CONTROVERSY ALERT: One does not need to believe in God or follow any religion to know that human rights must be an inherent part of being human. The Golden Rule and a deep understanding of personal integrity, merit, character, responsibility, love for others and oneself, and right vs. wrong also can work regardless of one's spiritual belief.
That can work for a generation, maybe two, after a society abandons its foundational beliefs. For most of our history, morals based on Scripture and Christian tradition were the waters we swam in, no matter our personal beliefs. Right now we're running on the fumes of 1500 years of Christendom.
What comes next is not a rational or even sane world. We can argue morals and metaphysical philosophies all day - Locke, Burke, Russell, Nietzsche, etc - but then the mob that believes in "do what thou wilt" comes storming through, and the oligarchy lets it happen because it serves its purpose.
CONTROVERSY ALERT: One does not need to believe in God or follow any religion to know that human rights must be an inherent part of being human. The Golden Rule and a deep understanding of personal integrity, merit, character, responsibility, love for others and oneself, and right vs. wrong also can work regardless of one's spiritual belief.
That can work for a generation, maybe two, after a society abandons its foundational beliefs. For most of our history, morals based on Scripture and Christian tradition were the waters we swam in, no matter our personal beliefs. Right now we're running on the fumes of 1500 years of Christendom.
What comes next is not a rational or even sane world. We can argue morals and metaphysical philosophies all day - Locke, Burke, Russell, Nietzsche, etc - but then the mob that believes in "do what thou wilt" comes storming through, and the oligarchy lets it happen because it serves its purpose.