Can a religious person have morals?

Question

Morality means to make judgments about right and wrong behaviour according to conscience, which is what atheists do all the time, but most religions seem to want their followers to reject the exercise of conscience and instead just follow orders. This suspension of individual conscience seems to be how all the greatest atrocities in history have occurred, such as the Holocaust and Stalin's purges.

So, can you be religious and still have morals? If so, do you have to reject the authority of your religion in order to do so?

rarhodes001: You pretty much confirmed that you *don't* judge things according to conscience, so when you make judgments that is not morality.

foxray43: Morality is part of human nature and human nature is a product of unthinking, undirected evolution. If you believe it to be anything more, that is for you to prove (and no-one ever has, in all of human history, so that would be a first!) :-)

Answer 1

They can, but it is a rare occurrence.

Most, if not all, Christians are taught they are wicked & evil and there is nothing they can do about it. They were born wicked & evil.

So, if a person is told by his parents he is wicked & evil, and believes it, why would he attempt to overcome what God made him? He must rely on Jesus since he, being wicked & evil, cannot possibly rely on his own judgment.

And, when he lies, cheats, steals, rapes, murders or whatever he wants to do, it's okay because God forgives him.

How they interpret that doctrine as being anything other than evil is beyond me, but, then again, I'm an atheist.

Answer 2

Cab a religious person have morals? Yes, absolutely.

Do I have to reject the authority of my religion in order to do so?
Absolutely not! My morals are Bible-based. I use the Bible, God's Holy Word, as my template. This is one of the reasons why it was written. It is God's Instruction Manual to us on how we should live our lives.

The Holy Spirit also guides me too. This is kind of hard to explain to a non-Christian, but I get a unique feeling when I know something is wrong or right. It isn't guilt, because I don't give into the situation. This always occurs before hand. It is kind of like a form of warning system that I have. Again, it is not something that is easily described. Other Christians have experienced it. Perhaps someone else can explain it better.

Answer 3

Morality is the basis for making those judgments and the only credible source for establishing those comes from God. When atheists make a "moral judgment" they are basing it on what, things they've learned as children, things they've come to know as "common sense", something some person made up? Morality was established at the time of creation, it was set in the hearts of men and those who reject them, reject God, those that follow them are following God's standard whether they think they believe in Him or not.

Answer 4

Yes of course.
Being a Good Person and doing Right, has nothing to do with being SAVED and going to Heaven.
Everybody has a Free-Will.
Everybody can chose to Resist the Devil (killing, stealing and destroying).
Some non-religious People are alot nicer then Religious People.
p.s.
1. Just because your Religious, dosen't mean that your SAVED and on your way to Heaven.
2. Just because your SAVED, dosen't mean that your a Good Person and treat other's in the Right Way all the time.
3. Just because your an atheist dosen't mean your a Bad Person who treat's other's Wrong all the Time.
4. I had alot of UNSAVED Friend's who treated me better than some SAVED One's.

Oh well, to each his own. WE get to chose how we are agonna act every day, no matter who we are.
Ditto.............

Answer 5

You forget that it is precisely a moral choice whether or not to be obedient to God (and His Church).

In the Christian tradition ,for example, it is taught that we follow the ten commandments even if we don't "get" some of them and by so doing we cleanse and purify our spiritual eyes, thus opening, developing, and refining our own ability to make moral judgments on our own.

Answer 6

There's no rule for every instance in your lifetime. Sometimes moral principles set down in the Bible must be APPLIED. Besides, even if you are "ordered" to abstain from something like sexual practice, you must combat temptations. You're still choosing to follow your belief system and you have to have a reason even if the reason is "It's what God wants."

Answer 7

Conscience is The Holy Spirit guiding me in the right direction

Answer 8

It is free will that lets people choose between right and wrong. Christian or not...you get to choose. Those who get caught up in dominating 'religions' often find that rules dominate instead of free will. Yet, at any time, they too can choose to leave those 'religions' and choose another way. Choices have consequences....and so we have Hitlers and Stalins, and Holocausts, and Jim Jones... who obviously chose wrong and paid for it.

Answer 9

A religious person has morals. It is God that gives them the guidance about morals. You don't have to reject the authority of Christianity to have morals.

Answer 10

WOW, I thoroughly consider you! i've got in no way theory approximately it like that till now. i'm specific that there are exceptions (like Wicca) or different forms of "faith" or "cost systems", besides the undeniable fact that, i think that as long as a man or woman does not recover from excited or "addicted"- as tiger pronounced- then it may well be ok. in case you generally carry your man or woman ethical experience or your man or woman cost device greater then one that is dated hundreds of years old, then you definately are transforming into the skill to hold to in spite of the fact which you suspect is ethical. the situation is, is that the assumption of morality is incredibly, very subjective. i think of killing is undesirable, yet once I had little ones and somebody went after them, i'd attempt to kill them with my bare arms. ethical? no longer ethical? no it is uncomplicated to respond to that query, its an exceptionally subjective theory. So no rely in case you're very non secular or no longer, your opinion of morality relatively relies upon on your self, yet once you're a non secular enthusiast, then you definately are no longer even given a wager to confirm what's ethical or no longer by utilising your man or woman standards, "they" (non secular leaders or the bible) tells you what you are able to or can not do and how you are able to think of, that's, in my opinion, very ridiculous!