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Sometimes atheists will post this quote from Marcus Aurelius as if it’s profound and insightful.

“Live a good life.” – According to who, Marcus? Who gets to decide what constitutes a ‘good’ life?

“If there are gods and they are just…” – Who decides what is ‘just,’ Marcus? If there are gods, it seems that they are more qualified to define justice than you. After all, you’re merely a mortal. The gods (if they exist) make the rules (that’s why they’re called ‘gods’). Therefore, if there are gods, every decision they make is just.

“then [the gods] will not care how devout you have been…” – How do you know this, Marcus? You can’t speak for the gods. You are not one of them. If there are gods, it might be wise for you to stop telling me what they care about.

“but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by.” – Which virtues are those, Marcus? You mean the virtues that the gods have specified? Guess what! When I live according to the god’s principles, that’s called being, “devout.”

“If there are gods, but unjust…” – Covered this already, Marcus. Deciding whether or not a god is unjust is waaaaaaay above your pay grade.

“then you should not want to worship them.” – This is the crux of the whole thing, right Marcus? You’re the only god that’s worthy of worship. You won’t tolerate any gods who oppose you. The thought of admitting there is someone stronger, smarter, and generally better than you is galling.

If there are no gods…” – If there are no gods, then there is no point in living a noble life that lives on in the memories of loved ones. I can live a life of selfish debauchery. I can spend my days killing, maiming, cheating, and destroying. I end up in exactly the same place as you do — “gone.”

(Isaiah 44:6) “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.”

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6 Responses

  1. In the ancient world of the Greco-Romans, everyone knew what the virtues were. They are still today called the cardinal virtues by the Christians: prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice. “Cardinal” means hinge. A happy life hinged on developing and living out the hinge, or cardinal virtues.

    Aurelius’ point is the virtues are central to human nature. Living out the virtues is how a human life bears fruit. This is true whether the gods be just, unjust or nonexistent because each creature bears fruit according to its nature.

    If a human beings wishes to bear fruit, then he must live a virtuous life. This is also a fundamental teaching of Judeo-Christianity.

      1. Modern atheists are not thoughtful because they don’t think. They are high achievers in a public education system that was designed and built by atheists to produce people who do not think and could not think even if they tried. In lieu of thinking, atheists spew Marxist dogma in the fashion of religious fanatics. For atheists, stupidity is a cardinal or hinge virtue.

        1. I always appreciate your commentary, SOM. You are one of a very few people who make my commentary seem gentle and winsome.

        2. Modern Atheists think, and they think about as well as the ancient Pagans. There isn’t that much difference. What we often forget is that the writing we read from ancient times were the ones that that the people able to preserve them thought worth preserving.

          Is our education system awful? Yes, but half the population of the Roman Empire consisted of slaves. So, half the population was educated to be slaves and the other half was educated to own slaves. That is not exactly the sort of society that educates people properly about wisdom and other virtue.

          That said, what about that quote from Marcus Aurelius? Is it profound and insightful? Sort of. The gods and God are not the same. Marcus Aurelius was supposed to be a Stoic. Stoics did not believe in God as defined by the Bible, but they did believe in supreme being.

          1. The ancient Greeks developed geometry, Socratic philosophy, natural science, history, grammar, rhetoric, the practice of law and politics, stupendously beautiful art and architecture. Plus, their language, Greek is tailor made for deep, systematic thought and literature. The ancient Greeks also understood that the moral and intellectual development of children through education was necessary for a free society. That type of education was called classical education and was integral to Western Civilization until the rise of Wilsonian Progressivism in the late 1900th century. By 1920, classical education had been eliminated from the American public education system. That is why you don’t remember the ancient Greeks and Romans and merely think of them as pagan atheists. That is a Progressive idea, by the way.

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