A Question on Christianity: Does a God negate the need for internal morals?

Question

Important: This is philosophic question, not an attack on the motives of a Christian lifestyle.

I have noticed a strong Christian presence here, and I don’t have any Christian friends to ask myself. It is also a complex question, and I will be hugely grateful for a full answer.

I once read a book that argued the need for Christian God. It asserted that if there was no God judging us, and no resulting heavenly reward or hellish punishment, then there would be no need for us to have good morals.

This means that Christianity could be a useful tool for persuading people without morals that they should behave, and thus create a better society. But it also calls into question the true motives of good Christian behaviour.

i.e, when an atheist commits an anonymous charitable act that will bring him no future physical benefits (i.e no hope of reward, even looking good in front of people), he does so because he feels genuine empathy and gains pleasure from the pleasure of others.

But when a Christian commits an anonymous charitable (one that will bring no earthly gains) it can still not be seen as proof of empathy and the pleasure derived from other pleasure as there is always the reward of Gods favour.

So, the question:

Does believing in a God (and heaven and hell) make you incapable of a charitable act purely for the good of others?

Cheers guys, these are good answers. But Therapist King, on what do you base your claim that all societies use the same 10 moral codes? Do you mean the commandments?

I don't think all societies shun adultary, worshiping false idols etc...

Answer 1

No, the existance of heaven & hell do not take away the Christian's ability to do a kind selfless act. Why? Because Christianity isn't about deeds. It's about belief.

I'm a Christian. I believe in the trinity; that Christ died for my sins and rose again. Because I've accepted him as my savior I am indwelt w/ the Holy Spirit. And it's THAT that's going to get me into heaven, not doing things. It's not about works and deeds. Getting into heaven isn't BASED on a works system. You can't earn your way into heaven.

That said, God doesn't negate the need for morals, He's how we have them. The Holy Spirit in me is like a conscience. It's God in me leading and guiding (except when I'm a slacker and I'm blocking...it happens). And of course the Bible as well. All that to say that salvation gets you into heaven but should help you be a better person while you're here. One who does do nice, kind, helpful, selfless, charitable things w/out the need and desire for compensation.

I hope that made any sort of sense...I can't answer again, but you can always email me if this was interesting enough that you want to hear any more.

Answer 2

I truly believe in learing social behavior by consequences. If you kill someone, the repercussions will more than tell you that what you did was wrong. If there were no laws, there would at least be revenge. If someone steals something that belongs to you, you know that it made you feel bad. Part of being human is being able to put yourself in someone else's place. Just watching little children interacting with each other will show you how quick they are to learn that if they hurt another child, that child will retaliate and the message will have been sent that what they did was bad and if they do it again, they will get hurt in return. All of life is a series of consequences, and this is how man came up with the "Christian morals" (or whatever other code you live by. Every society has had a code and laws to live by that did not need a god to look to for rewards or punishment, because they got those things from their fellow man...from as far back as The Code of Hammurabi from ancient Mesopotamia.

There truly is a derived pleasure from doing things for others. And I believe it is an innate desire to do them.

Answer 3

God has the ultimate final say on everything.

There is a book of life and that dictates who will get into heaven and who will not.

There is NO explicit warranty that all christians or specific sects or all Jews will automatically get into heaven.

If God choses to let a murder in or a homosexual or an Atheist and if God decides to exclude some Christians that is God's right and who is fit to question God!

Live the best life you can and don't do things just for rewards. The reward comes from doing. Expect nothing.

Answer 4

Can we trust our minds if we are nothing more than the products of naturalistic evolution trying to fight, feed, flee and reproduce? Charles Darwin was deeply troubled by this: "With me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would any one trust in the convictions of a monkey's mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?"


If God doesn't exist, then we simply do not have an adequate foundation for objective ethics--including intrinsic human dignity and rights, personal responsibility and moral obligation. Furthermore, if the divine grounding for morality is lacking, then (as Nietzsche argued) it is not a far step to undercut moral motivation as well.

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Aurora, your arguments don't really fit with reality.

Answer 5

Yes that is a complicated question. I am Wiccan, No god or goddess in my perspective, its beyond my conciseness and I wont bother with it. However, I have morals and standards for the simple reason Mostly the way i was raised. But for society, most were not taught. It was instilled in my raising and will be in my children. It is not my religion that I get morality, it is my up-bringing. My mother is Wiccan. (Mind you i do not study or practice magic, rituals or spells of any kind. I believe in Karma, what you do is what you get! I do however only cast that cursed~Blessing on those who are lacking of morality!

Answer 6

No of course not. When you have true compassion for your fellow man, even as CHrist had, then you desire to do good. The fact that our heavenly father is pleased is an added bonus. If anyone is working on earth to gain heaven then they work in vain. It is not of works that man is saved, but it of God's grace and mercy. We could never do enough to merit the goodness of God and the gift of eternal life. The holy spirit becomes our conscious when we belong to Christ. I don't fear God's wrath nor hell. I do want to be of some good worth while here on earth. I don't think that will enlarge my spot in heaven for doing so.

Answer 7

Except that all societies no matter how primitive have the same basic 10 moral laws, otherwise their societies implode.So christianity was not a ceation for moral regulation...we were put here to serve our creator in the way His son showed us in his example to the Hebrews.

Answer 8

That is totally false. Every culture every religion has their own set of Ethics. Hell even atheists have their own ethical dimension. I could say would the atheists still give money to charities if it didn't make anyone happy? there are plenty of christians who give money out of the kindness of their heart and not because they think God wants them to do it.

Answer 9

I don't think believing in heaven or hell influences most of people's good deeds to one another. I don't think they think about it that much.

I know that I don't hold a door open at the grocery store for someone behind me because I think I'm going to be rewarded in heaven for it, or burn in hell if I didn't do it.

I was just brought up to be polite.

Answer 10

Oh, don't fool yourself. Just because people don't believe in God, that doesn't mean every time they do something for another, it's always altruistic!

A Christian is not motivated by fear of God to do good; we are motivated by love and gratitude for what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us. I have seen the perfection of God's ways and desire to live by them....not to win "brownie points"....but for the fact in following His laws, it brings me peace and a joyful life.