Am I missing something about atheism?

Question

So in another question of mine, I used some bad wording and implied atheists don't have morals. My bad, sorry.

Anyway, I've always been under the impression morals for atheists come a person's own judgement. Or is there something more to atheism, other than not believing in a god, such as certain morals you must abide by?

Alright, well hey thanks for all the answers everyone. Looks like I've been going about my atheist ways with no problems then! Kudos to Mr. Golly and nondescript

Answer 1

Yes, atheists, like everybody else in the world, come to their own judgement. Atheists, like everybody else in the world, figure out what they think is right and wrong and work out how to deal with other people.

The difference is that atheists try to get input for these decisions from various sources, which they then use their brains to figure out. Christians and other religious people tend to like it to be spoon-fed to them.

So, it is true that atheists do not inherently have anything in common other than a lack in belief in any gods or other such superstitions. However, many tend to have humanistic values. Secular Humanism is a moral structure based on the idea that what we should consider good and bad is dependent on what is benefits or hurts humanity, as a whole. It promotes the idea that morals should not be dictated, but that we should look at each situation in context. This tends to be attractive to many, if not most, atheists. It also is attractive to many theists.

That's why in additional to calling myself an atheists, I also identify myself as a Humanist.

Answer 2

You speak of atheism as though it's some sort of a club, like the He-Man Woman-Hater's Club. There are no rules, and there's no carved in stone set of moral values. I personally just try to do what I think is right. I help people who have less than me, even though I don't have much myself. I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. If something hurts me personally, I will try my best not to do that thing to someone else. For those who would say "Sounds like your morality came from the bible" - I've been doing this from childhood, with no religious training whatsoever. It's only recently that I came to the conclusion of No God as opposed to Maybe God. Many things shape a persons morality. Just because one has faith doesn't automatically make them good. Look at Hitler, Bakker, The BTK killer, Pope Pious V, Swaggart, Haggard, and countless others who, outwardly at least, are paragons of virtue.

Answer 3

I think it really does depend on the individual - but then again, the same can be said of people belonging to any given religion. I think everyone takes the bits they want, and not the bits they don't. I'm an athiest because I *know* I'm taking bits from my Christian upbringing that I want and not the bits I don't, and I'd rather not be a hypocrite by calling myself Christian when I can't take the lot. If you look at any group, you'll see a variation in beliefs. For instance, the extremist Muslims giving the rest of them a bad name, as the more hedonistic and generally immoral sors give atheists a bad name.

Answer 4

Most atheists are secular humanists. Secular humanists believe that they have a moral obligation to help others. Secular humanists believe that this world and each other is all we have, so we each have to do our part to make it a better place. If we screw up our world, there's no giant magic daddy in the sky who can reach down and straighten it all out. If we mess it up, we are left with nothing but a mess.

If you think about it, doesn't it seem absurd that all morals come from the 10 commandments? How many Americans do you think could recite all 10 commandments by heart anyway? Don't you think it's presumptious of us to assume that only Christians are moral? Certainly you realize that people of other nations, faiths, and creeds also share many of the same beliefs that Christians do: namely, that it is wrong to kill, wrong to steal, and wrong to hurt others? You don't really think Christians are the only people in the world to believe in the golden rule, do you?

If you accept that you are connected to those around you, then you accept that you are responsible not only to yourselves but to others as well. Most atheists accept that connection and the moral responsibility that comes with it.

Answer 5

Morality has nothing to do with religion or atheism. Christianity, for example, teaches that self-sacrifice for God is moral, that self-sacrifice is love, that punishing all the descendents of Adam for having disobeyed God is justice, and to ask Abraham to take his son Isaac to be sacrificed as an act of faith was a darn good idea, and a moral one at that! An atheist might think that since God doesn’t tell us what is and what is not moral, we ought to take a vote and society or the majority can tell us what is moral; and finally, another way is to follow the principle of subjectivism and decide for ourselves, depending on whim and what we like or dislike. In this case, what’s moral for you might not be moral for me. But a subjective morality is precisely what allows any form of despotism to take root; because a subjective morality follows the immoral law of the end justifies the means.

What humans require, in order to live happily, is objective morality. Objectivity is not provided by believing or not believing in God. It is, however, provided by reason and logic. Without reason, one cannot be moral. By objective I mean that we base our evaluation on facts and reality, not fantasy. The standard for evaluating a moral value can only come from facts, not feelings.

The fundamental fact for a moral code is rooted in a simple reasoning process: is this action good for living or is it bad for living. If it requires self-sacrifice or advocates the sacrifice of others for the benefit of somebody else, be it God, society, or my mother-in-law, it is an immoral act. If it does not require the sacrifice of anybody, including self-sacrifice, it is a moral act. Follow this reasoning in every decision you’ll make, and you will always be moral. Morality is needed to live happily. Without morality, the world turns into a battlefield.

Answer 6

No, not that I know of. And I was one that took offense to your last question, posted an apology there. A lot of morals that even Christians have come from their own judgment. And I would bet that whether you know it or not, some of the morals you have came from the bible.

Answer 7

Most atheists try to treat others as they would wish to be treated, but doing so is not a component of atheism. Atheism is simply the lack of a belief in a god or gods, morality is a separate issue.

Answer 8

How you believe or percieve any religion is personal and ethics or rules are subjective. You can shape your life on the simple words that are easy to live by---by anyone---JUST BE NICE. Be fair and tolerant and stop worrying so much about what you do or do not ascribe to. If you live right---you have nothing to worry about. If you are a creep--you have to look over your shoulder no matter what religion you are. Be happy for every day above ground--once you're planted it's too late.

Answer 9

Morality is learned. The lessons can come from anywhere, not just a religious text. I learned my morals from my parents and from society (yes, that is possible).

My basic rule is that as long as one person is not maliciously harming another person, than everything else is game. That is my one basic rule, and so far, it has served me well.

Some atheists put their "faith" in humanity. So, maybe that might be what you are missing . . . ?

Answer 10

Atheism is simply the lack of belief in a god or gods. It doesn't address morality.

Morality itself doesn't come from religion, rather, religion reflects the morality of society. The general rules: don't lie, don't steal, don't kill, don't cheat on your spouse, etc., are all agreed upon rules for behavior in society. Religion is just one way in which the rules are enforced.