busmaster:
Sorry, I used the wrong quote in my previous reply - hope it makes more sense now.
Anyway - I agree that Christians should be the highest examples... I can think of no more amazing example in recent history than Mother Theresa.
Basically, the doing away with morals is part of the absurdification of humanity. I am very scientific, but not too the point of absurdity. You see, you can actually prove something false in math by reaching an absurdity - this is a key concept of Euclidian Geometry and Lobechefskian Geometry too.
The reduction of humanity to the absurd can therefore be regarded as a falsity. What reduces humanity to the absurd? Well, if we contradict "I think therefore I am", I think we've hit an absurdity.
The reduction of thought to pure chemistry... This is a biggie - that we don't actually think for ourselves, "thought" is just a series of uncontrollable chemical reactions in the reactor known as the brain. The reactions are pre-determined and controlled by the laws of chemistry and genetics - we simply "mimic" a "consiousness" in a form of delusion as these chemical reactions take place - we can't change or control the reactions, as there is no other part of the brain than the reactions themselves. The reactions follow neural pathways set by experience and memory, like circuits edged into a board. Some scientists have found that the area of the brain responsible for decisions does not actually become active until AFTER we act - therefore our sense of control is nothing more than a justification of past events.
I think the region of the brain we notice decisions in only acts after we decide because we don't really make decisions there. - we make them somewhere we cannot yet measure, detect, or observe - in our awareness. Call it a soul, call it a form of energy -whatever.
Take away that awareness and we are simply delusional, helpless masses of uncontrolled chemical reactions. We do not "think". We are absurd.
Reduction to absurdity is tempting because it removes all responsibility, guilt, and moral "bonds" - we answer to no one, and nothing - we feel like we are free in our helplessness.
But we become absurd.
If we have an "awareness" that we can actually control - and use to control ourselves - then suddenly morals become possible... nay - we get into a whole mess of personal responsibility and morality that many people cannot stand.
No - its safer to believe that our entire universe is limited to our 5 senses. We are perfect observers of a purely physical realm - there is nothing else, we are not responsible, we are not in control. Control is frightening.. control means we are responsible.
Well - we are in control of ourselves and we ARE responsible - to each other, to ourselves, and to the planet. And if there is a God - to it as well.