Why Religion can be the Worst Basis for Morality

Theists would often argue that without faith in a god, morality would practically not exist.

History however, has a different, very, very interesting story to tell. At least with the Abrahamic faiths, it is clear that what we now would term cruel and inhuman, or patently grossly immoral, were in fact enshrined in the religious dogma's and writings of the three religious traditions of the Abrahamic faiths. For one, the Bible alone is replete with what we today would call human rights violations. The pentateuch or the first five books of the Torah is a repository of immorality and brutality. Exodus chapter 21 alone espouses for example the selling of one's daughter to slavery, sanctions the acquisition of slaves and even advocates death for those who physically hit their parents. I do not need to name more, just read the bible and one will discover that if it were the guide for man's morality during the last five hundred years, it's no wonder wars were a common occurrence.

If anything, religiosity has only made man more insensitive, brutal, even callous to others. This is exemplified by the reaction of certain Christian denominations in predominantly Christian Dominican Republic as rumors are circulating that the new U.S. ambassador that may be sent by Obama to the said country is gay. Talk about Christian love!