A serious question for athiests?

Question

How would an athiest determine moral standards? What basis of morality would you use to create laws if you were the leader of a country?

Since I don't have enough space to state my opinion after choosing the answer, I'll do it here.
Many of you state that your system of morality is to not do harm to others and you would base laws around the same concept. That is a good base and I agree.
You all seem like nice, honest people and would do what is good for mankind.
The only problem I forsee with an atheist in power is that someone who doesn't believe in a power higher than themselves knows no higher power than themselves.
They are not accountable to anyone but their own beliefs. This also goes for the people who claim a religion but don't follow it.
They become "god" because their standard is what is right or wrong. They are bound only by their conscience. That could be good or bad depending on the person in power.
I'm not sure who's answer is the best so I'll let you all vote on it.

Answer 1

What helps others is good.
What hurts others is bad.
What does not effect others is up to the person in question.

Answer 2

The same way the US did it. The founding fathers who wrote the Constitution were atheists, so America is an example of laws and government created by atheists.

Laws are not used to impose morals, they are created to ensure orderly societies. And those laws are based on the combined human experience up to that point.

Every society with which I'm aware forbids murder, robbery and perjury, so claiming the US is unique or based on the bible is incorrect.

US laws are based on the laws first created by the Sumerians and Babylonians. Those laws evolved through the Greeks, Romans and English and became the foundation for the US Constitution and US government (president, 2 houses of congress, judiciary).

For an example of a nation that bases its laws on the bible, you should look to the Vatican (a nation led by a dictator) or Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Atheists create far better laws than do any religious groups.

Answer 3

The same way anyone else does...through society. We don't need morals until we start living in groups (written laws aren't even needed for tribal societies...they just do what works for them as a group and all tribes have their varying 'morals')

I think legislating morality only hides social issues rather than fixing the problem....so I probably wouldn't be creating any new laws. I would use the basis that morality is what works for a society and act to remove those laws which do more harm than good.

I wrote an essay on secular morality if you wish to read more...see source.

Answer 4

I determine my morals by human need. If I were a leader of a country I would create laws for universal health care, marriage of all people, gay or straight, free abortion on demand, no death penalty, etc. I am a socialist so that does have something to do with it as well. I also know athiest anarchists so I feel it has to do more with politics than religion. Religion can affect politics, but I do not feel like religious morality should have much to do with politics (if you don't believe in abortion don't have one, but don't impose your morals on others and allow them to use their own morals to decide for their own bodies).

Answer 5

Personally, being an atheist, my morality is simply based on common sense. Without the boundaries of religion, I tend to base my morality on major things. Pretty much anything that hurts others is off limits. Killing, stealing... etc. But unlike religion I don't place much moral attention to things like homosexuality, attending services, bad words, things that I believe that when done in an appropriate manner (like in the privacy of your own home) don't affect anybody else.

If I were leader of the country I would just continue with my own common sense ideals. With or without religion it's obvious that drugs hurt people, and are therefore immoral unless we can come up with a way to control that but I doubt it, crime is immoral, murder is immoral, etc...

Answer 6

Atheist like myself know right from wrong. Morality is not specified by a religion. I know it is wrong to rob the bank or to kill someone. There is an inert in all humans not to do harm to others or ones-self.

Now, if I were the leader of a country, I am going to assume you are asking me to set up the laws. This would be easy to do:

CAUSE NO HARM!!!

That would take care of bodily, emotionally, financially, ethically, so on and so on.

This is my serious answer to your serious question!

Answer 7

There is a simple concept that is found in religions around the world and in many other areas as well:

Treat others the way you would like them to treat you.

Actions should be based on what will lead to the greater good for the human race and our environment, not on what is personally gratifying to you at the time.

Answer 8

I would use the basis of what would be best for the majority of the population (i.e. the greater good) and I would also use the basis of current moral values. Religion, according to many people, is the word of God. However, if it is the word of humans, then these humans got their moral values from society. How did society get its moral values? It got them from a biological instinct (i.e. common sense) to help oneself survive and help those with similar genetic material survive. Moral values then evolved to encompass more areas and have evolved to what they are now through instinct, logic (e.g. philosophy), and influence by other people's morals.

Answer 9

philosophers discussed morality long before jesus. religion didn't invent and doesn't own morality.
my moral system as leader of a country would be based on rationality in solving problems, fairness, kindness, generosity and tolerance. these have nothing to do with going to church, praying or being part of a dress-up cult that hates sex and worships magic

Answer 10

*drink* word it any way which you like, yet that's asked many situations an afternoon, even yet it additionally makes up an element to the approximately one hundred,000 questions asked to atheists or "athiests"in this communicate board so some distance. faith and to a lots lesser volume, spirituality, do consequence out society or maybe outcomes our preparation structures. I also have a private, vested pastime in those issues.

Answer 11

I am no atheist but I'll tell u .. they use common sense and instinct..
You know, like, not hurting the others or commiting crimes are prohibited in the civil law not just religions for this reason, the human mind and also education.