[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Awx Food for thought: If you don't believe in God, then you don't believe in Satan. If that's the case, you don't believe in good or evil. Morals come from a higher being (namely God) just as very well known, educated, and intelligent scientists and philosophers - Galileo, Newton, Socrates, Plato, and Kierkegaard (just to name a few) - would also agree. [/quote] Okay. You had me somewhat agreeing with you up until this point. Your line of reasoning in this statement is flawed and your use of these philosophers' names as a false testimony is both falacious and pretentious. From a religious standpoint, you are partially correct about morals. In the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, it says that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowlege and gained from the knowlege of good and evil (Morality). Since then, however, every human has been born with this concept ingrained deeply in their Psychy. However, Many bible scholars look at the Old testament from an allegorical standpoint. It is almost certain that most of the various characters in the Old Testament never existed and that their stories are used as teaching tools for the concept of morality. The story of Adam and Eve, for example, is probably an allegory for the evolution of humankind from "Cave men". Furthermore, Satan is not Evil itself, but an embodiment of Evil. The dual concepts of Good and Evil vastly predate the Hebrew faith, never mind its child religion, Christianity. Satan is portrayed in religious texts as a tempter. Someone who constantly tries to convince people to commit evil acts, but he is certainly not the actual sin or crime that is commited, is he? Lastly I want to tell both you and Anton that Human Nature IS to blame. Human Nature is steeped in the concept of duality. Without Evil, how can you tell what is good? Religion is simply another mouthpiece for the concept of Morality. As humans, we are naturally fallible, this allows outside influences to distort or manipulate our moral compasses. Humans commit Evil acts because they believe them to be good. There is no such creature that does Evil for Evil's sake. These factors allow the good teachings of religion to be distorted by thier followers, whether it be intentional or unintentional. Religion is no more to blame for this than Morality is. For in many ways, they are one and the same. [Edited on 08.01.2011 5:20 PM PDT]