Agree or disagree: Since atheists cannot be moral or ethical, atheism must not be tolerated?

Question

Well, bless me. Wait, cancel that -- there's nobody to bless me.

Calm down, people. I'm one of the most hard-line atheists on the R&S board and as such, I admit I feel entitled to ask the occasional leading question.

Answer 1

This should bring the fascists to the surface like a centrifuge...

Answer 2

This also is a marvelous example of a leading question:

"In common law systems that rely on testimony by witnesses, a leading question is a question that suggests the answer or contains the information the examiner is looking for..." (wikipedia)


Athiests can be ethical, so therefore, your whole question falls apart by being based on a false premise. Meanwhile, it is definitely a prejudicial statement, since you are lumping all Athiests into a common pool, ignoring the fact that Athiests only agree that "there is no God", and can therefore be incredibly different fom one another other than on that one point.

So, as your question is worded, I must:

"Disagree : Since Atheists cannot be moral or ethical, and they must be tolerated."

Hail Eris! All Hail Discordia!

Hmmm I must be feeling pedantic tonite....

Answer 3

Where exactly did you get the supposition that atheists can't be moral or ethical? And given the immoral and unethical history of Xtianity (the witch hunts, the crusades, Papal support for the Holocaust..which happened in CHRISTIAN nations, the expulsion of Jews in Poland, England, France, italy, Spain...etc. etc. etc.) can it and other religions be tolerated?

I understand that religion is never the cause of war. It is simply a flag to rally the troops and justify action....but there have been an awful lot of atrocities commited by people carrying Christian flags. I fail to see how they can attest to moral superiority.

Answer 4

To answer to the first guy: Osama bin laden is not an atheist. Neither are pedophile priests, suicide bombers, neither was Hitler... People is either evil or good regardless of their belief. Also: Aristotele (or was it socrates? dammit, this will bug me all day!) said that correct and moral behaviour is the most rational choice: those who commit evil do so because they don´t see how damaging it is in the long run. Also: Human beings are naturally predisposed to be nice to one another, in different levels of course, by a thing called empathy, that is the glue that keeps our society togheter: it is more logic to be moral because this makes other people perceive you as aresource and not as a threat. Also: a recent sudy demonstarte that strongly religious community in united states are more prone to crime than the mildly religious ones.

Answer 5

DISAGREE - anyone, regardless of their religious beliefs, can have morals and ethics.
Morals and ethics were not created by religion, but merely harnessed as a tool for controlling the people.
Atheists probably have better morals and ethics because they decide what is right based on the truth, not what is drilled into their brains by someone else.

Answer 6

disagree...

You can speak for yourself though. Usually people who believe in the big imaginary dictator in the sky are less intelligent (It's a statistical fact, not an opinion) ..and the less intelligence, the less likely you are to realize everyone is a person just like you...so perhaps if you were an unintelligent christian who was suddenly, magically (miraculously I might say) turned into an Atheist, without using the intelligence it takes to get past the religous brainwashing all around, then it is likely you would be less ethical than if you believed their was a cruel dictator sitting in the sky who was watching you all the time.

Answer 7

I disagree with the comment, although I praise you for having the guts to put something that could turn out to be quite controversial online.
Technically I disagree because the assumption is that athiests and thiests have completely differing ways of life. I've met people who you couldn't tell by their actions, speech or habits what their belief system was, and others who claimed to be of one belief while blatantly disregarding anything about it that forced them to reconsider their own actions.
I think the secret is that only intolerance should not be tolerated.

Answer 8

Disagree.

Only an atheist can be moral.

Theists believe in an almighty deity that will reward and punish them for their actions. This precludes the possibility of morality.

Even dogs and rats can be taught to behave as desired if they are rewarded or punished for their actions. They clearly have no understanding of morality. The same goes for theists.

When someone does what they truly believe to be in the long-term best interest of humanity, despite the fact that they will personally be punished for it, THAT is morality.

Morality is based on logic and empathy, not the mythology of our simian ancestors.

Answer 9

Disagree

Answer 10

In order to have an argument, it must first be based on facts, or the two parties involved must agree to the assumptions. I fail to agree with your assumption that atheists cannot be moral or ethical.

Answer 11

We at least have the moral ethics not to set there lying like you are. Now pull the drawers out of the crack of your butt and go set calmly by the door we will send someone for you.