A reddit user has posed the following questions and a disclosure about himself. His questions are indented
1) Where do you, personally, derive the feeling from that (human) life has any value? Is this even a valid question, or do you simply accept the feeling as an evolutionary instinct of sorts?
There is only one source, I value my life and I would expect others value theirs. Beyond this, I think the universe is indifferent to how I feel about my life. It is possible to argue that human life has no value to military strategists except as pawns or to ISIS except as a means to an end.
2) What would you say is the reason that atheists should condemn current and historical crimes against humanity, like genocide, colonialism or slavery, in case of the absence of any downsides for the side that commits those crimes?
Because they are human beings. The second portion of this question makes no sense.
2a) Context: All atheists I have ever spoken to do condemn these crimes, but were unable to explain to me why they did. “Because no human being should do that to another one”, or even the categorical imperative, do not really seem to apply when purely logically, there is no problem with the “strong” eliminating the “weak”. What am I missing?
It must be the case that you wanted an answer that maybe be transcendent that is why you find their answers inadequate.
Disclosure: I am a Catholic from Europe – not that it matters, but I guess the question would arise anyway. No, this isn’t flamebait, I am genuinely interested in understanding where some of “you” atheists are coming from. I tried to formulate my questions as clearly and respectfully as I could – if I failed, please excuse, I am not a native speaker, so I might be pressing buttons I don’t even realize are there.
Here we had a discussion on the same
Random thoughts 
For some reason, people of faith, mostly Christians like I was, want to push the narrative that God and his objective standard outside of our system, is the only ground of Truth and morals. They do this dishonestly by not admitting upfront that it what they are arguing toward (‘I’m a Catholic from Europe, not that that matters’) I call bs
LikeLike
It is not just Christians. The same can be said of Muslims.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think i detect a hint of lying ass x-ian seeking to foist his/her ignorant arguments upon atheists who are already light years ahead. Having left superstitious nonsense in the ditch.
LikeLiked by 2 people
As a charitable fellow, I will pretend the Catholic is a seeker.
LikeLike
You are the gentleman sir. An old gruff like me can only admire your patience. 🙂
LikeLike
You are too generous. I lose my patience easily with these fellows. He is lucky he isn’t here.
LikeLike
“I am a Catholic from Europe – not that it matters” Of course it matters to this person. It’s ALL that matters to them. “Dear atheist, since you don’t believe in my particular take on my particular god, I’m completely confused as to how you can have any sort of decent moral compass by which to live. See, even though I’m an atheist myself, when it comes to the thousands of other gods out there, I can’t get past the fact you, dear atheist, hope I’m being respectful here, don’t believe in MINE. Why not? Are you an immoral child-eating monster? I was indoctrinated from a very early age to believe in my particular take on my particular god. I was also taught those who do not believe as I do will suffer forever in hell as they have no morals. So, I ask again, my dear, sweet atheist, I am being VERY nice, why do you not accept what I accept as real exactly the way I’ve been taught to accept it? Is there something wrong with you? I certainly hope I’ve not offended you, dear atheist. I’m simply asking asking an honest question. Why would any one choose to live a moral-less life rather than accept all I believe as absolute truth?” $Amen$
LikeLiked by 2 people
Now, you my friend, has done a very nice job at translation from religio speak
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopeful I was not anything but nice to you while doing it, my soon to be burning in hell atheist friend. I’ll pray for you since you obviously don’t do it for yourself.
LikeLike
I hear Hell moved, shortage of real estate
LikeLike
This is just awesome! “Inspired” even. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Hope you weren’t offended at all as I was being really, really nice.
LikeLike
Penn Jillettes response to the question “If there’s no God, what’s to stop me from raping and killing everyone around me?” was:
“I do rape all I want. And the amount I want is zero. And I do murder all I want, and the amount I want is zero. The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine. I don’t want to do that. Right now, without any god, I don’t want to jump across this table and strangle you. I have no desire to strangle you. I have no desire to flip you over and rape you.” (Source}}
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that would be the response for any rational person. The theist is however not satisfied with it. He wants to know why
LikeLike
Well, I’m an atheist, and I eat human babies all the time. I rape, kill, rob, and pillage every day. Yep. my disbelief in Jesus cause me to do this. Thanks, and I hope I’ve not been disrespectful.
LikeLike
That was very disrespectful 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m very, very sorry. 🙂
LikeLike
Two hail Marys, one our father and some dollars in the offering plate will be your penance
LikeLiked by 1 person
The sad thing is, contra the original Inquisitor in the post, religious fanatics use their religion to justify, no ENCOURAGE these very things. ISIS is the present example, but there are certainly the witch hunting fanatics in Nigeria, the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda (remnants still exist), the peaceful Buddhist killing gangs in Burma.
So, their very belied in Allah or Jesus or Buddha or (in the case of the American State Chuch, capitalism) Profit (PBIN) causes (or justifies) them to undertake horrific crimes.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very true.
LikeLike
You disrespectful bastard! When is the last time you invited me over for x-ian baby BBQ?
LikeLike
Come over Thursday. I’m cooking Lutheran.
LikeLike
Hahaha. Will you have JWs as dessert?
LikeLike
Yes.
LikeLike
When we finally get rid of all gods we’ll then have the time, energy, mental capacity and resources to take care of human beings. It is religion that makes us inhumane, not non belief.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No. I actually disagree somewhat. Religion is not some outside source acting on human beings and cultures. It is generated by us and used by us to justify things we want to do for all kinds of often nefarious or hidden reasons.
The executives of Union Carbide did not need religion to justify building a chemical plant time bomb in Bhopal. Religion was only a justifying factor, not the motivator, in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Drug Gangs that have turned the Brazilian favelas into war zones do not need Jesus to instigate their territorial disputes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No. Religion is bad. I won’t argue with you because the fact that you can’t see that proves to me it’d be a waste of my time.
LikeLike
No. I am not saying “Religion is not bad”. I am questioning the proposition that eliminating religion (gods) would also miraculously eliminate the underlying human urges and social structures and primate aggressiveness that USES religion to justify rape and pillage.
Of course religion is bad. It’s a meme, a cultural aspect, maybe even a biological urge, that can justify terrible things. But it has survived because it also does some useful things for societies-or at least elements within societies.
LikeLike
There will always be a reason to go to war, even without gods.
Even without religion, there will be some ideology that will motivate people to hate the other and so on
LikeLike
You have a point there.
Gods have been used to make people obedient to the laws. That is why most lawgivers add; thus says the Lord
LikeLike
I’m going to be my usual self and say that no, human life does not have value- not in a real sense. The value we ascribe to it is a construct based on a number of different things which go from the fear of death to running a reasonably civilized society.
LikeLike
I agree with your usual self.
On an unrelated matter, could you in your historical studies looked at anything from ancient Egypt and the contribution of Africans, the black ones, to its civilization?
LikeLike
I believe Michael Jordan was once an Egyptian Pharaoh. I used to worship him as one, at least, in the 90’s. 6 championships, man! 6!
LikeLike
In the words of John Oliver, don’t bring feelings to a fact debate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
John Oliver’s awesome.
LikeLike
I like that fellow. He is interesting
LikeLiked by 1 person
And hilarious.
LikeLike
He was huge, man. Yuge!
LikeLike
What are you looking for specifically?
LikeLike
And history of the Luo/ Lwoo beyond South Sudan
LikeLike
This isn’t written down anywhere, but human life in America is worth exactly what monetary value it serves to the system of capitalism.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Brilliant, and sadly true, statement.
LikeLiked by 2 people
In the previous post, Ron shared a link which sowed we could be worth more dead 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not surprised.
LikeLike
Praise Be The Market and its Profits, errrr…,”Prophets”, the Bank Fraudsters and Spreadsheet Diddlers! PBIN!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Blessed be the profits and her prophets
LikeLike