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Essays From Robert Boomsliter

Masaccio_-_The_Expulsion_from_the_Garden_of_Eden

Morality

Most of us no longer believe it is right to put to death an individual who works on the Sabbath, particularly when that individual does not subscribe to the concept.

We also mostly agree that wearing clothing comprised of more than one type of fabric, eating shrimp, and neglecting to make regular blood sacrifices are behaviors that need not deserve the ultimate penalty.

At present, it is obvious that slavery and the oppression of others (such as women) is not morally correct behavior.

Morality appears to vary over time and, in the case of Christianity, it always seems to require ignoring or reinterpreting parts of the Bible containing direct instructions from God. So it is a process which takes place much slower than it could.

I believe that changes in opinion on these matters have been for the benefit of mankind and not a decent into evil ways.

All of these absurd perspectives were once accepted and embraced as common and obvious wisdom. Similarly, many still hold the view that homosexual behavior is unnatural and chosen behavior against the will of the Creator.

I am at an advanced age and will probably not live to observe it, but I am optimistic and expect future generations will come to see this view as primitive and as barbaric as we currently see blood sacrifice.

This optimism predicts that Islam will eventually tend to evolve towards rationality the way Christianity has and humanity may survive the inevitable confrontation of values which have never been based on reason or the consequences for our well-being.

After all, cultures which require divine ghosts and zombies to be a part of reality cannot be expected to make rational choices in public policy, nor can they maintain control of people’s minds indefinitely.

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