Religious people Quote by Sam Harris
““We are being offered a psychopathic and psychotic moral attitude… it is psychopathic because this is a total detachment from the, from the well-being of human beings. It, this so easily rationalizes the slaughter of children. Ok, just think about the Muslims at this moment who are blowing themselves up, convinced that they are agents of God’s will. There is absolutely nothing that Dr. Craig can s—can say against their behavior, in moral terms, apart from his own faith-based claim that they’re praying to the wrong God. If they had the right God, what they were doing would be good, on Divine Command theory. Now, I’m obviously not saying that all that Dr. Craig, or all religious people, are psychopaths and psychotics, but this to me is the true horror of religion. It allows perfectly decent and sane people to believe by the billions, what only lunatics could believe on their own.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The End of Faith, 2004
He argues that religious moral frameworks can justify extreme violence, and that such justifications are morally indefensible.
In simple terms: Religion can be used to excuse terrible acts.
Key Takeaway
Question religious moral claims.
Themes
religion
morality
violence
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- public policy
- interfaith dialogue
- education
- media discourse
Key Concepts
ethical philosophy
theology
Questions to Reflect On
- Can morality exist without religion?
- What safeguards prevent moral abuse?
A Different Perspective
Religious believers may reject this view; not all religions promote violence.
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