Can morality be derived from religion?

Question

Please explain why you reach this conclusion

Answer 1

Each is the ingredient of the other. Religion preaches morality. And morality is the cornerstone of religion.

Answer 2

A moral code is built into most religions. The three Abrahamic religions have their ten commandments, along with the teachings of their prophets. Eastern religions tend to be a trifle vaguer and require more introspection, but all agree that a man must live by morals, and morality can be found through prayer and meditation.

The tricky bit is deriving morality without religion. It's unfortunate that many of the scarily devout - especially in America - cannot accept that this is even possible. Yet morality based on man rather than God(s) existed for thousands of years, starting with Socrates in ancient Greece, and unlike religious morality it has been evolving, upgrading, improving itself. It is a much more complex and interesting field, because it doesn't start with a cop-out.

Answer 3

Your question poses many questions. Perhaps we should be asking if religion is moral in nature and practice? Do you have to be religious to be a moral person? Is your morality open to judgment by a religious order of sect? But, to answer your question: No. Morality is not taught. Adherence to a religion is taught. Morality is derived from your actions. Religion is derived from either superstition or a desire for immortality. The "doing good" in our society is not based on our religious beliefs. A note: I am certain there were a great many moral persons living long before Abraham or the Prophets of any other acquisitions of Deity.

Answer 4

Morality can be derived from religion, but should it be.
Considering that the religion is a congregation of
people and those people have not all shared the same
experiences in life, the religion is only efficient as
the moral conclusions of its attendees. Essentially,
don't assume that religion makes people more than
human. A person at a religious gathering is still
imperfect, and capable of misinterpretation. That
said, if the congregation consists of attendees
who are aware of this knowledge then the attendees
shouldn't be inhibited in questioning morality, their
own as well as others. Therefore, morality can be
facilitated from religion, but only if the attendees
are conscious about understanding what they are
participating in; a conversation of justification of
individual morality.

Answer 5

Those who buy it for morality or who say they abide by it for morality have obviously never read it thouroughly! Compare the old with the new testament plus king james version & you'll see the discrepancies throughout.

Morality has always been a part of the Human system so with or without religion we know right from wrong - it's just a matter of choice wether you want to carry out good deeds or bad deeds.

Hitler before WW2 used to enjoy proclaiming the fact he was a Christian when he spoke to the masses & on the flipside Stalin was known as an atheist...hence it's down to our own actions at the base level!

Answer 6

Some of these answers are fascinating, I often think so many people have agendas such as preaching about their religion ( in this I do include Atheists) that they often don't even answer the question! The simple answer is of course morality can be derived from religion all that is required is that one believes in the religion. Every religion starts from basic axioms and most then attempt to derive practical advice on how to live, I say attempt because as some have pointed out religious texts are often open to interpretation hence even long established religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddism are not monlithic qwholes but in fact contain several different sects each with their own interpretation of common axioms. So historically morality can be derived from religion, as some attempt to still do so. It's hard to philosophically attempt to answer this as (to borrow from Wittgenstein) Philosophy and religion use different language games. However the crux is if one believes in a religion one can derive from this all the answers of the Universe, including a morality, the meaning of life, perosnal identity etc... An interesting note is that there are those who do not believe in God but that still have a religion like Science, pursuit of money, power and from each of these "axioms" people derive their morality.

This answer is based on the ambigiousness of the term, Religion however it seems whichever way one interprets it, it can be used to derive morality. Also as to the person who believes morality and religion can exist independently i doubt that very much, religion in practice means a set of bleiefs that shape and define one's existence I find it hard to imagine that a person with no belief system would have a moral code the very suggestion seems paradoxical.

It seems most have taken the question to be is religion moral. I thought the question was asking if morality (basically a code for leading a "good" life, good itself being contentious for many ethical philosophies) could be derived from religion i.e. organised worhsip of a diety and it seems that in practice all religion ultimately leads to "morality" however it is also possible that not all morality stems from religion (at least religion in the deity definition given above).

Answer 7

Religion is derived from morality. Religions at the first place were created to control chaotic nature of human.
If you take a look closer at what every religion teaches, those are the values that every human knows naturally, for instance, you know sleeping with your neighbour's wife is bad, because you wouldn't like it if someone slept with your wife. You shouldn't go around stealing people's things because you wouldn't like it if someone stole from you. You know that killing is bad without a pastor or an imam teaching you that, right?
So I guess religion is a belief that combine morality and a group of people's history. The morality contained in a religion is what we all know. I don't think to teach morality is necessarily teaching religion. So if I teach my kid, why we shouldn't steal, and the kid asks why, should I answer: 'Because God says so.'? I don't think I'd so that, I'd say, 'Don't you think it sucks if someone steals you favorite comic?'
The teaching 'to treat other people the way you want to be treated' is only taught in Christianity, all big religions teach that too, but without religion teaching us don't we know that already?
I don't think religions are that morale either at one point, which I really don't like, if you do good deeds, you'll go to heaven, so there's a reward system going on if you do what your religion says. Well, why don't you just be morale, do good things because you want to be a good person? Because what you do determines the kind of person that you are... rather than just because I want to go to heaven.

Answer 8

Yes, because morality is conformity to a set of accepted standards of right or wrong. But, with this definition it becomes obvious that religion is not the only place one can derive morality from. It also implies that one groups set of standards for morality may not match anothers. Perhaps this is why religions can't agree?!

Answer 9

Yes. If you believe in absurdities, you will end up with a terrible morality. Terrible moralities are a fact in the world. Hitler did not lack morality, it could be said he was way too consistent following the one he held. You might have asked if a just morality can be derived from religion and the answer would have been different.

Answer 10

Actually I think religion was derived from morality. There were morality issues from the beginning of time, with Adam and Eve. They had no religion, just issues or right and wrong.

Answer 11

Of course.

I think we can all agree that most of the 10 commandments are pretty good moral standards. This is just one example.

Religion is, when you get down to it, what gives laws their authority. You may say it is the people, but where do they get the basis for those laws? What makes something good or bad? What is it about a human life that makes people say "it is wrong to kill"? It is always derived from the peoples' religion.