Morality - A Religious Construct

Why is it that some people have an innate understanding of what is socially acceptable while others make decisions that legally separate them from the rest of society?

Research has proved that toddlers exhibit reasoning, compassion, and delayed gratification in social interaction. Toddlers have been observed attempting to soothe their playmates' emotional upset by offering a toy to calm them. What is notable about this act of compassion is that there is no encouragement for the behaviour from an outside source. Some toddlers are found to wait when offered something irresistible, like chocolate, other toddlers will not. Is morality innate, or pruned through instruction, and how necessary is the filter of religious institution?

Children learn primarily through modeling. They can learn how things are done, through simply paying attention to what is happening in their environment, at the same time learning social nuance, in terms of aggressive behaviour that is modelled in dysfunctional environments, and through media sources.

Children pick up on all communication directed at them, such as projection of shame for misdeeds, as well as ridicule of expressions, and attempts at vocalization.

Children also learn moral modeling through storytelling. Stories that give examples of consequence, or explanation of what happens when, support children to think critically. When a child can imagine him or herself in similar circumstances, a child may become better equipped to deal with similar moral challenges when they arise.

Children as young as twenty-four months old have faculty enabling them to reason, and thus provide a display of compassion, and delay of gratification. It is not that some children are smarter than others. If care is taken all children can learn to tap into intelligence that is interconnected with the development of consciousness. It is quite likely that when a child's consciousness is respected, cared for, and acknowledged, that a child may display intelligence, as compared to children who are reared by parents who generally lack acknowledgement of it.

What do we rely on to teach our children morality if we don't believe this is presented through our own modeling? When compassion is inherent in our human interactions, why do we feel this is an attribute of choosing to model after a loving god, and not inherent to the human condition? Not all gods to believe in have shown examples of compassion like the depiction of Christ, as opposed to the God of the old testament, Yahweh, killer of babies, and perpetrator of genocide. Perhaps it is wise then that we have evolved some two thousand years after the model of a compassionate Christian god, versus that of a child killing perpetrator of genocide, however it was through child killing, and genocide that Christianity became a global faith. Is there a better way?

The very thing that Lucifer, the morning star, and light bearer is known for is being stripped of her earthly titles, light, and wisdom. Her serpent climb up the tree of life, is symbolic in the Garden of Eden where she is said to be present. The climb up the tree is symbolic of awakening to consciousness, and ethical reasoning. This starts with the ability to cast out fear, guilt, shame, overcoming grief, and using reason to see through lies, Illusion, and unnecessary attachments.

The very things we think we were taught that preserve us, are the very things we may need to "unlearn" as the road to enlightenment, success, and triumph is paved with suffering. The demons in our life are not to be avoided but acknowledged for what they are, stepping stones to evolution.