Can atheists have morals?

Question

I asked the question that way to get your attention. Do you believe that morals are religated to the religious only? If so, then it would be true to say that all religiuos people are moral. As an atheist, I have had the slings and arrows of of religious people and groups thrown at me. I'm not complaining, just wondering the logic here. I live and profess an extremely high moral life. There is right, and there is wrong. Why do some people believe that I cannot differentiate the two unless I believe in GOD? There are absolutes in right and wrong. There are also grey areas. I believe the truely moral, religious or not, struggle daily with the grey areas. I know I do. Your thoughts?

And, PLEASE read the whole question before you answer.

And, PLEASE read the whole question before you answer.

I have to say that I am impressed with all, well almost all, of your responses. I will not be able to give best answer as I will be gone for 3 weeks. But thank you all. There are many of you that took the time to THINK. Again, thank you.

And I got a few thinkers to put on my watch list (the good one).

Answer 1

You ask: Do you believe that morals are relegated to the religious only? No. If morals were relegated to only the religious, society would be in total chaos because not everyone is religious. Everyone would “do their own thing.” There would be no community, no unity. What particular aspect of man could be taken as the measure? How could you answer the “good” the “moral” aspects? It presupposes that the “good” or “moral” apart from man is really the measure of man, and not man the measure of “good” or “moral.”

Are all religious people moral? I can’t speak for all religions. I’m a Christian and as so, I am concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human actions and characters. I am concerned with what is right and wrong. As you say, there are “grey areas.” Although you may not share the religious beliefs I have, you share most of the moral beliefs I have because you were born/raised in the same/similar community/society that I was, i.e., it’s wrong to kill, steal, etc…. In this regard, (although, I won’t preach, but wish you would reconsider your belief), whether you are an atheist, agnostic, Christian, Jew, etc, your belief in God is really irrelevant as to whether or not you can differentiate between right and wrong. You struggle with the grey areas like everyone does. Hume called this the “is-ought” fallacy. Just because something is the norm or the practice, it doesn’t mean that it ought to be. It is the case that people are cruel at times, they sometimes commit crimes and sometimes even kill, but that doesn’t mean that they ought to.

Did you know that some philosophers even simply deny that anything is right or wrong. They are called “antinomian.” The Epicureans (4th century BC) believed what brings pleasure is right and what brings pain is wrong. What brings the maximal pleasure and the minimal pain is the right thing to do.

Utilitarians answer the hedonistic view by stating the right is what brings “the greatest good to the greatest number of persons (in the long run.)”

Yes, I struggle daily with those gray areas. But, who knows? What exactly is the definition of moral? Of good? Maybe the moral/good is that which should never be desired as a means but only as an end? What do you think?

Ps: I would never throw slings and arrows at such an intelligent, caring and thoughtful person. I am ashamed to think that anyone with any “morals” would. Additionally, just another afterthought, as a Christian, I love to study philosophy, to study and learn of wisdom. Morally, as a Christian, I had reservations about studying this discipline due to my religion. "One of those grey areas I guess." :-)

Answer 2

The problem I see here is not having a foundation for where morals come from. I really like the answerer who said he got his from the society founded on religious values even tho he was atheist. It was an honest and thought provoking answer as is your question. Grey areas can be addressed by like minded individuals who can come to a consensus on what they feel is right or wrong. But the ultimate problem still must be addressed and it is " who sets the rules?" No where do all people agree so therefore we still need a base line to work from. The values given by the Judeo/Christian God are the most all encompassing moral values I have seen. They have stood the test of time and most of US law was based on this value system as well as the thought that went into forming this republic.

Answer 3

Religious people question where morals ultimately came from and the conclusion they often reach is that morality is based on what God thinks is right and wrong. If we assume that God doesn't exist, then it's up for debate as to where those ideas came from in the first place, and whether there can be morality without someone setting those standards.

As for those who claim to have no struggles with moral concepts or ethics, they are probably naive or immature, and therefore unable to think beyond a simple 'black and white.'

Answer 4

I see this question a lot on the various atheist forums in which I participate, and it seems that no matter how many times the question is answered, it will be asked again and again by those who believe that morality and ethics can only come from a deity of some kind who commands certain actions, and condemns others. It seems that the content of morality (those actions that are considered moral or immoral) can vary greatly even among those who profess a belief in such deities, and they can vary greatly in those who do not profess such belief.

I think that we all initially get our morals from whomever it was that raised us, or whomever it was that had a major influence over our social adjustment. Usually that would be our parents, though not always, it could also be whatever role models we've chosen to emulate.

Many people, especially those who consider themselves religious, concentrate on what they think of as "sexual morality", whereas the non-religious tend more to think of morality in terms of avoiding harm to others. This latter view requires a larger measure of empathy than does the view of the religionists, and entails a lack of concern over "victimless" "sins", such as masterbation, etc., which presumably merely displease the deity, rather than actually harming anyone.

If one does good, or avoids "sin", only from a fear of being punished or a hope of being rewarded by an all-powerful deity, can such behaviour truly be called "moral"? Or is it merely appeasement of the diety for one's own self interest? On the other hand, if one does good merely from the enjoyment of helping others, would not such behaviour be of the highest morality, with or without the belief in a deity?

If one bases one's morality on a myth, then what happens to that morality when the myth is proven to be only a myth? Where then does one find reasons to continue behaving morally? If one's morality is based on empathy for others, then only brain damage which causes the cessation of empathy can lead to the loss of that morality.

Answer 5

To answer your questions every intelligent being has morals.I'm an atheist,and anyone who says we don't have morals cause we don't believe in the big invisible man in the sky needs to shutup.

First Morals come from simple Logic and human compassion.Alot of people say that if we didn't have religion alot of people would go apeshit and rape,pillage and plunder.If thats true,then we have alot,i mean alot of ****** up people,that the only thing keeping them in check from doing that is the big invisible man in the sky.

Now these people believe in god,and look what happened

In 1989 in Moradabad, India, a pig caused hundreds of people to kill one another when the animal walked through a Muslim holy ground. Muslims, who think pigs are an embodiment of Satan, accused Hindus of driving the pig into the sacred spot. Members of both faiths went on a rampage, stabbing and clubbing. The pig riot spread to a dozen cities and left two hundred dead.

Now do you think any of them used logic in this situation.When logic goes out the window so do most morals.Thanks

Answer 6

I am spiritual, but not religious. I am most in tune with nature-based spirituality. However, I guess if I had to say how I feel about religion, I would currently be an agnostic. I'd *like* to believe in a God/all-powerful, loving Deity, but I just can't feel that way without proof. So you and I certainly have more in common than we have in common with people who fervently follow Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or other religions.

My answer to your question is YES! Human beings are 100% capable of being moral, fair, honest, just, kind, and loving, without religion! I feel the most important factor is how parents raise their children.

Let's say there are some atheist or agnostic parents who teach their children the things I just named, both thru words AND thru actions. Those children will most likely become adults with the same traits they were exposed to and taught as children (being moral, honest, kind, etc.) You don't need to feel like you have to answer to God to be these things. You should be these things because it's the "right thing to do", as Wilford Brimley used to say! "Do unto others..." and "Live and let live" are mottos we all can identify with, and SHOULD identify with, whether or not we have any religion or no religion.

And then there's the children who are indoctrinated, as they grow up, to follow the zealous narrow-minded beliefs of a particular religion, end up as adults who feel that their religion is the only "correct" way, and everyone else is wrong. They could very well grow up to be moral, honest, kind, etc. as well, if their parents emphasized that, but my point is that even without religion and God, you can absolutely produce moral, ethical, kind, honest adults.

I have to add, sadly, that some of the people who profess to be the most "religious", are actually the most intolerant and bigoted and closed-minded toward others (i.e. George W. Bush, Pat Buchanan, Ted Haggard, etc.). And sometimes even violent (i.e. the Inquisition, the Crusades, terrorism, etc.) These are so counter-productive to what I would assume "God wants" that it's just pathetic! Religion seems to have spawned more misunderstandings, hate and violence than anything else in the history of this planet. There's YET ANOTHER reason why I strongly believe that humankind could be just as moral, happy and productive without any religion at all!

Okay. *blush* I'll get off my soapbox now.

Answer 7

Thank you for your thought-provoking question. Our sense of right and wrong comes from within us. We discover it a few years after we're born, and every sentient individual has it. Some people attribute it to a higher power, others to God, Allah or whatever deity they profess belief in. That's immaterial.

The main point is that we don't need religious beliefs of any kind to learn the difference between good and evil. Every religion has a decalogue or some sort of moral code by which its followers strive or struggle to abide. In the absence of a religion-inspired moral code, individuals set up their own moral code.

Answer 8

Atheists do have morals. The christians would want you to think that only they have morals. That morals are somehow exclusive to believers but the truth is that religion and morals are not the same. Morals are a sociological learned set of behaviors and really have nothing to do with a belief in any particular religion. Some of the most moral people in the world are not christians and some of the most immoral people in the world are christian. There is no direct correlation between somehow being religious and having a higher set of morals than anyone else.

Answer 9

Anthropology has already settled one part of the question; morality is a practice of all human cultures, regardless of religion.
Social existence requires it.

The more intriguing question is how some religions, without a valid claim, attempt to take ownership of ethics.

Answer 10

Religion (the Bible in our case) has given us lots of morals, but we would be given the same without it - the fact that they are teached in the Bible is just a coincidence.

Any fairy tale or fable contain morals. I received MY morals from my parents and my society, my parents are both atheists AND I live in the most secular country in the world.