> I have just resubscribed to the Reflector after a 3 months world trip
> and I saw this from you:
>
> DM>My name is Derek McLarnen. I live in Canberra, Australia. I am 41
> >years old, married with 5 children and work as a telecommunications
> >consultant. While a nominal Anglican (Episcopalian is the US
> equivalent,
> >I think) and mostly living by Christian ethics, I classify myself as
> an
> >agnostic philosophically (since I don't know whether any deities
> exist),
> >and as an atheist for practical purposes (since I live as though no
> >deities exist). Technically, I suppose I could classify myself as a
> >modernist, but I don't see a compelling reason to do so. I have a
> strong
> >interest in exploring the areas where religion and science intersect,
>
> >but I am an amateur in these disciplines, not a professional (unless
> >someone can find me a place where religion intersects with
> >telecommunications theory or practice).
>
> Firstly, how are you my old friend?
Really well. I'll send you a personal message soon.
> There seems a contradiction between "...and mostly living by
> Christian ethics" and "...I live as though no deities exist..."? If
> there *really* was no Christian God, why live "by Christian ethics"?
Because they work for me personally, and they appear to have a
moderating effect on my society.
Because the Christian ethical system is generally familiar to most
Australians and, if I am seen to live by this system, it is easier to
form personal and business relationships based on trust than if I were
living by an equally ethical, but less familiar, system.
Because I have self-discipline, I don't need there to be a God watching
me constantly to ensure that I behave ethically.
> If I were convinced that there was no God, the logical thing for me
> to to do would be to screw everyone as much as I could (including
> lying, stealing and cheating), but all the while pretending to be a
> nice guy so they couldn't retaliate. That would maximise my
> advantage while minimising my disadvantage.
Too simplistic. Firstly, such a lifestyle would be enormously stressful
and your health would suffer. Secondly, however good you were at
pretending, someone would be better at seeing through your pretence;
therefore you would be exposed and rejected by your society. Thirdly, if
you chose to act this way in the absense of a God, you would be a
rarity; there are many societies that do not believe in an all-seeing,
all-judging God but have not descended into anarchy.
> Seasons greetings.
And I hope you had a Merry Christmas, too.
--RegardsDerek
-----------------------------------------------------| Derek McLarnen | dmclarne@pcug.org.au || Melba ACT | dmclarne@nccdcfsg.telecom.com.au || Australia | | -----------------------------------------------------