Can we find a "moral" code to live by without the dictates of religion?

Question

Peace and Love

Answer 1

Many people do just that. Look at genital mutilations in Africa. Slavery still exist in some Godless areas. Leave it to the government and we are all ******. It's not a bad idea to look to a higher power for our moral compass.

Peace and Love

To Tuila: You just quoted Jesus. Pretty straight up religious connotation if you ask me.

Answer 2

No matter if you have an religious code or philosophical code or your own code of "moral".... you are always the one who decides what to do, what is right or wrong. A code is just a code but you are the living entity who decides what to pick. That's the challenge in life. You are completely responsible for everything you do. Having a "moral code" free from any religion might help, but it does not help to hide out from our own lives and responsibilities.

Answer 3

Yes, and we'd probably do a better job.

The dictates of religion arise within particular societies in particular times. While some of the elements of the moral code of say a 2,OOO year old patriarchal desert community might still make sense, other elements are clearly inappropriate or irrelevant to a 21st century western urban society. To adopt their code wholesale and uncritically is bizarre.

Answer 4

You can and ironically its ethical innovators who foresaw the ideas - people like Jesus.

Incidentally while I have a lot of respect for the man Jesus as far as I understand his teachings I'm an atheist and don't believe in anything supernatural.

In a way science has already given us the start of morality with game theory - playing around with a points system where everyone tries to be selfish, cooperation emerges spontaneously from the game, in a game where the only objective is to get as many points for yourself its amazing to see such rules 'be nice - that is dont be nasty to them first' or 'be forgiving' come from such simple patterns.

I'd recommend reading Axelrod's the evolution of cooperation if you're interested in those ideas but Dawkins gives a good summary in the selfish gene.

Answer 5

No and Secular Humanism IS a Religion as defined by Webster's Collegiate Dictionary! Everybody that has a belief or set of beliefs about any person, place or thing is involved in Religion! Your laws and code of ethics all come from the Bible and its pricipals, like it or not!

Answer 6

Probably, but the moral codes were instituted by the BIBLE. We adopted them and made them "moral". GOD has certainly played a big part in our thinking throughout HiStOrY. HE was here in the beginning, remains a part of our lives, and will return to judge in the EnD. Have a great week!
Eds

Answer 7

Without God there cannot be a objective morality, objective good and evil, this was seen and experienced in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
The Greek philosophers even proved the existence of God the cause of all causes and the Ultimate Good.

Answer 8

In the past, religions were the only ones concerned about morals.

Recently, they seem to be the only ones not concerned about morals.

Specifically, I am referring to the phrase that both Jesus and Confucious used to illustrate the nutshell of morality.

"Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you."

Answer 9

"Do on to others as you would have done to you". I think that can pretty much cover it and doesn't nessecerily have a straight-up religious connotation.

To the Alabama Bastard - Doesn't matter who said it. It is a good rule to live by. You should take note.

Answer 10

:
Proverbs 30:12
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.