Do Atheists Have No Reason to be Moral? Are There No Atheistic Moral Standards?

Question

For most religious theists, their religion and god provide the basis for their entire understanding of morality and values. Because of this, some find it inconceivable that atheists who don’t believe in any gods and who have no religion could possibly have a basis for morality or even understand what true moral behavior really is. Many go further and argue that this is a good reason to reject atheism, that it leads to immoral behavior, that it cannot account for the existence of morality, etc. None of these arguments hold up because they are based on false premises.

Answer 1

I have to give credit where it's due but man you raise some good arguement.
It's almost a full circle without one key componet... God.

Answer 2

Atheists have morals, anyone who says otherwise is misinformed.
However, the basis for an atheist's morals is entirely subjective, or relative, and therein lies the danger. They are also unwilling to admit that there should be a common set of moral standards for all humanity (to each his own, so to speak). Thus, when a group of people allow human sources to be the source of their moral authority, rather than an outside and unchangeable source like God, they are opening to the door to being forced to agree with the following quote:

"Who are you to judge me, I did what I thought was right."

-Charles Manson

Answer 3

Is that so? Quite right, atheists DO have a basis for morality. The problem is, it is merely subjective. And subjective morality doesnt really do anything to explain the morality human beings have in common worldwide for all time.

For instance, if you ask me if murder is wrong, I say YES. How do I know? Because we have a moral standard from which to judge all actions. How? Why? I believe because they are in Gods character and represent all that is good.

Ask a moral relativist and you will get completely different answers. Is murder wrong? MR:Of coarse. How do you know? Because that is how I feel about that. How? Why? MR: Because morality is determined by each of us and I say its bad. Whats wrong with what hitler did then? MR: Yes, I already told you I dont agree with it. Thats not what I asked you, is it really WRONG to mass murder? MR: I think so. What does hitler think? MR: uh, obviously he didnt have a problem with it. Then who is right?

Under subjective morality, nobody is right and there is no objective basis to judge anything. If youre going to suggest that morality is subjective then you better be ready to accept and embrace people like hitler that have a different idea and are exercising their beliefs!

Get a book called "Can we be good without God" by Paul chamberlain! In it, a moral relativist, Christian, and 3 atheists explore this whole subject and try to build moral models. Every single possible explanation of either objective moral values and subjective are explored!

Answer 4

Moral behavior and religious practices are not synonymous. A society has moral standards known as law. An atheist may have far greater moral standards than a Southern Baptist, for example. Do good deeds; do not harm others; do not murder or steal. These are all moral standards and are not restricted to religious individuals. Many religious individuals have high moral standards. Others are highly intolerant and bigoted against those who do not ascribe to their narrow beliefs. Religion and morals are not related. Ask Ted Haggard.

Answer 5

On the provided information from the statement:

Please establish a timeline showing the Atheistic Moral Standards for which moral standards evolved.

Answer 6

All people are born with a sense of right and wrong.
If you do not- I repeat- do not develop your religious side; you will lose your sense of morality.
Just like a poet who stops writing.
He forgets how to write.
So it is with faith.
If you as an atheist never study philosophy, you will never grow spiritually.
Having said that, as a believer we must practice our faith everyday to train our morality.
On a personal view, if you are not training your morality by my Christian faith than you are getting it falsely by delving into worldly morality.
The devil tries to get you to believe in the faith of the world instead of Jesus Christ.
This I believe, it doesn't mean I think you are a unsaved person going to hell; rather a lost soul searching the sea for another path.
What I believe on a personal level versus a worldly level is different.
Say you got 2 competing sales reps. in 2 different companies.
they both think the other one is wrong and don't talk to each other on the job.
HOWEVER, in a worldly sense, if they run into each other at a diner they get along good.
They learn how to put away their business lives after work.
So it is the same with Atheists and theists.
We may agree to disagree but that does not mean we cannot get along in the "real world".
God Bless

Answer 7

Well ..... if you look on another light .....

Atheists does have a reason to be Moral ..... it is called conscientious ..... In ancient China, there is a sage, he is called Confucius, I sincerely doubt he has any religion at all, however, this is what he said ..... "Do not do what you do not want other to do to you" ...... That is a good enough atheists' view of Moral.

For most religious theists, the thing called conscientious can be overruled, all under the name of their god. They can kill, plunder, rape and create all kind of vice. Look under Tamil Tigers, Crusaders, Jihad and many others.

Hence according to your logic, it is a good reason to reject religions as well.

Remember, there is two side to a coin, targeting on only on the beauty or ugliness on one side will result you having a counterfeit coin, as you cannot see it clearly.

Answer 8

We have brains. Therefore can decide what is immoral or not. Plus there are laws that we have to obey (if we choose). We don't need a god for our morals. Seems some people who believe in god, gods or whatever have the moral issues. Like killing each each other over who's god is better. Seems like you answered your own question.

Answer 9

The bible condoned Slavery, and was in fact used as a tool to make the black slaves believe God wanted them to be slaves. The bible condoned multiple wives for men who could afford them. The bible condoned taking a rod or even stoning defiant or misbehaving children. The bible believes that one man had to suffer in order for man to be forgiven for sins. God demanded that hundreds of people be killed and pillaged.

Do these morals sound good to you?

Atheist base their morals on the world around them and logic. It is better not to harm those around you because we know what it would feel like to have the same done to us. With God their is no restrictions on behavior other than what he says is immoral, that is why we have people crashing into buildings in his name.

Answer 10

. its a complex argument because u have to throw into the mix that almost the entire worlds population is or has been in recent history shaped by the morals stemming from religeon ... in other words ... just because u have some sense of moral and ur atheist doesnt mean that those morals were not handed down to u by ur society which was shaped and influenced by religeon ...i wont judge u tho ... u say ur moral without God then i'll take ur word for it ....

Answer 11

No atheist moral standards...just the standards of family and society. Being good for the sake of being good and punishment that could come here and now if you aren't. Who wants to be bad and spend their only life in a cage?