I hope the readers aren’t suggesting that unless God exists, anything goes. Why would that be? Why can’t morality be concerned with human well-being, fairness, or respect for persons? Why must there be a supernatural dimension to it?

That’s Keith Burgess-Jackson (again), with a post on the ties between religion and morality. Interesting.

At one level, there’s a parallel in that excerpt to arguments I hear for the necessity of government. God and government, or we’re to hell in a handbasket. Curious though, isn’t it? In broadcasting such a warning, isn’t one really saying that their motivation for believing in God and government is as a hedge against immorality and predation? If so, then are their alternatives to both that might work as well, or better?

The central point here is that God is not the source of morality and the State is not the source of security. The source of both is to be found in the nature of the human animal. He’s just created God and the State in order to cope the two most profound issues of his life. Someday, the human animal will grow to learn that he needs neither fantasy in order to ensure his happiness and well-being.