Religion
In reply to the discussion: Where do you atheists get your morals? [View all]D23MIURG23
(2,845 posts)This is the same reason why our secular legislative and judicial system are a superior source of law to the theocratic system of Saudi Arabia. If our government is functioning correctly it assesses potential policies in terms of costs and benefits to humans and other inhabitants of the planet. It doesn't accept arbitrates that are more harmful than useful, such as the following:
exodus 21:17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
I'll grant that religious people often don't follow the majority of the dictates found in their religious texts, or historically associated with their religions, but in doing so they are allowing their morality to become less theological and more secular.