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A lot of people believe in objective morals. I do not.
Cultural Relativism is the idea that something can be wrong for one person and right for another. Time and location can change what is right or wrong for different people.
2000 years ago, it may have been accepted by everyone in a society (ie, a village) that if a baby is born with 3 arms, it should be killed. They may have believed that the "right" thing to do. Now we would obviously not believe that. We would try to help the baby live. A Cultural Relativist would say this is okay, as morals/ideas on right vs. wrong can change over time and in different places.
The more common view is Utilitarianism, which says that even if they thought it to be right at the time, it was wrong, and they themselves were wrong.
The guy just chose rape as an example because most people's first instinct is "SHIT RAPE, I CAN'T BE SEEN ON THE SAME SIDE AS RAPE, THEREFORE RAPE IS WRONG AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN WRONG". Some cultures may have preached rape was right, so all the people then thought it is the "right" thing to do. Is it really, or do they just believe it? The Cultural Relativist would say, yes, it was the right thing to do at the time for them. The Utilitarian would say no (or yes), it's wrong (or right) no matter what, for everyone, always, in all cultures.
He just applies this all to religion and how Utilitarianism is the right thing (always has and always will be according to him).
/serious post
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