Is it necessary to be a religious theist to be moral? Is "God" necessary to be a moral person?

Question

I do not mean this as an attack on God, religion, or on religious theists. I mean this merely as a question for discussion.

Based on the results of this question,
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApHEYOfjVJqbZ5k9XRw2yVvd7BR.?qid=20070226072537AAgCxOh

I interpret the answers to mean that it is possible for someone who is an Atheist to be a moral person. It is even further explained why Atheists are moral.

Some, and not all, suggest that Bible is needed for morality. Were humans moral before the Bible in its current form was approved in the fourth century Christian Era?

Some suggest God is necessary, but if so, how are Atheists able to be moral decent human beings if they haven't asked "God" into their hearts or minds?

I mean this as an open question for discussion.

Is "God" necessary, and based on answers to http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApHEYOfjVJqbZ5k9XRw2yVvd7BR.?qid=20070226072537AAgCxOh it would seem God is not necessary.

Answer 1

I don't believe the Bible sets a very good example as far as morality is concerned.

"Right" and "wrong" come from simple instincts to protect and advance both the human species and ourselves. Without these instincts, we and the species would die. Morality is as simple as that. No elaborate God story is needed.

Answer 2

It seems the post you referenced answered your question but my opinion is (may be a repeat) If you set up your own "morals" then your bound to have disagreements with others that have their own set of morals & sooner or later you will clash so hard with someone else that the issue at hand cannot be resoved without finding common ground. Perhaps that is what God does for folks, is to give them a "common" set of "boundries" or morals to live by so that they can more easily "judge" the differences they find with each other and live more peacefully with one another. It seems to me that most of the religions have a whole lot of the same "basic" beliefs. I know there are a lot of Bad things blamed on religion but there really are a lot of good things that come out of it too.

Answer 3

Morality is a cultural product - much like language. It is found in all societies, whether they have one, one-thousand, or zero gods. Some world-views (e.g., Buddhism) make no connection between a deity and how humanity has to behave. Some of these groups also find such externally (God) -mandated ethics to be poor reflections of good for its own sake. They shun the idea that one needs to be threatened with eternal pain or rewarded with eternal paradise in order to be moral.

Answer 4

Every person has a set of "morals" or ethics. But an atheist would not have the SAME set of morals as a Christians.

Answer 5

A belief in God has certainly not guaranteed moral actions of all theists. Morality is a trait nurtured by community, regardless of any religious affiliation.

Answer 6

Given the number of religious leaders who have been exposed as liars, thieves and pedophiles it appears that god and the bible have nothing to do with morality.

Answer 7

The answer to that is yes you must believe in God in order to be moral. According to the Bible everything that the natural man does is evil simply because it stems from a selfish motive of doing what you want to do. The Bible says all our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. It is only when the spirit of God enters into a man and in dwells him that God gives him the ability and the power to do what he ought to do. That is the doctrine of grace.

Answer 8

God is not necessary for morality, in fact, the god of the bible is very immoral.

Answer 9

May I put my two cents in as a conservative Christian? (theologically conservative, that is!)
First, it is not necessary to be a religious theist to be moral, in the accepted definition of morality.
Second, yes, God is necessary for morality - even though the moral person may not believe in God.
As for the previous questin, and the comments regarding acountability:
If God should exist (I make this statement hypothetical to get a bit closer to your standpoint), then whether a person believed in Him or not, wouldn't he still be accountable to Him, even though he didn't recognize that relationship?
(For example, I am accountable to the government of my country, even if I didn't believe in governments and refused to recognize them).

Answer 10

this is achieveable to act in what could be seen as ethical habit yet no longer achieveable to be ethical without theory in a extra suited ethical authority than ourselves. Morality has to incorporate reason and neither reasons of worry of punishment nor desire for reward are suitable reasons. the stable feeling we get (self self assurance) as quickly as we help somebody is a reward and the undesirable feeling we get (sense of right and incorrect hurts) as quickly as we do something undesirable is a punishment. So thoughts by utilising themselves are in simple terms area of rewards and punishments. Morality has to incorporate the assumption of a genuine ethical criminal accountability to a extra suited ethical authority, i.e. God. without God we are going to do exactly what we sense like doing then adjust our common for morality so as that we in nice condition the common. in simple terms like we don't enable judges to rule on situations the place they have a private involvement, we are in a position to't be our very own independent choose. consequently even criminals plotting their next crime think of themselves to be in fact stable.