Stuff, et cetera

Perhaps not essential to the questions of the Donagan piece, but morally interesting none the less is the value of religion in morality. Donagan's tone seems to suggest that morality with religion is somehow tainted as if it were less of a science than it should be. I do not know that morality "without religion" is purely moral so much as it is merely a humanist or secular philosophy and that too is a religious bent. I guess what he means is religious objections pertaining to Divine command. However he later speaks of apostasy as something immoral and that suicide would be better. This seems inconsistent as he appears to contradict himself. (Though perhaps he is speaking as if he were a follower of a religion) However he does seem to place some value on one's one convictions so much so that death would be preferable than to them up. Still I am not sure if in that case that suicide is appropriate. Let me explain. If upon threat of death one refuses to give up one's convictions, religious or otherwise, and one is killed, one has not committed suicide. One has instead been murdered. One did not will or intend for his own death but rather it was thrust upon him for refusing apostasy. I think though that what Donagan has in mind was rather that by commiting suicide one prevents his enemies from forcing them to do things against their wills. One example that I have in mind for this is that of the Jewish Zealots who faced the Romans in battle for Jerusalem(70 AD). Knowing that they were hopelessly outnumbered the Zealots killed their families and then themselves instead of surrendering to the Romans. To this I would respond that it is no testament to one's people or oneself to kill oneself rather than face the enemy. It is better then to let your blood be on your enemy's hands and better still to avoid or defeat one's enemy. The worst that one's enemy can do is to kill you, so why do it for them? Furthermore instead of avoiding a dehumanizing event one has already submitted to one's enemy. While still breathing one has done no such thing.