And do*

Unless you're a follower of a new religion, those "beliefs based on good morals" were the good morals of 2000 years ago. Don't you think humanity has made tremendous progress since then? We've constructed the most prosperous, peaceful, tolerant, just, educated, and technologically advanced society the world has ever known. If you ever doubt that, think about the fact that even a Roman citizen during the Pax Romana had to live in constant fear of famine, foreign invasions, civil strife, and government crackdown. For women, slaves, and the inhabitants of other lands, life was far worse. I claim that my beliefs are superior to that of the Hebrews, Greeks, and early Christians. This isn't because I'm smarter than them, but because (to paraphrase Newton) I stand on the shoulders of giants. The Bible claims that the world is flat, the stars are fixed ornaments on the sky, and the world was made for us, just as it claims that women should be stoned, idolaters should be killed, and killing infants is acceptable. But today, not only do we know Earth isn't the center of the universe, we've discovered thousands of other planets around other stars--bizarre and wonderful worlds that were not only outside of the ancients' knowledge, but outside of their wildest imaginations. I'm puzzled, therefore, as to why the religious refuse to believe that similar progress is possible in morality, and that just as the science of 2000 years ago is far inferior to today's, so might its morality.

I agree. Yet I still believe that things that are stated back then,in reference to morals, still stand true today. Belief in itself is a pure and untainted connection between yourself and your higher power. What true religion is, what it stands for, I believe in. Religion is also a powerful thing that evil men have used to manipulate the fearful into doing their bidding and claiming it was for God. I have read the Bible and the killing of children, women and the use of slaves were men's laws of the time. God never willed that his followers do those things. I'm a New Testament Christian. The moral standards, not the laws of the land, are still as true today as they were 2000 years ago. Also the people of the time were restricted in their technology an abilities so them not knowing the science we know today is understandable. I'm coming from the moral stance, not scientific. Are there flaws? Yes, yet there are flaws in everything. Even science.