I notice many theists here often claim that all sense of morality comes from god.
I am in a room with somebody. He is annoying me by talking loudly on a mobile phone. However I am patent and politely ask him to keep it down.
Why did I not simply walk over and punch him (after all this may be what I feel like doing) ?
The reason is simple. Although the guy is annoying me I know how I would feel if somebody punched me. For this reason I do not punch him . I do it out of empathy not because of some god given code of morality.
Why do I give to natural disaster charity ? Because I try to put myself in the position of those who have lost their homes. I know how awful I would feel so I do what I can to help. Again empathy not a moral code rooted in a deity.
2006-07-10 05:11:14 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This outlook removes them from RESPONSIBILITY!!
2006-07-10 05:15:25 · answer #1 · answered by Jcontrols 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Humans are a product of evolution, and morality is part of human nature, so morality also comes from evolution. Most religious worldviews on the other hand, are amoral.
anonymous writes: "Where do you think your empathy comes from? Why do you have a conscience? I believe those are two strong arguments for a higher power. If we were not created with an inherent sense of right and wrong, then would we really have the capacity to feel empathy, or guilt when we do wrong?"
Well, the reason we have empathy is that it is an extremely effective evolutionary survival strategy. There's no way we could live in this co-operative, close-knit society if we hadn't evolved self-imposed rules of behaviour, and having evolved them we have become an enormously successful species.
Religion is amoral because it says "do what god tells you regardless of what your conscience says". That's what all evil dictatorial regimes do, and it's not morality by any stretch of the definition.
2006-07-10 12:20:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think everyone should take a philosophy of ethics course...it would help clear up a lot of questions people usually have about morality and how it could exist without a god.
I also think that a look at various cultures reveals that there isn't some higher power telling everyone what is moral...Do not kill fellow group members seems to be one of the few morals which is consistent...the rest tend to vary. Do not kill is just a naturally good moral....can't live in a society where everyone kills each other.
2006-07-10 12:18:40 · answer #3 · answered by laetusatheos 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I assume you're trying to hold up empathy as an objective basis for morality. The problem is that people don't all have the same sense of empathy. Sociopaths have practically zero empathy. Other people are "hyperempathic" (e.g., they wouldn't even ask the other person to be quieter for fear of hurting that person's feelings). So even if you want to base morality upon empathy, you must then determine what level of empathy a person "should" have. And who determines that? What's the "right" level of empathy that people should have? Once again, you have to ask the designer.
2006-07-10 12:27:07 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Where do you think your empathy comes from? Why do you have a conscience? I believe those are two strong arguments for a higher power. If we were not created with an inherent sense of right and wrong, then would we really have the capacity to feel empathy, or guilt when we do wrong?
2006-07-10 12:18:15 · answer #5 · answered by anonymous 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, we all have a moral compass, even animals. But there are the nuts in prison, because they have a mental disorder that keeps them from making good decisions. We do not need god. Look at what has been done in the name of god: holocaust, crusades, genocide, Inquisitions, murder, torture, and more. Look at what we get from science: modern technology, medicine, etc. Religion can allow the moral compass to be bent. I am not saying without religion we would have no problems, just less of them.
2006-07-10 12:20:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of people have been taught from an early age that morality comes from a divine source. I'm a Deist, but I don't believe that my sense of morality comes from a divine being. It comes from my sense of reason and my sense of empathy.
2006-07-10 12:18:36 · answer #7 · answered by tangerine 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think people insist morality comes from God. I know people who are very moral and they don't acknowledge God at all. I also know people who do profess God and are immoral. So, not all people insist morality comes from God. I believe that God lets us live moral lives and tells us about it when we do something that's not right, but that's another question, isn't it?
2006-07-10 12:15:57 · answer #8 · answered by The Nana of Nana's 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because if morality "comes from god", then anyone who does not belong to that religion is immoral, or a criminal, or is someone deserving of a concentration camp.
Faith is how you treat "god". Morality is how you treat people.
Theists don't want to admit this because it means they can't rationalize or legalize their hate and violence.
2006-07-10 12:17:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Morality comes from greed and self-preservation. Selflessness transcends morality.
2006-07-10 12:24:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The big point they are trying to make is, if there is no God, and we came from rocks, then there is no right or wrong. You can just make it up as you go along.
2006-07-10 12:25:00 · answer #11 · answered by Vincent Valentine 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋