They can, theists just don't accept their reasoning. On the bright side this discussion has led me to a book on the subject, so well done!
Before I go, it's only fair to ask: What do you think is the basis of your morality? We know it's not the bible, which talks about genocide being an acceptable solution to...anything. Anybody who actually based their sense of morality on the entirety of the bible would be unable to function in modern society. Should we only follow the new testament? I don't remember anywhere that Jesus says "Oh, and all that stuff that was dictated earlier? Forget that. Doesn't apply anymore." Maybe you know of such a passage, in which case please tell me where it is.
We also know it's not god speaking directly to people, because if that were true everybody who follows god (well, your god) would think exactly the same thing on all moral questions. Unless you'd like to commit the No True Scotsman fallacy, and say that people who don't think the same as you on moral questions are not real christians? In which case, how do you tell the difference between telepathy from on high versus your own thoughts?
You must have stayed up last night watching the Red Moon, looking at the time stamp. I'll getting too old for that stuff.
Glad you found a book to get your morals from.
No one that I recall in this thread ever claimed that morals were from the bible or any other printing. Are there moral topic in the scriptures yes but man was here long before the law was give to him by God and morals still existed. There are moral people in societies to day that have never heard the words in that OLD ANCIENT BOOK.
But the bible does tell us where our morals come from. The term Greek, as used here is unbeliever.
There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Morality is about being able to know the deference between good and evil. The question or situation that was posted by jb about the boat was hard for you to answer because you know instinctively that it would be wrong to murder your friend, but you know there is only one way that at least one of you could come out of it alive. You answer was to attack God (if He exist) for creating you. You have the morals needed to tell right and wrong but in this case you would not had the ability to make that choice.
The above scripture speaks of a conscience bearing witness. The guilt you feel after you do an immoral act is testimony of the existence of God, you can't explain it away with science or man made laws. It has been in you as long as you can remember.
But hey, you're and accident or product of Luck so if your real luckily I will be wrong and that guilt you feel is just a chemical reaction of two evil atoms colliding with one good atom.
