded by the idea that life here on Earth inherently sucks (yeah kinda)  but that the good stuff is waiting.  You're devaluing your currency here on Earth.  So why try and make this shithole better when you're moving on up to that Big Deluxe apartment in the sky. 
   Atheists don't have these safety nets.  We don't think we get some shiny penny for being forgiven.  Our morality come from evolution and we rational realize that it makes sense not to fuck around in this world because it's all we have.  If you only have one house that you are going to live in for the rest of your life, you keep it nice and in good repair.  If you decide you're living with someone for the rest of your life,  you are more inclined be nice to them.  But then we don't need the safety nets.  We don't some apple laden Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.  We know we can live a good and positive life if we try.  So we try.  We don't always win, and granted some don't try (but some Christians do).  But try or not, we know we have a chance to  be good, and no second chance if we aren't.

I have alot of catching up to do

I try to write here once a week and have been derelict despite having some good topics (at least 4)  I've wanted to mention.  It's late though and I needed to get this one out quickly before I forgot. 

Thank you

This Thank you is for my parents.  They probably could have done some things better in raising me.  Any parent could.  They did however give me one thing that I will never be without.  They never indoctrinated me. 
Though strong liberals and possessing of very specific spiritual views,  they never forced me to believe any of what they did.  They never pulled out a "because I said so"  or "It just is"  on social, religious, ethical or philosophical matters.  If I disagreed or asked why they explained as best they could the reasoning behind their beliefs.  As a result I hold some very seperate views from them these days.  However more so I tend to agree with them,  I think that there is a tendency towards certain viewpoints in those who refuse to brainwash their kids from a young age.  And that view of free thinking and self discovery is the utmost limit of the programming I received.  So thank you Mom and Dad.  I appreciate it and love you all the more for it.