Because tit-for-tat can only explain why it is better for two lions to avoid each other than to maul themselves until one is dead and the other near death. It says nothing about how the lion should deal with the gazelle.

Enlightened self interest has never been enough to dissuade those who KNOW they have an advantage. This is why the overwhelming majority of human history has been characterized by kratocracy.

Which is better? Men killing men to elevate themselves, or men killing men to elevate their god? The former will NEVER end. The latter... supposes that one day it potentially could end, when all are united in veneration of one god and accepting one morality (however bloody the trail may be to get there).

where's the proof

This is the wrong question. You're asking me to prove religion right and the moral nihilists wrong. I can't do this, and religion never set out to do this. Religion itself doesn't beat nihilists, because both religion and nihilism come from unassailable but ultimately untestable foundations. Faith is what beats the moral nihilists, and I can't give you that in words. Even the nihilists conviction that there is nothing beyond is a kind of faith, albeit a pessimistic one.

You either have the certainty in yourself that some things are fundamentally wrong, or you don't. Just as I have the certainty in myself that if someone says they DON'T have that certainty, I am certain THEY are lying.

Because tit-for-tat can only explain why it is better for two lions to avoid each other than to maul themselves until one is dead and the other near death. It says nothing about how the lion should deal with the gazelle.

Enlightened self interest has never been enough to dissuade those who KNOW they have an advantage. This is why the overwhelming majority of human history has been characterized by kratocracy.

Which is better? Men killing men to elevate themselves, or men killing men to elevate their god? The former will NEVER end. The latter... supposes that one day it potentially could end, when all are united in veneration of one god and accepting one morality (however bloody the trail may be to get there).

where's the proof

This is the wrong question. You're asking me to prove religion right and the moral nihilists wrong. I can't do this, and religion never set out to do this. Religion itself doesn't beat nihilists, because both religion and nihilism come from unassailable but ultimately untestable foundations. Faith is what beats the moral nihilists, and I can't give you that in words; you either have it or you don't, and if you don't, then to you, the nihilists win.

You either have the certainty in yourself that some things are fundamentally wrong, or you don't. Just as I have the certainty in myself that if someone says they DON'T have that certainty, I am certain THEY are lying.

Because tit-for-tat can only explain why it is better for two lions to avoid each other than to maul themselves until one is dead and the other near death. It says nothing about how the lion should deal with the gazelle.

Enlightened self interest has never been enough to dissuade those who KNOW they have an advantage. This is why the overwhelming majority of human history has been characterized by kratocracy.

Which is better? Men killing men to elevate themselves, or men killing men to elevate their god? The former will NEVER end. The latter... supposes that one day it potentially could end, when all are united in veneration of one god and accepting one morality (however bloody the trail may be to get there).

where's the proof

This is the wrong question. You're asking me to prove religion right and the moral nihilists wrong. I can't do this, and religion never set out to do this. Faith is what beats the moral nihilists, and I can't give you that in words.

You either have the certainty in yourself that some things are fundamentally wrong, or you don't. Just as I have the certainty in myself that if someone says they DON'T have that certainty, I am certain THEY are lying.

Because tit-for-tat can only explain why it is better for two lions to avoid each other than to maul themselves until one is dead and the other near death. It says nothing about how the lion should deal with the gazelle.

Enlightened self interest has never been enough to dissuade those who KNOW they have an advantage. This is why the overwhelming majority of human history has been characterized by kratocracy.

Which is better? Men killing men to elevate themselves, or men killing men to elevate their god? The former will NEVER end. The latter... supposes that one day it potentially could end, when all are united in veneration of one god and accepting one morality (however bloody the trail may be to get there).

where's the proof

This is the wrong question. You're asking me to prove religion right and the moral nihilists wrong. I can't do this, and religion never set out to do this. Faith is what beats the moral nihilists, and I can't give you that in words.

You either have the certainty in yourself that some things are fundamentally wrong, or you don't. Just as I have the certainty in myself that if someone says they DON'T have that certainty, I am certain THEY are lying.

Now, I haven't even gone into the question of determinism. To be very clear: NOTHING IN PHYSICS DISPROVES THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE UNIVERSE AND TIME ARE AS LINEAR AS A FUCKING CASSETTE TAPE. Nothing. At all. There is a coin toss chance that neither you, nor I, nor anyone has actual free will at all, and that this is all just a pointless bad joke.

Ironically the Calvinists might be both wrong and right.