The Overthrow of Moral Authority and the Search for a Substitute

".......In an attempt to find a foundation other than God, we have turned to science. Yet science tells us that we are incapable of relating to one another, face to face, as transcendent beings, because we are merely contingent outgrowths of biological and cultural causation. If a person claims publicly to know transcendent truth, he is viewed as guilty of using language to disguise his self-interest for the purpose of dominating or controlling others...."

"........Psychological understanding has its place. But when we attempt to replace morality with psychology, the result is psychological manipulation. Not only is such manipulation deceptive — i.e., immoral — it is ultimately ineffective. Often there is no legitimate substitute for a direct appeal to moral authority....."

These are excerpts taken from an excellent article by Ralph Loomis writing in THE  NEW  OXFORD  REVIEW  March 2011... Full article

          Also from the same edition of NOR is:    
      The Creation Story for Atheists 
         By Anne Barbeau Gardiner ...Full article