If belief in the supernatural is not necessary to be an ethical person, what good is it?
2007-05-17 22:35:35 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Thats an interesting argument. Ethical behavior is not motivated by only one reason.
In some cases people may act in an ethical manner out of fear. A fear of either the supernatural or the agents of justice or the opinion of their peers. You could debate whether they are actually ethical beings if fear is what keeps them in line.
In other cases they may simple behave because they believe in the concepts of right and wrong and feel a responsibility to their society.
One does not have to fear the supernatural or lack such fear to be ethical.
Your point is valid though. Belief in the supernatural loses some of its value if morality is not a factor.
2007-05-17 22:53:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Can a person be ethical without being a believer in God? Yes, I think they can be. Ethics I believe are part of every man that God created. Whether or not a person chooses to follow God's imprinting is up to them.
Religions on the other hand are man made and are man taught but still can have an impact on someone even if they do not believe in the religion. Society in general is based on standards developed through people who had a personal relationship with God.
Comment: Unfortunately, man just can't leave well enough alone and had to develop his own "religion" rather than simply relying on the personal relationship that he has with God.
2007-05-17 22:47:55 · answer #2 · answered by Poohcat1 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Many Christians believe they're watched by using God, so as that keeps them ethical. they suspect that atheists are able to all way of immorality because of the fact there's no-one staring at them to maintain them real. quite, a learn has been completed at present that got here across Christians would believe a Christian assassin over an atheist with out checklist, because of the fact they can't fathom how the atheist can shop a ethical compass with out God. unhappy yet real... yet i do no longer evaluate maximum Christians to be Christian. they're play-performing. i'm an atheist, and when I tell my youngster approximately Jesus, we only talk the message of affection and compassion, no longer that he become the son of God. My son can make certain for himself notwithstanding if Jesus become a guy or divine while he gets older.
2016-12-29 09:58:15 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
interesting question. I think on the most part the behavior exists because of the belief but in politics with liberals, its quite the opposite. Most people think an accountability of your life is kind of like the spirit police. Its very common for people to streamline their behavior when they feel they are being watched or have to answer for it. Most people feel God watches over you and judgement for them is a big deterrent. The only place i can think of where this doesnt exist is politics. People who believe in social welfare, as liberals do, think generally they know better than you and, though believe in a higher power, generally dont answer to it for those things. In shor the answer is because exceplt in politics for the above mentioned reason. Cut and run destroying freedolms and tax and spend destroying liives could hardly be called god inspired.
2007-05-17 22:44:20 · answer #4 · answered by koalatcomics 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is it supernatural to believe that thinking before you speak is better for everybody concerned in terms of looking after responsibility?
This breathing space is when people are processing, enjoying, being. Or are people allergic to each other? In fact, the Bible does say that you need God's influence in your life in order to love your brother and basically this requires a complete absence of allergies to fellow human beings. It seems that people just fill in the spaces with constant sound. Why is this? There is not enough love in the world!
2007-05-17 22:40:08 · answer #5 · answered by cross_wars 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do you see apes in nature running around killing eachother needlessly?
Do they help each other out? Do they have a sense of ethical behavoir among their groups?
Why is it that humans have to resort to mythical gods to justify their good behavior?
People would be as ethical as natural selection as shaped them to be, despite of any gods.
2007-05-17 22:52:20 · answer #6 · answered by raven7night 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One set of morals come from the brain which I'm sure most atheists will agree with me on. Such as don't kill or you might be killed yourself.
Another set of morals comes from a soul, these morals follow a peculiar law. Example: say you were about to do something, there's absolutely no real reason why you would not want to do this particular thing but because of those morals, you do not.
Like that.
2007-05-17 22:42:56 · answer #7 · answered by David H 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The vast majority of unethical behavior is don by people that belief they are doing the will of their gods. Any one with any common sense knows that killing, stealing, adultery are wrong, no gods needed for that. To be good to be nice you do not need any gods, Atheist do it all the time.
2007-05-17 22:41:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
to be an ethical person it means to respect deeply all other sentien beings and values so nature, does not means to believe in the supernatural.
It is true that nature it is still to be discovered.
2007-05-17 22:43:11 · answer #9 · answered by dreaming 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's nothing related to (non-existent) "supernatural" at all...
“Morality does not depend on religion.” -- John Ruskin
“The death of dogma is the birth of morality.” -- Immanuel Kant
2007-05-17 22:38:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋