Religious monopoly on morality?

Question

Why is it that some people believe that a person can only be moral if they are religious as well? What is your opinion on the subject? Do you think that morality is a product of, and hinges solely on, faith. Or do you feel that it is seperate and independent of it? What about the idea that humans are inherently moral? Do you think that we are born with it?

Answer 1

Keeping in mind that we are again discussing primarily the Big Three (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), when these sorts of religious people assert the claim that their God is the only basis of an absolute morality, they have (as usual) a valid but unsound argument. It often goes something like this:

1. The god of our religion exists.
2. This god is omnipotent and omniscient (has the knowledge of our actions and the power to reward/punish accordingly).
3. This god has demands and expectations of humanity (morality).
4. We (human beings of this religion) know how god wants us to behave.
Therefore:
(Our) Religion and only (our) religion has knowledge of the absolute morality given to us by god through our holy text(s) and provides us with a reason to act morally.

An interesting conundrum with the idea of morality stemming from religion or god is: Does god "create" what is moral and immoral or does god merely "discover" and have a perfect knowledge of this thing we call morality?

Talk of god is fraught with paradox and nonsense and it would behoove us to outgrow this mindset of religion as being the only route to morality. The fact is, there is no absolute morality with or without god! The pseudo-concept of "absolute" morality is a chimera human beings must learn to discard.

Morality is, and always has been, a human construct. Indeed many tendencies that correlate to and influence what humans have considered moral are innate, but formal systems of morality are products of our evolutionary makeup, our reason, our languages, and our culture.

Answer 2

It is not necessary for one to be moral as well as religious, but the two generally go hand-in-hand. Some people are inherently good and do not require the support of religion to keep them on the right path. They are more at peace with themselves and the world around them. Morality is something we are born with, and something further instilled in us by our upbringing and social environment. Take away self-respect and it is likely that a person will stray from morality in one way or another. Some more so than others. Those with low or no self-respect also have less respect for others. They are able to justify their behavior and have little conscience. Until the person realizes their behavior is morally wrong, they will avoid seeking help and thus not recover.

Answer 3

I don't agree with the saying. I'd say morality comes along with social trend, in the sense that the environment that has always condemned murder will lead one to form the knowledge that killing is bad. The role of religion then only regulates this morality, for its hard for people to accept fully that the holy being they look up to is actually evil, so the guidelines in religion are almost always more on the socially accepted 'good' side. It also plays the role of the watchman, and to some extent i believe deters religious potential wrong-doers from doing wrong by advocating due punishment for sinners. so while religion might have a vast influence on one's moral, its role is definitely not pivotal at least from now on.

As for the question on whether humans are inherently moral is akin to asking why humans are unlike animals and why humans possess a conscience which inhibits our actions. i guess most people would prefer to suggest an answer in primitive terms, and explain its origin as a need for survival as a community, so none would sabotage the group etc.

note that by the above answer i haven't supported my claims with much or any examples.
hope this helps nonetheless=)

Answer 4

Morality has nothing to do with religion. There are many people not religious that live a moral life and some religious individuals (or at least they claim to be) who live an immoral life.

The question starts with what is a moral life and how can one life it. For me (and it follows the work of Hobbs), FEAR is the source of our morality. This can be seen in all groups from the aborigines to the Greeks to modern man. It is best illustrated in the "peer pressure" of today. It can also be seen by the cruelity as the aftermath of Katrina in New Orleans..

What I am trying to say is that if a person can isolated themselves from FEAR, they can and most likely will live a moral life.

Answer 5

I don't believe you have to be religious to be moral. I am religious (that is a church going Christian) and that does help me when if I am tempted to do something immoral but I know many moral people who are non-believers. So, no I don't not believe morality is based on faith.

As far as humans being inherently moral, ummmm, from my experience I don't think so.

Answer 6

I've never observed a correlation between religious fervor and morality. I've made a middling close examination of the evidence over the past 50-60 years, but I might have missed something.

I'm not certain what produces moral/ethical behavior in an individual. I'd have once believed family was a major factor, but I know longer do. My thought is there's something more-or-less ingrained in some individuals, followed by personal choices throughout their lives rhyming with inclinations they are probably hardwired with.

One of the mysteries I've pondered most of my life has involved people I've known who behaved so consistently ethically and morally from childhood throughout their lives without ever showing any outward signs of moral struggles, temptation, any of the ills I've struggled with and frequently succumbed to.

Great question.

Answer 7

Logic and reasoning is the only true way to determine a moral code. While most religions are well intentioned the reality is if all of their moral laws actually made sense then they could justify them without needing the appeal to false authority.
If you want to find out what is morally right or wrong, don't read the Bible read more philosophy.

Answer 8

Religion certainly has no monopoly on morality. I believe morals come from society. The rules we live by allow us as social animals to live together successfully.

Morality is not a static thing. It constantly evolves in response to our growth. Look at just the last 200 years. Morality has changed immensely. We had slavery in this country, which was supported by using the bible. Even after slavery was abolished there was serious racial bigotry and oppression. Women were treated as chattel, denied the vote and practically kept prisoner in their homes. Birth control was considered evil. Things continue to change.

Answer 9

I think religion and morality are equal by the fact that anyone of any faith has a God whom you are personally responsible to for your actions on earth. You don't have to be raised 'religious'; just believe in a higher power than man's laws.

Answer 10

Grace, the simple answer is that religious people believe morality to be absolute. For some, they falsely associate religion with all morality, not understanding that moral and ethical systems exist outside of the scope of their religion. As far as your question regarding morality born-on dates, that has been a large and ongoing debate in ethics. I don't believe in natural law myself, but I can't argue that some social traits we exhibit may indeed be misinterpreted as ethics.