My niece asked:
If there is no God why can’t I do anything I want, including killing someone for being a bad person?
Posted: February 5th 2010
Daniel Midgley www
We might just as well ask, “If there is a god, why can’t I do anything I want and then pray to be forgiven?”
If gods don’t exist, then it’s not possible to 'sin’. But it’s still possible for us to do rotten things that hurt ourselves and hurt other people. And no supernatural being is going to magically forgive us. The responsibility for our actions is on us.
That’s why we need to act ethically and think carefully about the consequences of our actions. We only get one life, so it’s better for us if we live it wisely and responsibly. We should also treat other people well, because they only get one life too.
Posted: February 7th 2010
logicel
So you and your niece don’t kill because there is a god?
Ooooh, scary people!
I never had god belief, and I have never seriously considered killing anyone. What is wrong with you? If someone is bad you focus on bringing her to justice via our legal system.
When an idea of revenge enters your brain, what do you do? Give in to it? No, you don’t, because evolution has given you a sense of morality which includes not killing others for the pure joy of it.
Much ado over nothing, methinks.
Refer to this similar question for additional answers.
Posted: February 7th 2010
SmartLX www
Because the punishments for doing so, and the rewards for not doing so, are not limited to a hypothetical afterlife.
If there’s no God then you have one life to live, and doing anything you want without worrying about earthly consequences is a great way to screw that life up in a hurry.
Posted: February 6th 2010