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"I don't know what Sharia says..." Those who reject Islamic law in an Islamic theocracy are usually killed in very ugly ways. "Mainstream interpretation of the Bible is tolerance of non-believers. My own view of libertarian ethics is also tolerance toward non-adherents." As evidenced by the entire West today (and unlike muslims) there are no consequences for abandoning biblical teachings personally (at least, from those individuals who still maintain the teachings). I also find it intriguing that the ethics and values of tolerant secular Westerners today who have rejected Christianity have very similar values systems to Christianity... "Why is Mr Nietszche's offering equally relevant than that of Mr Chomsky? And how does it help me to know what the Bible says?" While MD misses my point here about personal ethics that reject God, John, what stops other people in a Christian-sterilised society with 'politically aligned' personal ethics systems (or 'libertarian' ethics), promoted by people like you, from just rejecting it? In the end, there are no consequences for their actions in a Godless world. No implications beyond this life. Maybe you can defend yourself MD, but still, there are no larger effects other than potential personal harm and the threat of jail for conducting the assault. The reason I state this is due to my view that in a rational post-enlightenment West, Western intellectuals are too quick to dismiss a spiritual element, whose consequences for good and evil to me are as readily apparent as the invisible four forces that dictate the physical world. Remember, early 20th century Germany was arguably the most educated society at the time, and the majority of intellectuals who had influence there also rejected and laughed at the biblical explanation for the evil men can commit. I am a committed minarchist libertarian (NOT a Christian Libertarian thank you very much), which is the finest structure for encouraging the most liberty in society going on from the knowledge of the human condition we have, and minimising other people?s moralising over us, which is extremely dangerous for a government to implement. But I remain a committed Christian on an individual level - which only makes sense at this level ? after the abstract governing structure of libertarianism is in place. God was not created in the image of Government, that?s for those quick takers on the 'fundamentalist' assertion, and who try to equate it with muslims - who are always theocratic - and their views on 'submission'. "...But I have also not made any individual moral decisions (other than the decision to out-source my moral decisions)." Depends on what you think is more accurate for your own moral decisions in life, you can take wisdom out of the bible, as you can take it out of other books (though usually not as pungently condensed as the bible), or take it out of other areas of your life - like personal experiences. No one demands you take it all on board, it is there for a resource if one so chooses.
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