Do the non-religious have morals?

Question

Would you let your kids play with a non-believer's kids at their house? Would you be worried about what they would be exposed to?

Answer 1

Of course they do. In fact alot of non-religious people I know are even more moral because they are not caught up in religious dogma that causes them to be hateful or intolerant to other people.

Answer 2

Yes sir, the non-religious have morals. Everyone has morals. The difference lies in whether their morals are good or evil relative to your beliefs. Take for example the followers of Confucianism in China. This philosophy is not a religion (although it does imply the use of ancestor worship). The followers of this philosophy believe that doing the right thing is necessary for society to progress. It would be like you as a teen sitting down at a family meeting and helping to set the agreed curfew time of midnight. When others in your family arrive late, you are disappointed in them. If you arrive late for curfew, you are dissapointed not necessarily because of what your parents will do, but because you were responsible for helping to make that agreement and you did not help to hold up your end of the bargain. The point is, although they may not have a belief in god or gods, the non-religious can have good morals which they believe will help out with the general good for society.

I grew up in a Roman Catholic family and attended churches of several denominations up until I was 15. I noticed that the Conservative Baptist church I attended had many members who would ask a similar question to what you are asking. Actually, they would assume that all non-religious did not have morals and that the only way was through conservative baptist methods, but that is beside the point. These people raised their kids in a sheltered environment where the kids were never exposed to anything non-religious or "worldly". The result from this was that when these kids turned 18, (kids who I knew and grew up with) they tried all the things that they had been sheltered from because they were new and they had not been taught about the risks or dangers involved because the parents believed that the kids would always be good. I would say 90% of these sheltered good kids ended up drinking, having sex, and listening to rock and roll by the time they turned 18. Why? Because they had not been exposed to other cultures and ideas and they wanted to experience life through their own eyes and not through those of their parents.

End answer - I would let my kids play with a non-believer's kids at their house. Just because they do not believe there is a surpreme being watching over them does not mean that they will be bad people. I would not be worried about exposure because I would rather have them see what is going on in the real world in a controlled environment (with the other kid's parents being present) rather than to have my kids turn 18 and go out into the world seeing all the bad things it offers. Trust me, the more you shelter your kid, the more they are going to rebel.

Answer 3

Yes, but it does depend on the individuals. I know Christians who drink, swear, have illicit sex, lie, cheat, gamble, smoke...and I know quite a few atheists who don't do any of those things.

I also know atheists who drink, swear, have illicit sex, lie, cheat, gamble, smoke and I know quite a few religious people who don't do any of those things.

You'd just have to get to know the people and don't for one minute think that just because someone is religious, they are by any means good or honest. More people today use religion as a smoke screen for the drug dealing than ever before. Don't be narrow minded enough to think people are bad just because they don't believe in some religion.

If you go through life believing like that, you will be incredibly manipulated by religious people and unnecessarily frightened by non religious ones. Check out the person and then make your own decision.

Answer 4

I have three kids and yes I would let them play with a non-believer's kids at their house. Maybe my kid would be a good influence and may encourage them to attend church with us. I teach my kids never to discriminate against anyone. And if I told my kids to stay away from someone's house just because I didn't beleive as they did, what kind of example would I be setting. My kids know right from wrong, and I trust they would make the right decision. But if I didn't feel comfortable with my kids going to someone's house, then I would try to persuade the kids to play at my house.

Answer 5

Anyone whose faith is so fragile, and their ideology so questionable, that exposure to the world is a danger to it, is only delaying the inevitable.

If faith can stand the test of being exposed to different ideas, it is strong and you've nothing to worry about.

I have no problem with the idea of letting my children play with other kids who have different faiths. I think it'd be good for them. For my part, I have thought about what I believe and don't believe enough that I could answer any questions they would bring home.

Answer 6

Following a religion doesn't give you a passport to ethical and moral beliefs.

A religious person is no more likely to be moral than a non-religious person.

One is a matter of religion and the other one of social ettiquette or mores.

I hardly think that religion is a matter to consider when you are talking of children playing at each others' homes! By putting those kind of barriers (intolerance of other people's belief systems) in the way of our children (either way- by the way) we are going to raise some pretty unhappy and blinkered people.

:-)

Moral is as moral does. Think on that phrase.

Because I have met a few Christians who have used their religion to excuse themselves from appropriate behaviour and made me feel ashamed to be one.

Answer 7

Many non-religious people have good morals. Some non-religious people have bad morals.

Many religious people have good morals. Some religious people have bad morals.

If I had a son, I'd be more interested in the known conduct of his friend, not what religion he subscribes to. If the friend had a reputation of being a troublesome jerk, then I'd have some reservations letting my son play with him.

Answer 8

Well being that I'm "non-religious" being agnostic I certainly would. I also would let my children play at the house of people of various faiths.

In life we are exposed to a great deal and if you discuss with your children what they've seen and heard then I don't see why would need to feel threatened by a belief other than their own.

Answer 9

Yes, I have a five yr old and she knows. The bible even tells you that if a believer marries a non believer that the beleiver should not leave the none believer. In hopes that the non believer, may come to believe.

And if that was the case, I wouldn't be able to talk to or hang out with anyone of the people that I know.

Answer 10

Of course. And if you let your kids play with many others, you probably have and just didn't know it.

On thing that is interesting is that atheists are 50X less likely than the general population to end up in prison. We are about 10% of the general population and only 0.2% of the prison population (this is easy to find if you Google it) and you ask if we have morals.

Answer 11

certain. In Malaysia, non secular peopleare divided into 2 varieties. a million. The nicely mannerd one. 2. The enthusiast one. we are fearful those few many years about the occuring issues together with new 'regulations' that do not exist in Islam yet bein advised to us through the non secular no 2 variety.