If the ultimate source of all morality is God...(see below)?

Question

...and if a strictly Darwinian approach must invariably lead to a "I got mine, s***w everybody else" way of life, then why do capuchin monkeys show an inherent tendency towards generosity and compassion towards their friends and relatives?

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/08/26/monkeygiving.html

Answer 1

C'mon Rev, God obviously gave these monkeys Free Will.  Geez.

(And yes, I know this is an apples and oranges situation, but ignoring logic is just so common in Fundie answers- I'd thought you would appreciate the subtlety.)

Answer 2

Social contract.  Getting along and supporting the tribe are critical to our survival as a species therefore this sort of morality was strongly selected for.

As you well know. LOL

Answer 3

You take away their bananas and see what happens.

Answer 4

The goodness of God is in all creation however the corruption of sin is also pervasive hence the presence of both in all species ,creatures and so plants too. Those that choose symbiosis and those that choose parasitic existences!

Answer 5

"But ask now the beasts, and they will teach you." Job 12:7

Answer 6

Because like humans survival of the species depends on cooperation.  The more you cooperate the more likely you are to find food, shelter and live a better life.  A better life means that you're more likely to reproduce and your offspring is more likely to survive.  

Humans aren't the only critter that do this.  Insects like termites, ants and bees also live a cooperative life.

Answer 7

Just so you know, the Bible also says that God writes his laws on every human being's heart. Animals live by instinct.  The Bible (in Job)also points out that some animals do not care for others of their kind.  As you correctly pointed out, some animals do.  I believe in creation and microevolution.  Regardless of what the Darwinian approach is, humans are intelligent so why would anyone, Christian or non-Christian, assume that  'everyone will assume the "I got mine, s***w everybody else" way of life'? (You must mean to say everyone will assume this way of life because many people are already living this Macchiaveli type of life). There's your answer.

Answer 8

as far as i'm aware, most atheists don't follow the "law of the jungle" or "dog eat dog" lifestyle, and many refer to themselves as "humanist", i.e they try and serve humanity, but have no belief in God/gods. surely if you believe in Darwin, you believe in evolution, and mankind has evolved to realise that serving him/herself and no-one else does not bring true peace of mind

Answer 9

If the ultimate source of all morality is God, we're all screwed.

Answer 10

Why is the child beautiful thereby attracting the care of the parents?  

Why is the young lady beautiful thereby attracting the affection of the husband as well as the husband's family?

Why is this generally true for all higher species at least of this earth planet?  

An attractive principle exists.  Similarly, relationships exist in all higher species of the earth.  

Could there be some higher cosmic, more spiritual order from which all this is actually originating from?  Is this origin beyond the evolution concept of Darwin?  Should we at least consider this a theory worth considering?

Morality has often referred to control of s*x desire, however, morality also generally refers to self control.  That self controlled would have to be the temporal self.  Assuming there is a Supreme Being,  a one Supreme God, He would not be of our temporal biological state of being.  

Is there a Supreme Being existing in an eternal realm where everything is perfect.  Could God be compared to the mountain spring that is pure and fresh, but further on down the mountain the spring water becomes mixed with mud and so many other contaminations?  

Answer 11

God made the capuchin monkeys too...

Come on, that was too easy for the fundies!!  

Answer 12

That's the way they were created...

Answer 13

the invention of god is the one thing for which i can never forgive humanity... Marquis De Sade.

We'd be better off like him. I mean, look at the OT god.

Hail Roman the goldfish who would also make a better rolemodel.

Answer 14

It's not just capuchin monkeys, my friend.  You can see examples of this behaviour in many animal species.

Answer 15

Probably because they behave in ways that get the most for them in the end.  By sharing and caring the group benefits, and the biggest sharer winds up with the biggest share, as well as the approval of the community.

Answer 16

Probably because all living things appreciate being treated in a compassionate way.

Answer 17

Oh come on  - it's because God made capuchins too, obviously!

Although why he did not make most other species similarly altruistic I have no ideaw.....

Answer 18

OMG - - IT"S B?C THEY ARE NAMED AFTER CHRISTIAN MONKS!!!! OBVIOUSLY!!! ROTFFL PWN"D

But seriously...

It's a good point.  Many scientists and philosophers alike have argued that altruism is both natural and beneficial for many individual organisms and species as a whole.  

To use on of my favorite quotes to illustrate the converse, "It doesn't take religion to make a good person act well or to make an evil person act wickedly, but to make the good act wickedly, that takes religion."

Answer 19

Because people who think we get morality from religion fail

Answer 20

BUT BUT BUT THE BIBLE IS PREFECT!!!22

Answer 21

Well.......one short answer to this is:

Darwin, although an important contributor to scientific thought,  was not the Creator (God) so he is not the authority on creation.

The attributes of the Creator can be found reflected in his Creation - to different degrees and in an infinite variety of means. However, man, because he has been given free will to a degree that far surpasses any other animal, can go against the 'intended' Will of the Creator for him. One way of looking at it is the God has set up the universe with spiritual laws, just as with material laws (like gravity) and that whatever choices we make.....there will be a consequence.....though it make take many years for us to see it. [or the consequences may be readily apparent AFTER we leave this material existance].

The trick is to find the 'instruction books' from the Creator. Baha'is believe that God sends His Divine Instructors every 1000 years or so and that we have to turn to the most recent Instructor as He has the teachings that are most appropriate for today. These great Teachers always accept the Teachers of the past and promise Teachers that will come in the future. It is the followers of those Teachers that mess everything up.

We need to be humble and realize that this Creation is so magnificent and unlimited that we can never fully understand it. Just look at the advances in astronomy and quantum physics in the past 100 years! What we know today  will be considered infantile in the future.