Atheism and human morals

[John]

For many people morality is linked to religion and fear of God.
I'm wondering, would morality exist in an atheistic society?

[Big_Becka]

It depends on the moral values that society imparts. An atheist society might have moral values based on the greater good. For example, if I help show some charity to a person, that person may later help me. If I pay my taxes and contribute to education, health-care and social housing, there will be less crime and my community will be a better place to live.

Even those people who do not care about society will need to rely on other people for their money and success. And most people will experience a natural emotional bond to their close family and friends. I suspect the world wouldn't change much.

A great many criminals are religious - perhaps morality would improve if we did not have divine forgiveness?!

[Admin_phpbb3_import1]

For me the concept of morality is "Don't do to others what you don't want others do to you"
But many people act morally only because they are afraid of God's punishment.
If we remove this punishment then many would act in their own interests without considering morals.
Many people easily do "bad" things that are "allowed" by their religion.
Many would kill an animal for the pleasure of tasting meat and I'm 100% sure none of them would like to be killed to feed a Lion, even if that lion is the last lion in the world.
So the question is what would stop people from acting immorally, if the religion is not there to do so?

[Steven]

For me the concept of morality is "Don't do to others what you don't want others do to you"
But many people act morally only because they are afraid of God's punishment.
If we remove this punishment then many would act in their own interests without considering morals.
Many people easily do "bad" things that are "allowed" by their religion.
Many would kill an animal for the pleasure of tasting meat and I'm 100% sure none of them would like to be killed to feed a Lion, even if that lion is the last lion in the world.
So the question is what would stop people from acting immorally, if the religion is not there to do so?

I should disagree with you Mr. Admin ;-) Why would people kill an animal because of pleasure? We have a lot of atheists nowadays, and don't see them killing or stealing etc. Moral principles are still present. Only a very small part of the society is deprived of these principles, while they do believe in God.

[Terry]

Atheists are very weak people, in both - moral and physical condition. They have less friends, and even if they have some, these are not true friends, because there are no human relationships between people, unless they believe in God.

[Benn]

I'm not young, and I should say I've never ever met one person who would not believe in God. Maybe I was lucky, but even those who claim they believe in nothing, they still believe in something, it's just that they don't want others see their belief.

[Big_Becka]

Hmm, I know quite a few atheists. They do tend to believe in "something," but not necessarily God. Many of them have a sense of fairness, community spirit, or a belief similar to Karma. Others have a belief in what is natural, that comes close to ancient pagan beliefs.

Remember, Buddhism is technically an atheist religion ;-)

[Ivan]

Atheists are very weak people, in both - moral and physical condition. They have less friends, and even if they have some, these are not true friends, because there are no human relationships between people, unless they believe in God.

This is total bullshit. In Soviet Union there were a lot of atheists and they were strong and had friends, and had higher morale than many do today.

[M.Helen]

Atheists are very weak people, in both - moral and physical condition. They have less friends, and even if they have some, these are not true friends, because there are no human relationships between people, unless they believe in God.

This is total bullshit. In Soviet Union there were a lot of atheists and they were strong and had friends, and had higher morale than many do today.

Really and whom they call when something bad happens? Only difficult and unpredicted situation can make them discover they do believe in a supernatural power.

[Ivan]

In Soviet Union there were a lot of atheists and they were strong and had friends, and had higher morale than many do today.

Really and whom they call when something bad happens? Only difficult and unpredicted situation can make them discover they do believe in a supernatural power.

People that can not handle the difficulties and assume responsibility - transfer this responsibility on something else most often GOD.
Strong people assume responsibility, draw conclusions, learn their lessons and live ahead.

[Terry]

Even one of the biggest power in world - dollars believe in god. It reflects the opinion and tendency of the entire American nation. I don't think we can clearly distinguish strong people and weak people, these are the surroundings that make people sometimes strong and sometimes weak.

[Admin_phpbb3_import1]

Here is a video about human morality.
It shows how morality could develop without religion.
[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/v/qCL63d66frs&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]

[Steven]

So it says that it's all about genes that can keep is in good morals. But, you realize that genes evolve. How can you explain the fact that the world is becoming greedier, can we blame genes for that?

[Faw_Peter]

Atheism means rejection of belief in God or gods. It says nothing about human morals. So I guess these are different things. Yet, I can't imagine myself being a law-abiding person without belief in god.

[Big_Becka]

Even one of the biggest power in world - dollars believe in god. It reflects the opinion and tendency of the entire American nation. I don't think we can clearly distinguish strong people and weak people, these are the surroundings that make people sometimes strong and sometimes weak.

Yes, this power is also notoriously immoral: war crimes, racist attacks (Ku Klux Klan), no welfare state, widespread gun crime, prostitution and disrespect for women... In some US cities it is actually illegal to give food to the homeless! :oO Religion is often used to justify these actions :nonnon

[Steven]

Even one of the biggest power in world - dollars believe in god. It reflects the opinion and tendency of the entire American nation. I don't think we can clearly distinguish strong people and weak people, these are the surroundings that make people sometimes strong and sometimes weak.

Yes, this power is also notoriously immoral: war crimes, racist attacks (Ku Klux Klan), no welfare state, widespread gun crime, prostitution and disrespect for women... In some US cities it is actually illegal to give food to the homeless! :oO Religion is often used to justify these actions :nonnon

US doesn't surprise me anymore with its unusual laws. US congressmen live so good that they sometimes forget there are ordinary people who don't need those laws that focus on the economic/political part and contradict human morals.

[Terry]

In my belief, religion can't survive without human morals, and human morals can't survive without religion. These two elements are interrelated. Can you imagine yourself behaving fairly and not believing in God, or, believing in God and not being mainly fair? I can't.

[Laurentine]

I never have respected people who disregard God and his existence. How can they be so ungrateful? God gave them life through their souls! We are not just animals, we have souls and that's beyond human morals.

[Tsp]

For me the concept of morality is "Don't do to others what you don't want others do to you"
But many people act morally only because they are afraid of God's punishment.
If we remove this punishment then many would act in their own interests without considering morals.
Many people easily do "bad" things that are "allowed" by their religion.
Many would kill an animal for the pleasure of tasting meat and I'm 100% sure none of them would like to be killed to feed a Lion, even if that lion is the last lion in the world.
So the question is what would stop people from acting immorally, if the religion is not there to do so?

The Government law and the police stop people from acting immorally or maybe it is the fear of going to a prison and a prison cell .Or in some countries the knowledge that the Government will execute and kill them if they commit certain immoralites or crimes .
That is a secular atheist system that does stop a degree of immorality or criminality without religion

[Tsp]

Atheists are very weak people, in both - moral and physical condition. They have less friends, and even if they have some, these are not true friends, because there are no human relationships between people, unless they believe in God.

thats rubbish . There are many successful,educated and wealthy people who are atheists in belief. In todays world your employment postion determines alot of peoples success of failure, religion and religous belief has nothing to do with it.

[Nathan]

Atheists are very weak people, in both - moral and physical condition. They have less friends, and even if they have some, these are not true friends, because there are no human relationships between people, unless they believe in God.

thats rubbish . There are many successful,educated and wealthy people who are atheists in belief. In todays world your employment postion determines alot of peoples success of failure, religion and religous belief has nothing to do with it.

Frankly speaking, I haven't seen myself wealthy people who are happy indeed. I am personally acquainted with many rich businessmen. What I see is they lack love, they lack humanity... all of them. Their happiness is fake.

[M.Helen]

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I haven't seen myself wealthy people who are happy indeed

you're right Nathan but it's because they don't have true friends rather than due to lack of believe in a supreme power. Rich people have less friends because the ordinary persons surrounding them treat them as a sack of money, and not as a human. It's now here about morals.

[Benn]

For many people morality is linked to religion and fear of God.
I'm wondering, would morality exist in an atheistic society?

Because, as it is written in Holly Bible, moral is in our soul since we have been born. When the individual grows and becomes mature he makes his own choice, to believe or not to believe, but until that time he is educated by his parents, and taught how to behave in the society..

[hellodear]

exist opinion that the church is build for the quantity of morality in society.. the intelligent people understund by themselves that the morality is a norma of behavior, but somebody shoul read in a book about it and to have prohibitions of somebody higher :mrgreen: