Atheists can and do live very moral lives. So how do christians explain this?

Question

According to christians, without ghod(tm) in your life, you must be immoral. Yet atheists live very moral and good lives.
How could this be possible? If the christian model is correct, anyone who rejects ghod(tm) should be living lives of debauchery and crime.
Yet this is very rarely the case.
Why?

Answer 1

I'm atheist. I work as a register nurse and donate lots of time getting kids involved in weightlifting and in summers whitewater rafting. I stress to kids the importance of education. I don't do this for a heavenly reward. I don't have Jesus but I got style, balls, and a strong self belief . It works for me. If I'm a F--K up Satan didn't do it, I am responsible for me, Period. I'll take my lumps and never have a victim mentality. The bible is absurd and I feel embarrassed for people who defend it.

Answer 2

I suppose the Christian answer to this is to suggest that in fact far fewer people live "very moral lives" than they think we do. That's why we make such a big deal about grace - people come a lot more short in this department than they realize.

When was the last time you responded to someone you love with anger? The last time you cut someone off trying to get into the lane you're in, because you're in a hurry. Did you buy a car that's perhaps a little less economical on gas than it could be - not quite as good for the environment as it might be - because you like the car? Ever shouted at someone over something it turned out they didn't do?

It's not a balance sheet - you can't make up for being petulant with your wife by putting in an hour at the soup kitchen or going on the AIDs walk. It's great that you did that, but it doesn't make up for it. The hurt you dished out is a wound - maybe only a small one, maybe one that will heal. But hurts leave scars. They can't be papered over. So if dignity is so easily offended, how do you get past it?

Love.

We're a little less moral than we like to imagine we are, a lot more of the time than we'd be comfortable admitting. That's the whole point of Christianity - we think God's mercy transcends and overshadows our very, very real flaws...

Answer 3

Some professed Christians may have taken the position that without God in one's life, that one cannot be a moral person. That has no basis in scripture or in fact.

As to the explanation for why atheists can live moral lives, man was created with a sense of what is right and wrong from the very beginning; every human has a conscience - it was an inherent part of man’s nature. Compare, please Genesis 2:16, 17.

That this is so is confirmed by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. At Romans 2:14, 15, we read: “Whenever people of the nations that do not have [God’s] law do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves. They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them and, between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused.”

Answer 4

The majority of the population of this world (Christian, Religious, Pagan, and Atheist) have never been called by the Father or chosen. In such a case God is not dealing with them, for now.

John 6:44, Matthew 12:16.

Answer 5

I'm going to have to go with:

Right, wrong, and the concept of "morality" are not "from god," but rather the natural outgrowth of behaviors that are needed to keep a group of humans living together from breaking down their society and returning to animalistic behavior.

Ergo, even the godless can be "moral."

The interesting thing is that this argument takes not position on whether or not there is a "creator," yet the faithful still maintain that there can be no "good" without god.

Big wheel keep on turnin'...

Answer 6

I don't doubt it that you can live a very moral life however, what's your point of living a moral life? And why do you have to live a moral life when you can certainly do whatever you wish. What's your point of doing good when you can do bad and not be subject to any punishment? Yes, i believe you can live a very moral life but what's your definition of morality? I believe you can but do you? So why oppose God who also wants people to follow morality and do good`if you have the same goal as Him? I don't understand. Actually it's not wrong if Christians say that because people who actually do harm in the society are godless, not revering God in their life so its easy for them to commit bad things and this is to say also that not all nonbelievers do crime but almost all.

Answer 7

Im not Christian. Morals and religion are two seperate topics. Religions generally promote moral behavior, but are not the genesis of morality. Morality is more about human socialization. If you act like a jerk, hedonist, or mistreat others people wont want to spend time with you.

Answer 8

Find in the Bible where it says be moral? What the Bible actually says is that you must be cleansed of all your sins. Every man born has a Sinful tag included. After one is justified (the beginning of salvation) Jesus commands that Christians live "Christ-like" lives. Which is try and do what Jesus would do, He already knows that it is impossible without Christ in the life of a Christian. All he asks after that is you remain accountable for your sins. . .i.e. ask forgiveness. Morality in and of itself never comes into question.

Answer 9

It depends on your definition of "moral". Obeying laws, being charitable, etc, is of course good, but is not enough. Since God, for Christians (and I am a Christian) is the source of morals, you must live according to God's Word in order to be a moral person.

Answer 10

As far as I'm concerned God is a fiary tale, something that has been perpitrated by religion to control the less informed among us, through fear. Having said that, I abhor injustice, inequality, racism and any kind of social inequity. I consider myself to be more christian than most christians and I am offended that only God botherers are in the running to the number one of the week. Jules, lecturer. Australia.

Answer 11

The Church has given this speech over and over, "without God..." Well without God the world wouldn't turn, the sun wouldn't shine and Christians would go to hell along with everyone else...(Not that I believe in Hell.)
But God IS with us. Everywhere all the time it's called omnipresence. He is ever watching and IS in the hearts of mankind, some people just choose to ignore Him. Others are more open to His works and live moral lives accordingly. It is the destiny of man to fail God and fall short of His glory, it is His Divine spirit in us that allows us to overcome.