Is it just a coincidence that most atheists who value good morals and ethics were raised in a Christian home?

Question

Research shows that a majority of atheists who value good morals and ethics were raised in Christian households. Is this finding fact or fiction? Please, explain.

We all know people who have good moral and ethic values and some that demonstrate just the opposite. I am not asking you to rely on my source, but rather inviting you to find out for yourself. As they say "seeing is believing." Conduct your own survey and you will without a doubt find this statement to be fact, not fiction. Peace and God bless.

Answer 1

I think more than the Christian households,they belonged to families which allowed them to grow with an open mind and had a strong base for morals and ethics.While the empirical evidence can not be denied ,it's relevance to the issue is open to interpretational bias,Be as it may , the importance of Christianity in emphasis on morals and ethics has to be accepted and given it's due.

Answer 2

What reseach? Please cite your source.

Though it hardly matters, common sense & logic should tell you that since only 33% of the world claim to be Christian*, if a Christian household really were a prerequisite for "good morals and ethics", then 2/3 of the world would have poorer "morals & ethics" than America (where 95% claim to be Christian). Since America has the highest rates for almost all crimes that might be considered products of "poor morals & ethics", MAYBE Christian upbringing is the CAUSE?

The Scandinavian countries, which are largely atheistic, have less than a third the homicide rate of the US+

Answer 3

OK... A couple questions:

1. Where was the study performed. If in a predominantly Christian country and all atheists in the country exhibited these morals and ethics, such a finding would be elementary.

2. How was the standard of "good morals and ethics" defined? Was it by a standard that is common across most cultural groups or only by Christian standards?

Answer 4

I would like to see this research you speak of. It sounds like an interesting read. Do you have a link?

To answer your question, since I haven't scientifically studied these things, all I can off of is my experience. As an atheist who was raised in a Christian home and family, I found that Christianity has a lot of good ideals and principles. Doing unto to others as they you would have done unto you, non violence, charity and compassion are all good things to me. But I also found that many of Christians who preached these things didn't practice them. There is a lot of drug and alcohol abuse, violence and intolerance is my family, and once I grew up a little, I found it ridiculous to take many Christian concepts to be literal truth. It seems obvious to me that the bible is mostly a work of fiction. So I'd say growing up in a Christian family did teach me some good ethics, and it also taught me not be a hypocrite like many of them. The other few atheists I know who were raised in similar circumstances seem to more or less share my views.

Answer 5

not particularly, cause up till the last 50 years religious diversity has been mostly diversity between christian religions. it has become somewhat more acceptable to have an alternate or even no religion only pretty recently, so therefore pretty much everyone over 30 was raised with some or other religion in thier background. you may have to wait a generation to see how non religious backgrounds kids turn out. also i would like to ask where are the stats on how many screwed up people came from religious backgrounds. the most messed up familly i know is a bunch og penetcostals, they have a hooker a pedophile a shut in fanatic and 2 dead by 25's kids (one by aids one by drink). Hella nice people tho just gotta avoid talking about god with them and you do fine.

Answer 6

Without a citation of a reference, it's impossible to say.

What's more, the definition of "a Christian home" would need extreme refinement.

I think you made it up, but because I also don't have research EDITto cite, it's only a hunch. But if you did, it makes it a lie, and thus an indication of poor ethical judgment, coming I assume from a Christian.

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EDIT: After reading your additional comments, I urge you to admit to lying if you just made up that claim about "Research shows that a majority of atheists who value good morals and ethics were raised in Christian households."

Besides confession being good for the soul, by misleading people so blatantly and maliciously, you are demeaning yourself, Christianity, and proper research methodology and reporting, while insulting the intelligence of the entire Answers community.

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Answer 7

Actually, I know quite a few Christians with some pretty questionable morals and ethics. People are people regardless of religious claims. Until we recognize that there will always be conflicts.

If there is a coincidence it is that everyone, Christian or not, have absorbed a socially guided morals and ethics and adapted accordingly.

Answer 8

I would have to know who did the research, who funded the research and for whom the research was done. Some people, strangely enough, conduct research to support a priori conclusions.

I wonder if the research included atheists who were not raised in Christian homes, and what criteria were used to define "good morals and ethics."

Since your question supplies none of the information needed, it is unanswerable in its current form.

Answer 9

First, cite your source for the research. Second, even if they were in a Christian household, that does not mean it was Christian moral teachings which gave the atheist his moral values.

Answer 10

I will admit that I was raised Catholic and that may indeed have an influence on my morals but my father was also raised in a devote Catholic household ( his mother was a novice for many years before leaving the convent to raise a family) but he is much more moral as an atheist than he was as a good Catholic boy.