Hacker News Reader

Comment by mwerd | Hacker News Reader

Seems a bit convenient to his point of view. Western democracy is much more strongly associated with Greek city-states like Athens and the ancient Greek leagues than Judeo-Christian theology.

View on HN

It does seem like most religions are a derivative of what came before. Less self-aware Christians will sometimes get into a fuss over how Islam "stole" all its ideas from Christianity (the direction is a matter of debate among theologians), but so much of their religion seems to come from those that preceded it.

> Less self-aware Christians will sometimes get into a fuss over how Islam "stole" all its ideas from Christianity (the direction is a matter of debate among theologians)

That the flow is in all directions between all three Abrahamic faiths (and not just those) is fairly firmly historically established.

"And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

George Washington's Farewell Address https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington%27s_Farewell...

Historical quotes devoid of modern context can be found to support whatever position you want. This one specifically, while cute, lacks any argument or logic supporting its claim. And it is rather offensive to the existing large community of humanists.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com