From where does your morality stem?

Question

A nonbeliever recently justified his/her rebuttal of Christianity on these boards by saying "It is the moral responsibility and ethical duty of rational people to protect vulnerable minds from being contaminated by Bronze Age myths and willful ignorance."

I ask this question sincerely. If you are not a moral relativist, from where do your morals come from? How do you, personally, determine your daily actions?

Answer 1

I am not a moral relativist. I fear that moral relativism leads to a breakdown of the possibility of discussion, negotiation, and peaceful relations between those of different moral values. We must believe that there truly is a best answer if we want peace.

To this end, the exact source of my morals are irrelevant, but since you asked I don't mind discussing them. I base morality in the emperical world, real effects, and as much use of logic as possible. I argue that we submit to laws because they protect us only when we all agree to submit to them; anarchy is too chaotic for an organism as proven risk-adverse as humanity. As a dependant on society, what benefits it benefits me. As a selfßinterested individual, it's in my best interest to look to society's well-being. Therefore, the best laws are those that result in the greatest possible benefit (or minimization of harm) for society, and thereby for me. Unfortunately, the effects of a given law are difficult to predict, but this rubrik still stands.

Answer 2

For me: A combination of my mother, father, a few good books I have read, and what feels good by me and still passes the "oh no, this feels wrong" test. I never think of God, nor fear God when choosing an action. I do, however think about consequences.

I answered this question when the second part clearly rules me out from answering.

I am somewhat of a thinker, not a follower. I go to church when someone gets married in one and I am invited.

Answer 3

Religion has little if anything to do with morality. It's the code of conduct you are taught by your parents, relatives. teachers etc. Al tho religion can be a positive force towards morality. That's all it is. It grows from within based upon what we are taught in the early stages of development. There are exceptions but they are few.

Answer 4

Society obviously determines "morals"... and the Bible was hardly the first place those "Laws" were written. Code of Hammurabi (a King of Babylon). Was laid out long before Moses was even born... And no other laws are shown to be given or written by those of the Bible before Moses.....

People within a society may give credit to their God(s) for these laws, but it is society that puts them in place....

Answer 5

the place do ethical codes come from? The term "morality" usually refers to a device of non-public habit which differentiates between top and incorrect strikes. ethical codes attempt to split proper habit from sinful habit. ethical codes are often related to a guy or woman's worldview: their common ideals approximately deity, humanity and something of the universe. maximum religions have quite a number of linked structures of morality. Their ethical codes are often derived from the religions' scriptures: The Torah contained concerning Judaism, the Bible's Hebrew Scriptures (aka previous testomony) and Christian Scriptures (aka New testomony) for Christianity, the Qur'an interior of Islam, etc. multiple non-theistic ethical, philosophical and political communities which do no longer contain a perception in one or extra Gods or Goddesses -- jointly with communism, Confucianism, ethical lifestyle, the Goth lifestyle, Humanism, Nazism, some varieties of Satanism, maximum varieties of Buddhism, etc. -- have additionally developed unique ethical codes. Superimposed upon this, lots of persons have developed their very own very own ethical code, often a minimum of in part independently of religious sources.

Answer 6

Logic

Answer 7

I have the intelligence to figure out right from wrong without a 2000 year old myth.

The real question is, what is so defective about you, that you cannot?

Are you trying to say that without the bible, that you wouldn't know that murder and rape are wrong????

Pretty screwed up position, man.

Answer 8

From within. There are many adages, axioms, whatever you want to call it that are just good commons sense. The Golden Rule is one of the best.

Answer 9

Common sense..