The Good Samaritan - and the origin of morals

I just heard this as part of a debate between Turek and Hitchens featured on Richard Dawkins's website, it's not an original thought to me. (Note : the debate isn't actually that good - Turek is a shouty annoying man) If you want to watch : http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,3286,Turek-vs-Hitchens-Debate-Does-God-Exist,Christopher-Hitchens-Frank-Turek.

Basically it's a response to a religious person's accusation that if you do not have Christianity/religion, you do not have morality - a muddy lump of an argument to throw if ever I heard one.

So here's my imaginary conversation between a rationalist and a religious person. I hope a reader of this blog gets to use it one day :-

Christian : All morality comes from Christianity.

Rationalist : No it doesn't, morality arises through evolution. It's advantageous to be moral.

Christian : How can morality exist if no higher power 'underwrites' it?

Rationalist : (takes time to explain about moral zeitgeists, and changing morals, plucks examples such as diminishing racism, and the growing acceptance of homosexuality in society)

Christian : (tries the argument again that you can't be moral unless you're a Christian)

Rationalist : The story of the good samaritan. What religion was the samaritan? Was he Christian?

Christian : (depending on how much they know might try and ignorantly say he was).. No... I suppose not...

Rationalist : No he definitely couldn't have been a Christian because nobody was then. The story happens in the time of Christ - indeed the story is TOLD by Christ. The samaritan definitely was not a Christian, and yet he showed morality and compassion - he took pity on the robbery victim. Even a priest who passed the unfortunate man ignored him and continued on his way.

Christian : (hopefully) (backs down, realises that even Jesus himself did not only ascribe morality to those of faith)....

It is lovely when a biblical story can score points for common sense. There's a lot of dross in there, but there if a person believes it's unfailingly true, then the only way to argue with them is to utilise stories from within it.