For those who think that morality is impossible without your god can you explain the morality of the Jainists?

Question

Jainism is a religion that came into being in Ancient India. They believe that the universe was never created and will not cease to exist. They do not believe in a god.
Jainsits believe in performing good works and are highly ethical. They are completely non-violent. They are so against violence that they will not kill insects or in some cases microscopic organisms. They have opened many animal rescue shelters in Indian and most are Vegans. They are horrified by the idea of killing a human being for any reason.
So, if these people are acting, in every sense of the word, highly moral lives and do not believe in a deity, then how can you say that your god is necessary for there to be morality in the world?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainist

Answer 1

...apart from God there isn't ANY good in us. Whether we believe in God or not, He will display goodness through us and in us inspite of our wickedness.

Psalm 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.

Answer 2

because of the fact in Christianity, their is a ethical giver. For non-Christians morality may well be a effect of evolution etc. Morality of this variety is on the tip of the day, subjective purely to the human adventure. or perhaps then, non-Christians do no longer continuously accept as true with what's and is no longer ethical so their is not any consistency. Their is likewise the undertaking, by using the Christian attitude, that if their is in basic terms the stable from the ethical giver then it opens something which would be seen undesirable by using God to be seen stable by using non-Christians or particularly atheists. An occasion is the assumption of eugenics. Their are some atheists who comply with it and a few that don't. The founding father of planned Parenthood believed in eugenics under the muse that she thought it grow to be morally justified for the human race to weed out undesirables from having little ones. To a Christian their is purpose morality, no longer accepting the morality defined by using Christianity leads everybody open to the opportunity of accepting undesirable as stable and strong as undesirable and for sure to a Christian who believes in purpose morality, something may well be accepted to those that don't have the same experience of morality as God.

Answer 3

Jains believe all souls are equal because they all possess the potential of being liberated and attaining Moksha. Tirthankars and Siddhas are role models only because they have attained Moksha. Jains believe that every human is responsible for his/her actions and all living beings have an eternal soul, jīva. It insists that we live, think and act respectfully and honor the spiritual nature of all life. Jains view God as the unchanging traits of the pure soul of each living being, chiefly described as Infinite Knowledge, Perception, Consciousness, and Happiness (Anant Gyän, Anant Darshan, Anant Chäritra, and Anant Sukh


So like most India religions they believe in reincarnation and the ability to reach Moksha, that is the escape from a cycle of life and rebirth though good works. So they are not moral in and of themselves they are moral for a motivation.

This is not an independent morality. It is still morality based on an after life

Answer 4

so here is the real question...is something moral by it's very nature or is something moral because someone (ie God, government, etc.) says its moral?

Answer 5

I can be moral without a God. Watch me! : )

Answer 6

Nice....=0)

Answer 7

God put in their heart the knowledge of Him and His morals. They are just giving ants the credit.