@iblamebill
Here is your regular reminder that their morality is vertical and not horizontal. This is why appeals to empathy will not work to change their mind. Because their morality is not built on empathy. It's built on authority.
And Michael, the Christian, has demonstrated it right here with this comment. He's saying that God isn't really capable of killing anything because he created everything. So he's just uncreating. He's saying it's not wrong to take the life because he owns it. He created it and therefore he owns it. He created it and therefore he owns it.
He is bigger and stronger than everyone else. He has the authority to do so. This is a vertical moral system. Under a vertical moral system, murder is not wrong because it harms somebody. It's wrong because you don't have the authority to do it. But that also means that if you have the authority to do it, you can do it.
This is the problem with a vertical moral system. This is why they become so violent so quickly. Because all they have to do to convince themselves it's okay to kill someone is to convince themselves that they've been given the authority to do it by God.
Holocaust, slavery, colonialism, crusades.
Meanwhile, if you have a horizontal moral system, then you believe that murder is wrong because it causes harm. It's not about authority. It's about harm.
When you have a horizontal moral system, then you believe that murder is wrong because it causes harm. It's not about authority. It's about harm.
When you have a horizontal moral system, then you are criticizing a god that would kill people. Because it doesn't matter if that god is bigger or stronger. Might does not make right. It doesn't matter if he claims to have the authority. He's still causing harm.
But under that vertical moral system, then might makes right. It's authoritarianism.
And when their religion is authoritarian, then that means their moral system is authoritarian. And when their moral system is authoritarian, it will trickle down into all kinds of other beliefs, including their politics, including who they vote for.
And if they believe that God has ordained it, if they believe that the ultimate authority figure says it's okay, then it doesn't matter who it harms.
Appeals to empathy will not work because they don't get their morals from empathy. They get it from authority. They're authoritarians.
Here is your regular reminder that their morality is vertical and not horizontal. This is why appeals to empathy will not work to change their mind. Because their morality is not built on empathy. It's built on authority.
And Michael, the Christian, has demonstrated it right here with this comment. He's saying that God isn't really capable of killing anything because he created everything. So he's just uncreating. He's saying it's not wrong to take the life because he owns it. He created it and therefore he owns it. He created it and therefore he owns it.
He is bigger and stronger than everyone else. He has the authority to do so. This is a vertical moral system. Under a vertical moral system, murder is not wrong because it harms somebody. It's wrong because you don't have the authority to do it. But that also means that if you have the authority to do it, you can do it.
This is the problem with a vertical moral system. This is why they become so violent so quickly. Because all they have to do to convince themselves it's okay to kill someone is to convince themselves that they've been given the authority to do it by God.
Holocaust, slavery, colonialism, crusades.
Meanwhile, if you have a horizontal moral system, then you believe that murder is wrong because it causes harm. It's not about authority. It's about harm.
When you have a horizontal moral system, then you believe that murder is wrong because it causes harm. It's not about authority. It's about harm.
When you have a horizontal moral system, then you are criticizing a god that would kill people. Because it doesn't matter if that god is bigger or stronger. Might does not make right. It doesn't matter if he claims to have the authority. He's still causing harm.
But under that vertical moral system, then might makes right. It's authoritarianism.
And when their religion is authoritarian, then that means their moral system is authoritarian. And when their moral system is authoritarian, it will trickle down into all kinds of other beliefs, including their politics, including who they vote for.
And if they believe that God has ordained it, if they believe that the ultimate authority figure says it's okay, then it doesn't matter who it harms.
Appeals to empathy will not work because they don't get their morals from empathy. They get it from authority. They're authoritarians.
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