-=Dark_Angel=-, P.I.1 Feb 2008

Sociopathy is a mental deformity. It has nothing to do with whether or not you believe in Jesu. I have never implied otherwise.

An no, I don't think instinct is magic. Ironically for you, that's what a religious person thinks. He thinks the world and everything that's in it was made by a magic man floating around in another dimension. I think instinct is a product of evolution. It's to our species' advantage that we have the capacity for empathy and co-operation. You can see similar traits in other social animals, like elephants, or chimps.

Finally, your point about humanist morality being derived from religion is the opposite of the truth. Nearly all religions (even ones you must think are made up) share common basic morals (don't murder, steal, lie, be gay, etc.) They all make wildly different claims about the nature of God, and they all have their fair share of claptrap morals (don't eat bats), but on the fundamentals they tend to agree. Why? Because they are man-made, not God-made, and it's human nature to behave in that way. If you truly think our basic morals are God's invention, then presumably you're of the opinion that before Moses came down from the top of Mount Sinai, the Israelites went about the place killing, stealing, lying, and adulterating at will.