14 year old girl dies days after receiving 100 lashes from Muslim clerics for (possibly non-consensual) sex...?

I think its good that you care what others believe in. Ignorance of the world around you can be a harmful and sometimes deadly thing. I think the story above is heinous and although adultery is wrong the crime obviously does not fit the punishment.

We both obviously believe the act in question was morally wrong but my question is why do you view it as morally wrong. In other words, what do you base your belief upon. If this is a natural universe (no God or gods) then everything is simply dog eat dog or survival of the fittest.

For if there is no absolute authority (again, God or gods) then there is no absolute law of morality. Man can then make up his own morals and change them day by day if he chooses. If its a natural universe then no one can really mark someone else's choice good or bad and everything is but a matter of opinion.

It might be wrong to you for the girl to have been treated this way but at the end of the day its just your opinion and counts less than a speck of dirt. I am a Christian and although I believe both the man and the young girl deserved a punishment for violating the law (I doubt the man got half of what she got) the judgment of the village court went far beyond that of justice and seemed to be more like a merciless murder. Before you bring it up I am well aware that the Old Testament of the Bible prescribed about the same kind of punishment for adultery (stoning) but such a punishment was levied out to Israel at a time of transition where God was trying to rid them of all the wickedness that had inculcated itself into the Hebrew people.

If I set up a harsh punishment for something, people will be less likely to carry it out. But with the advent of Christ such things were done away with and a new kind of Law was brought about where man is offered forgiveness for sin through Jesus' death on the cross. Im not trying to come down on you for you view of what happened.

I totally agree with you. I'm happy that you care but at the same time trying to understand why you do.

I'm sorry, nothing in there said anything about them being Atheist. Where did you get that? They were most likely Muslim, which means they have a different idea of what God is, not that they are godless entirely.

The other thing is this was the world and the laws they live in right now. I won't defend it however it is what it is. It is changing but that kind of change takes several generations.

This is especially true the longer that way of life has been observed. Side stepping a bit, most atheists don't particularly care what others believe so long as it isn't thrust in their faces and down their throats. Those that do often do so because they are fed up with it and are pushing back.