#MOC # Morality and Religion The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines morality as > **The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct** **Religion claims to hold an exclusive divine mandate for setting said standard, and thus ==religion can be defined as a moral standard== itself (that is purportedly bequeathed by a divine figure).** ## Lying and Deceit When thinking about good conduct, one will very quickly arrive at the question [[When Is It OK to Lie]]. Politicians are often said to lie the most. [[Politicians Lie. And You Want Them To.]] Also see [[Robert Greene Argues That Deceit is Moral]]. ## Marriage and Sex Marriage can be thought of as a religious concept for regulating sex. For more see [[Thoughts on Marriage]]. ## Ethics and Dealing With Moral Questions Ethics and morality are often used as synonyms, but for me ethics is a science that studies morality. One of its significant parts is dealing with moral quagmires or ethical dilemmas. - [[Economics Can Be Used to Help Solve Moral Questions]] ## The Dark Side of Theistic Religions - [[Pedophilia in the Serbian Orthodox Church (in Serbian)]] - [[Religion Is the Opium of the People]] ## Religion in Politics and Law - [[The First Amendment]] - Think about countries like Serbia and Russia. Is the state the arm of the church or is it the other way around? It's important to consider this, especially when looking at motivations for war (think Russian invasion of Ukraine, [[Antizapadni Savez Evroazijskih Religija]]). ## Imposing Moral Standards - [[Should All Drugs Be Legalized]]?