I'm an atheist too and morality is also known as being a decent human being. It's not exclusive to religion. You wouldn't go out and mug a little old lady would you, that's morality in play. Your morals tell you it is wrong to mug a little old lady therefore you don't do it. Therefore saying you "do not really support morality" is untrue, either that or it's a damning assessment of your character. Pick one.
This makes it more interesting that I am debating a fellow atheist, because it is easier to explain complex issues without explaining the baggage of Christianity. Yes, atheist can be moral, but, atheist can and does cherry pick the morality they feel is social justice. Talking to you before, we both agree that morality is relative and it changes from time to time. And no, I would not go and mug a little old lady. But, I understand that there is a criminal outcome with mugging a little old lady. Even if I am not arrested that day, it would be years before I am free and clear of the crime. With the first few weeks, checking if the police are coming to my home to arrest me for the crime. And over time, a more ability that the police have given up and moved on with different crimes will take over as the months move on. Is this a moral issue, or, understanding and worry about a existential treat. Is it a moral feeling of unease or is it really a existential treat understanding, or both. If on the other hand, I come home and noticed a package on my front door. After studying the package, it was dropped off by a UPS driver, and I noticed that the drive dropped off the package at the wrong house. What is the downside by not taking the package and taking it to its correct address? The owner of the package will call UPS and declare the package was not delivered to their home. They will accept the error, and make sure a replacement is sent to the correct address. Sure, the owner will take more time to get the package and the only one that will be paying for the package is UPS. Is it immoral to be cheating UPS, maybe not, because the company has already factored into their business plan with making errors with delivery mix ups. With the owner of the package, they will receive the package in do time. Now, is the owner of the package understand that I was immoral, or, look at UPS as being the agent at fault so he or she sees them as immoral or moral.
Exactly. Being a slayer is a responsibility not a free for all. Just imagine if Finch had been a kid that was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, shouldn't Faith feel guilt then? Faith accidentally killed someone who wasn't a vampire and she didn't care, which led to her developing a bloodlust where she eagerly killed others whilst in the service of the mayor.
Blood lust, is not killing vampires and demons a different type of blood lust? Do not vampires and demons have civil rights as equal as humans? If we judge them to be unequal to you and me, is that immoral as well? If we can declare one group, in this case, a fantasy group being vampire and demons as being subhuman to humanity -- it does not take that long to judge other real groups to be subhuman as well. Since were both atheist, we can team up and pick on Christians because they are Christians. There are a number of atheist that are trolling together to team up against Christians. With me, I find it is a waste of time and energy. But, since we both believe it is just to treat vampires and demons on Buffy the Vampire Slayers a subhuman and not bound to morality. If we did team up as atheist and started to pick on Christians for being Christians -- we first discovered each other because we had a common interest with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then we discovered we are both atheist. You can see were this morality story is going.
People are being hauled up in court over past actions during wars. Being in a war does not give carte blanche to do whatever the hell you want. The same rule applies to Faith. Being a slayer doesn't mean she can just go around killing people.
There are a number of European countries that want to charge former Vice President Richard Cheney for war crimes during the Iraqi war. This is the reason he has never left the United States after the second Bush Administration. The world is passing a United Nation war crimes treaty, and the United States is not willing to pass this simple treaty. The Republicans are not willing to accept it and since it takes 67 senators to pass the treaty -- it will never pass as any positive outcome with the Democrats will not get a 67 seat majority in the senate.
Despite the fact that the will to survive is the most basic of instincts and is the foundation of life itself, and that it would take an extreme state of desperation and despair to override that instinct; as far as your concerned, people who commit or consider suicide are "weak", is that correct?
In my view, if Faith did consider suicide (and that idea was floated by the writers at one point with Buffy finding Faith's body after she hung herself), for her to be in that situation would show the audience how badly she feels and how desperate she is to make it stop. For her to accept help when it is offered or to even ask for it takes strength. Faith didn't want help in Season 3, she didn't want help in Season 4, but when she finally accepted Angel's help in Season 1 of his show, that is when she got better. That is when she got interesting instead of being the stereotypical good time girl. She took responsibility for her actions and she was prepared to face the consequence for them, that took guts.
Season 3 Faith is overrated.
As a atheist I do not fear death. In fact, since I was a teenager I was planning my life to be with plans of myself living into my 90's. In fact, I have studied my death well. When I get older or with the ability to move to a right to die state if the job market lets me do so for the rest of my natural life. If I get sick and have a terminal illness, I want the right to die under the laws of a right to die state. I am not interested in pushing my body to live a extra longer just for vanity sake. Now, some people call this suicide, so be it. If on the other hand, I am told I have a mental conduction were my mind will slowly decline and end up not knowing who I am or were I am. I will just take my life and that is that.
I do not see suicide is a negative, but I understand as a culture we look at suicide as a negative. Therefore, it was unwise to have Faith attempt suicide