Ac: 'Ethics is knowing the difference between right and wrong, morals is how you act upon this knowledge.'
- Which means that you can't have good morals, if you don't firstly understand ethics.

I believe Ethics & the Morals that accompany Ethics a human construct that is tied to one’s own culture, what ever that may be.

ttbn: I do, however, find people who want to talk about the lack of a God a bigger pain in the arse than those who keep their beliefs private - no matter what they are.

I agree, but I also find those who want to talk about the certainty of God a Pain in the Arse too.

It is said that "God" is everywhere, all at the same time. The only object I know that can do that & does have the ability of forming everything & everything is a Quantum Particle. Therefore, God, for the want of a better word, is a Quantum Particle.

Sorry for the lack of participation lately, Moving into my new house on the 9th. April. Selling & buying a new house is the pits now-a-days. Oh for much simpler times, like 15 years ago. Lawyers & Real Estates people all need to be strung up by the proverbials.

Hey Jayb,
"I believe Ethics & the Morals that accompany Ethics a human construct that is tied to one’s own culture, what ever that may be."

To some degree yes, for example if you were head-hunting pygmy tribe, your culture may not be as concerned with the welfare of others, in the way that other cultures may be.

I was focusing of Religion, and in this instance Christianity.
- But I don't see how that shouldn't apply to culture as well.

Looking beyond both religion or culture, I still believe that:
"Everybody has the right to live however they choose so long as it doesn't harm others in a negative and detrimental manner."

If you take a look at where it comes from, you'll see that it's not just about 'harm' towards others, it also relates to liberty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harm_principle

"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."

Peter,

<<If the commentators to this On Line Opinion piece state which category they belong to, this writer promises to tally the results in a week, or by the 30th. response, and give the results in the 31st. comment.>>

As a professor and researcher, you know that your small sample size and this call to those who comment on your piece, 'Is there a God', to be added to the statistics, is not the way to do research.

In the sample you presented in the article of 30 people, the results are inconsequential as your sample size was way too small.

As for adding the 'Comments' made to your article to your stats, this is a way of distorting stats because the sample size is small and it is NOT based on a random sample of people.

AC: "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."

AC: I was focusing of Religion, and in this instance Christianity.

Yes, I see you were concentrating on “Civilized Community.” There are many who claim they are civilized, indeed, more civilized than others because of their Religion & Culture yet fail miserably in that regard.

Some claim the high Moral Ground yet others find their Morals & Culture reprehensible, from both sides of their arguments.

Dear Peter Bowden (the author):

The question you pose, "Is there a God", is logically misconstructed and meaningless. As I shall explain, when this question is followed literally, even the most religious God-loving (or God-fearing) person must answer this question in the negative.

The word 'there', indicates a space.
Could God, presumably the creator of space, be found in space?

The word 'a' (as in "a God") precedes an object.
Could God be an object?
Had God been an object, then who created this object?

The word 'is' assumes a pre-existing division into categories into one of which God presumably falls.
But such categories would then necessarily precede God and be higher than Him: What kind of a limited "God" would it then be?

To seriously talk about God, no limitations can apply - and had we been able to speak of anything being other than God (including space, time, categories, existence and isness), then that would have constituted an unacceptable limitation on (or competition to) God.

Yes, some may like to speak about deities, even such powerful deities which can create, maintain and destroy worlds and communicate with their inhabitants, etc. - fair enough, but that would not be speaking of God. To avoid confusion, such deities should be written with a small-g: "gods".

So had your question been "Is there a god", then I could ask for clarifications and perhaps then come with some answer, but since your question was "Is there a God", my answer must be: "No, but there is nothing but God, including you and me".

'"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."'

tell that to every god denying regime of the past whether it be Stalin, Mao or Planned parenthood.