Is religion necessary for morality? Many believers would say yes.
Ricky Gervais is working on a new show,”Afterlife”, about an atheist who died and went to heaven – the point being made that believers don’t have the monopoly on morality.
“All too often religious people equate faith with moral behavior”, says Pamela Taylor. “As a Muslim, I can attest to the fact that this is not always the case. As a former atheist, I can also attest to the fact that I was raised not only with a strong moral orientation, but also with the theoretical background, critical thinking and analytical skills needed to make sound moral choices.”
She says that, when she was growing up, one of the things she found distasteful about believers was “how easily they seemed to go against their own moral code, ostensibly because God would forgive them.”
Read Taylor’s Column in the Washington Post
Pamela K. Taylor is a North American Muslim science fiction writer and poet. Taylor has been involved with Muslims for Progressive Values (co-founder), Islamic Writers Alliance (former director) and supporter of woman imam movement
Pamela K Taylor’s website
Image: Islam and Science Fiction