Do atheists have a higher moral standard than religous people?

Question

Somebody put a question up yesterday that 97.7% of criminals where atheists...this made me think and do same research.
Christianity has 2.1 billion followrs. Islam has 1.3 billion and there are 1.1 billion agmostics or atheists.
From some American Statistics I found 83.7% of prisoners where Christian and 7.2% where Muslim. 0.209% where atheists.
From English 68% Christian and 3% Muslim but 26% non-religous

Its hard to see but is believing in God such a good thing as alow of believers dont actually care what their God says.

Answer 1

Hi there clever investor,
I think that you have a valid point. The salient question is: How many religious people have high moral standards? In my opinion, the majority of these 'religious' people use a veil of religion to hide behind and to, either promote extremism, or to 'act' pious and self righteous....this is the epitome of hypocrity!!!!!

Answer 2

The Pope of the time sanctioned the Spanish Inquisition, the Christians and Saracens slaughtered each other. Hindus allowed the widow of a dead man to be burned alive on a fire that cremated the dead husband (some reports say that they still do). If you look hard enough you can generate an almost endless list. How much less of a criminal are all of these people than the criminals put in jail?

Answer 3

Atheiests who are decent certainly do as not contrained by set laws but actually base moraility on a similar principle to the chrisitins Jesus... ie do unto others as you would have them do to you.


or the pagan as long as you hamr none do as you will.


Thats means you work out whats fairest and best in a given situation where the right thing to do may be different to another situation.


Ie there is a difference between mugging somone, stealing food if starving or in an emergency taking tools or medical supplies to help save others or taking away weapons and drugs from children.


Only the mugging would be bad


even though all are stealing.


Likewise killing someone for dising you as they spilled your drink accidently is out of order or raping then killing a child is eveil.


Yet shooting somone who is buring alive in a car , or to protect others who have not hurt others is justified.

.


But if you look at relgion you get all these relgious wars and inquistion perverted abuse like witch burning or stoning people to death for making love etc.


Or hurting young single people for making love.

Or things like honour kiliings, forced marriages etc.


that shows its relgion that is less moral

Answer 4

No, atheist and religous people have on average the same morality. There are good and there are bad. For example the people who said 97.7% of criminals are athesist have bad morals. That data is obviously false, they just want people to think poorly of atheist. And no, I'm not an atheist.

Answer 5

Seems to me that all (sane) people have the same basic moral instinct, which we inherit through our genes. That instinct is the Golden Rule, and it's universal among social animals: even meerkats care for each other, help the weak, and make sacrifices for the good of the group.

On top of that fundamental instinctive morality, there are piles of experience, learned rules, imposed rules, and a long list of countermanding instincts: we want to help the little old lady cross the street, but we're busy, or lazy (instincts). Or we've been told never to help old ladies because they're witches (learning). Or we helped an old lady once, and she *was* a witch (experience).

Or the little old lady is wearing clothing that identifies her as a Spongian, who are your traditional enemies (imposed societal rules).

Religion typically imposes rules similar to this last, but they're often only vaguely logical within the religious context, and rather nuts outside of it: You may help old ladies, but only one a week. And you must recite the following verses afterwards. And kill a sheep.

These occasionally bizarre rules are often plentiful enough to allow a zealous adherent to run their lives entirely on them, without any need to access or consider other influences - including any instinctive moral conviction that they may be wrong: Slay unbelievers? But I don't want to kill anyone! OK, if that's what God says I suppose I'd better do it [boots MS Flight Simulator].

Barack Obama - who I find increasingly impressive - pointed out that in the modern world anyone coming across Abraham preparing to slay his young son would immediately call the emergency services, and expect them to stop it. And a good thing too.

We're much better off following our basic Golden Rule instinct that trying to operate according to a set of principles laid down for the benefit of Bronze Age desert dwellers - such principles don't fit our society, our civilisation, our technology or our instinctive sense of right and wrong. Those who do attempt to follow these ancient rule sets are frequently going to find themselves at odds with both the Law and consensus morality.

CD

Answer 6

The laws of man are based on the laws of God as we know them. For example, it is against the civil law to kill another human being. It is also against the law of God..."thou shalt not kill". A person, be he an atheist or a believer, cannot be judged by what category he falls into but by the way he lives his life. In other words, an atheist who follows the laws of man , which are based on the laws of God may be deemed better than a religious believer who ignores the laws of both.

A man must be judged by how he acts and not what category he falls into. The statistics you cite are no indication nor hold any weight in judging moral standards. All they do is reflect population demographics.

Having said all that, I would imagine if a person has no God to believe in he would tend to ignore both the laws of God and of man.

Answer 7

Some might argue that those who don't care what God says aren't really Christians. Still, who's to say who exactly is and isn't a Christian.

It seems that when Christians wish to claim their religion is the largest, they count everybody, but when talkign about individuals, few are actually Christian.

Irony, Hypocrisy or lies? Your guess is as good as mine.

Answer 8

I like your numbers, they prove that many are decieved by many, I will quote a verse from the bible. " None knows the father like the son and noone knows the son, except those whom he has has been revealed to." Most christians are not christ like, most Mulsims do not practice true Islam. And this brings in the athesist whom sees all this crap. That they all bow down to a Pagan god, it is no wonder they do not belive.
Remember this there is a god, and you must fear god, Christ said it is the blind being lead by the blind, and that is so true today. Drunk on the blood of mayters means using what those prophets preached to make your life acceptable for you. This is why solomon stated " each man ways is clean in his own eyes" A parable in the hands of a fool damns many.
Not many know where the true bible is, and not many know where the Koran is. I could tell you where it is but I rather you find it yourself, And i could tell you where the bible is but I would rather you find it yourself. I will give you one hint and spell it plainly to you.
DONOT BELIVE IN PRINTED BOOKS

Answer 9

Atheists also tend to be better educated and in higher income brackets.
I think this might mean they are less likely to do dumb crimes, less likely to get caught and to have better lawyers if they are caught.
I am not an especially moral atheist.

Wht did the atheist say when he ran across a bear in the woods?

Nothing, he just shot the bear and skinned it, because he had kept his powder dry instead of relying on God or prayer to save him.

Answer 10

And what you're not noticing, Bats, is that despite the fact that atheists are seemingly slightly less than 10 percent of the general population, they make only .2 percent of the prison population. Meanwhile, Christians make 85% (roughly) of the US population, and about the same percentage of prisoners are Christian.

Therefore, either atheists are more inclined to obey the law, or they are just cleverer in going about it. Or both.

Answer 11

It's not about percentages, moral standards or whether one belongs to a particular religion. What matters ultimately is what happens at the "Throne of Judgement"...all of us will either here one of two phrases....

"depart from me.......I never knew you"

or

".....sit at my right hand....."

True conversion manifests itself in the form of "fruit"........"you will know them by their fruits". Those who, by their own choice decide to ignore the Creator of all that is seen and unseen have will be known by the lack of fruit.

The state of a society is in direct correlation with whom they choose as their "hero's". Just because many have chosen to turn their conscience and hearts away from God does not "remove" God's grace from this planet and it's multitudes.
It's more than "believing", but that's where many STOP and think they are SAFE....that's where they fool themselves...but just one hard look into their lives and one can see that they are without "fruit". Multiply that reasoning times billions of people and what do you have? Multitudes compromising their eternal lives, for what? What could be more important than being accepted into God's presence for all of eternity??