Finding Morals Under Empty Heavens
By Christopher Hitchens -science-spirit.org
...We can all think of right actions performed by people who claim to be actuated by faith (just as we can all think of vile and cruel things done for the announced self-same motive). If I take my own case, I am not overwhelmed by the number of selfless or good things that I have done. But, when I can reflect on them, I have little difficulty explaining my motive. I do not hope for a heavenly reward and I am not afraid of divine punishment (and do not regard either of those inducements as moral). But I do hope to gain satisfaction for myself, and I do hope to benefit from others who are willing to do the same. My favorite example is donating blood, which I do not do with sufficient regularity. But I positively enjoy doing it. I do not lose a pint, but someone else gains one. And, when I too need blood one day (and I have a very rare blood group), I can be fairly sure that someone will have anonymously done the same for me. This is not strenuous, but not without its beauty and symmetry.
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