The Pixie wrote:
I asked if you could think of a scenario, and by that I meant a scenario with some basis is reality. You appear to have taken that to mean I am asking about some imaginary situation, and so chose to emphasise the word "imagine" twice.
No, I meant "imagine" as in a scenario that I think actually occurs. Are you claiming that my scenario
never happens? Do you think that out of 7 billion humans, that this scenario sometimes occurs? Egoism is arguably the strongest psychological drive; in fact, I would say that there's no human action or decision that cannot be atributed primarily to ego-centrism at least sometimes. This includes belief in God.
So you are talking about someone having extreme devotion to himself? What does that mean? Or someone who loves himself intensely? Or someone who admires himself? This idea that an individual worships himself is a cliche that theists trot out, but I question whether it has any basis in reality. Sure, it is easy to picture someone with a big ego, an over-inflated opinion of himself, perhaps you even know someone like that, but have ever met someone you could (without exageration) say he worships himself? I certainly have not.
Remember that words ave more than one meaning. recall the second entry I cited is not "worship" in the sense of regarding oneself
literally as a god or god-like being. And yes, I have known people like this, people whose self-admiration is the central driver of their actions, people such as certain presidents of the US. This cuts across any atheist/theist divide. I'm not making a blanket claim about atheists. Most atheists, the vast majority, have not come to their atheism for this reason. But I would say that there are some atheists who have, as well as some theists, some objectivists, some vegans, some flat-earthers, etc.
Because you are imagining scenarios with no basis in reality.
This makes no sense. Because I used the word "imagine", which you misunderstood, you assume I'm referring to ALL atheists as coming to their atheism out of self-worship?!? You're doing the very thing you accuse theists of doing to you. "Imagine" refers to a mental process, as in thinking or conceinving of something, not to the object of that process, ie unicorns or elves. Can you imagine why some people steal food? Yes, out of hunger.
Not moral or morally binding in the same way? What does that mean? Can you list all the ways there are for something to be moral? Or to be morally binding? Which apply to the greatest commandment?
Super-erogatory would be a moral category but not binding in the same way as the injunction against murder. There could be a moral rule to be completely compassionate to all sentient creatures; this would be the highest ideal one could strive for and one, in fact, ought to strive for it. But if one doesn't reach that ideal, and even if one doesn't really try, wouldn't mean one is guilty as one would be guilty of murder.
So the answer to whether it is immoral to not love God is no. That is all you had to say.
I have. It's your obstinate obtuseness and your apparent eagerness to keep drawing up the old battle lines that's dragged this ridiculous conversation out this far. Wouldn't you feel better if you took off your armor at least occasionally?