From Public Hangings to Human Rights: The Atheist Influence on Morality & Justice

Today, many behaviors considered acceptable in the past are now seen as barbaric, inhumane, and revolting. For instance, just 150 years ago, it was common for children to witness public hangings and executions, and few people questioned the practice of capital punishment.

Torture and harsh punishments were standard practices across various civilizations, including the Assyrians, Persians, Seleucids, Romans, Chinese, Aztecs, and Hindus. The rights and values we uphold today are vastly different from those of our ancestors.

As Steven Pinker notes in Better Angels of Our Nature, medieval Europe punished many minor offenses with death. These offenses included sodomy, gossiping, stealing cabbages, picking up sticks on the Sabbath, talking back to parents, and criticizing the royal garden.

Today, we view these offenses as minor and often excuse them, thanks to our better understanding of psychology and human behavior. In the past, people were not so fortunate. From the time of Jesus to the 20th century, approximately 19 million people were executed for trivial offenses.

Therefore, when Christians discuss God’s universal moral compass, they should also address the historical prevalence of torture and indifference to suffering.

It wasn’t until recently that we started celebrating human beings. That celebration came from the introduction of humanism. Some semblance of individualism…