Atheist, where do you get your morals from?

Question

I know religion plays an import role for many people because it is kind of a guide for morality. But if you don't beleive in God and the morals that are set by Him. Where do you get your morals? Why is it wrong to kill someone for an athiest, because you feel bad? Feelings change, so for athiest do morals change with feelings? Why is lying wrong for athiest, because society says so? just curious as to where athiest think they get their morality from...

please don't place immature answers

Answer 1

Ya know that is a good question.I have known a few atheists.Just because one is an atheist,does not mean that they are bad to the bone.I knew a very nice person that was an atheist,and was one of the kindest people I ever knew.I believe this persons morals came from within.This person went out of their way to help those in need,and to try to help make this a better world in which to live.I honestly believe that some people become atheist because of all the bad things that have always happened on earth and always will happen.And they believe that IF there was a GOD he would make it all stop for the better of man kind.They cannot conceive in their minds that a loving god would continue to allow all the bad things to keep happening.And some atheist has a lot more morals than other people i have known.what i fail to understand is how some christians are so quick to judge other people and in the same stroke so quick to keep their sins hush-hush.Not all christians but some do do that.

Answer 2

Most people that don't follow religions are generally intelligent people. Intelligent people don't need a book of fiction to tell them that lying, stealing and murder is wrong. If religions are all so great then why are so many little boys raped by preachers? What kind of morals does that show? What about the Crusades? What about wacko Muslims (the ones that are wacko, not the normal ones) that strap bombs to themselves and blow up other people for believing in a different god? Is that moral? Some of the most religious people I have met have had some of the worst morals. It's such a strange land of hypocrisy we live in. Though I am anti-religion, because the teach and promote hate (look at your quesiton, so full of hate), I don't say I am atheist, because I really don't know what's there or not there. Until I find a religion or concept that makes sense, then I am in limbo, because I just don't know. I want to live my life in happiness and not have to go sit in some box twice a week and have some hypocrite that rapes little boys or in an alcoholic or is a serial killer yell at me for how terrible and sinful I am. Having sex is healthy. Having a human body is normal and not a sin. Being naked is not evil. What happened to people to make them think up such ludicrous things? Such a sad world we live in.

Answer 3

I just have no desire to do any harm to anyone. That bothers me, when people bicker, hate, and gossip. It is totally unnecessary. I am an Atheist and I think I have higher morals than any religious people I know. My main reason for being kind and everything is I don't want a bad reputation and I want to be known as a good person.

The reason I'm an Atheist is I find it hard to accept such strong beliefs when I have absolutely no way to prove it or any facts to have faith in. Also, Christianity is so corrupt nowadays I feel I'm a better person to not be involved with them. I see all these people going to church and praying, then going home and smoking pot. Then, the holiest of all of Christians, priests, start molesting little children.

I'm only an Atheist because I don't see a religion worth pursuing. I know, whoever God turns out to be, will see what a kind person compared everyone else. And that's all that matters.

Answer 4

Honestly speaking, most Atheists get their morals where everyone else does. They choose to be moral people because of what they feel in their hearts to be right.

At least in that respect, they're no different than anyone else, since ultimately we all decide on our morals from within, whether or not there is a God telling us what we should do instead.

After all, there are scores of Atheists living moral lives and prison after prison full of people who believe in God and chose to ignore what he had to say about harming others.

You can talk about this moral choice and that moral choice all you like, but in the end, something only becomes wrong to you when YOU realize it's wrong. It's like asking someone to love other people. Just because someone tells you to love your wife, or your brother, or your neighbor, it doesn't mean you do.

Such things only happen when you go through the journey inside yourself and discover why you should feel and act a certain way. The answers to why and how you end up feeling the way you do are as personal and unique as you are, so there's no one answer for everyone out there, whether or not they're Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or even Atheist.

Morals tell us at least as much, if not more, about the kind of people we are inside as they do about what the Gods think we should be.

Answer 5

I take my morals and ethics from society as a whole growing up---parents, peers, siblings, elders, teachers. My parents instilled in me some good morals, they are basically the SAME as everyone else---be it they are christian, muslim, hindu, whichever. Here are just a few of the morals I learned and still practice:

* Be kind and respectful to others. Respect is a two-way street, not a one-way.
* Every action and inaction has consequences. Weigh the consequences before making a decision.
* Help others when they need it.
* Respect the laws of the land.
* Do not discriminate or harrass anyone just cuz I don't like them.

Answer 6

Many Christians are authoritarian, and you sound like you are because you speak of morality being handed down by God. An authoritarian may feel that it is necessary for morality, or any other set of rules, to be imposed by a superior power, be that power God or government or whatever.

There are other ways to understand the origin of morality. The mainstream Christian view is that religion and morality are the product of human nature and that somehow God participates in the process of creating them.

This link describes a non-authoritarian and non-religious understanding of morality.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality#Development_of_morality

Answer 7

Humans are social beings and morals allow us to get along as a society. Without going into a long explanation of cultural relativism and all that fun philosophical stuff....I get my morals by deciding if an action could possibly hurt others, if the answer is yes, I don't do it.


www.ethicalatheist.com is a good place to read more about atheism and ethics; specifically http://www.ethicalatheist.com/docs/ethical_atheist.html

Answer 8

I'm athiest. I don't think that's it's fair to assume and criticize us because we don't share the same beliefs that you people do. I just don't let religion guide my life. I don't lie because I respect honesty and integrity and strive to be my best out of respect for myself. My morals come from my own compassion and beliefs, just not my religious beliefs, and I have to common sense to know what is right and wrong. I do what my heart tells me is right to do, not god. Just because I don't believe in god dosen't mean I have no morals, values, etc, or that i'm an idiot. I just prefer not to let some being that no one can prove even exists tell me how to run my life.

Also I think Andi Gravity said it right.

Answer 9

i am no atheist ,but i know that morals that come from within count for far more that morals that come from an authority
..
this has been proved over and over again .read what the Toltec's teach and you will understand ,their philosophy is that responsibility lies with the individual not with an authority.

In Holland for example everything is allowed and for sale
drugs ,sex ,death ,abortion everything.
and the dutch kids are the most conservative that i know ,they don't take drugs ,drink.or have promiscuous sex ,because the morals come from themselves and so are strong and unbreakable.
.
in Countries like Mexico ,a very religious country ,where everything is under control and forbidden ,a lot of kids get drunk ,experiment with drugs and everything else ,.because it is forbidden,and their morals are forced upon them.
they got crimes we never heard of before in Europe,
murder is common,thieves by the millions and extramarital sex is macho and something to be proud off .

i have travelled extensively and witnessed these same phenomina all over the place ,
in places of freedom .strong morals ,
in places of religious control sinners all over the place,

so dont come here and give this religious nessesity for morals --bulpoop.

the most imorral people that i have know, were the kids of the vicar,

in reality .with pagan cultures ,there is far less crime .like murder and theft or whatever ,and i have seen that in the jungle with primitive people as well
,
the question should be what happened to the morals of the people that boast mistakingly of having them????????????????

Answer 10

I'm a kind of agnostic rather than an atheist. I believe everyone wants to be happy. How can we be happy? We are social animals like monkeys. We feel happy when we get along with others.

I'm always trying to act like Jesus and Buddha. Because I know from my experiences that I feel happy to do so. It doesn't matter for me whether Jesus is the son of God or not.

Most people are longing that everyone should live in the peace world. I believe we have to find out the ways that comes true. Yeah, Forcing mans to believe in God is one of them. But as you know, we can't make everyone believe in God especially the one religion.

Answer 11

Agnostic. I think u learn from ur parents they teach what is right and what is wrong. I know what is right and what is wrong. Killing someone is wrong because u r hurting someone and taking someones life against there will also u would be destroying someone life and u will get punished for it. Lieing is wrong because u r not being honest with someone u could hurt that person by lieing. I dunno how to explain it but I believe in treating people how u would wanna be treated. I guess its judgment and seeing how things affect other people in a good or bad way and learning and what u have been taught as a kid.