So are you saying that if you didn't have the bible then you wouldn't know right from wrong? If that's true then you're a pretty crappy person.
2007-08-07 02:54:23 · 17 answers · asked by Ginger Ninja 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
People who have been raised in an advanced educational environment often don't understand how the self-taught can know as much as they do; and, in fact, may deny the validity of what the self-taught know.
People who get their morals from religion often don't understand how the non-religious can have morals; and, in fact, may deny the validity of their moral understanding.
It's just a failure of imagination.
Even though as a Preacher's Kid I was raised in a very religious household, my ethical compass was not religion.
My Mom, who was my most important teacher about ethical behavior, didn't use religious terminology when she was teaching me right from wrong.
She taught me to think about whether what I was doing was fair (even-handed, not self-interested), whether it was compassionate (by asking me to put myself in the position of others), kind and thoughtful (asking myself what another person wanted or needed), and so on.
The MOST important thing that she taught me about right and wrong was that being able to meet my own eyes in the mirror without flinching was the best yardstick to determine whether I was living my life in an ethical fashion or not.
And she taught me to value my self-opinion above that of others; that if I were not living by my own standards, it didn't matter if the world thought the world of me.
She taught me that being ruthlessly honest with myself was the single most important step in living en ethical life - that I had to be honest with myself about why I do what I do, and to examine my ACTIONS as being the expression of my ethics...that if my behavior didn't support my self-image, I had to change my actions.
None of that was expressed in terms of religious belief.
2007-08-07 03:24:22 · answer #1 · answered by Raven's Voice 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Alot of people think that "Moral" automatically means "Believes in the bible". But it doesn't. Moral means being a good person, knowing right from wrong. Its a big difference. Religion has nothing to do with Morality.
Moral:
1. of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical
No where in there does it mention religion. Right and wrong is common sense, not religious
2007-08-07 10:28:44 · answer #2 · answered by Ayana 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what does religion have to do with morals and ethics? the bible talks about selling your daughter and stoning your women who do not obey. the bible is full of murder and hurt.
I consider myself a very moral person and an atheist. I havent killed anyone. I dont steal. I love my parents. But I've never read the bible. It's just a book. My parents taught me to respect everyone, regardless of their beliefs - which is more than I can say for most christians.
And the majority of people in jail right now are religious! how do you figure that??
2007-08-07 10:05:27 · answer #3 · answered by ♥willow♥ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This first poster obviously is clueless. We get our morals from things like moral philosophy; we know right from wrong and do not need a bible or some guy preaching about it once a week to know that.
Most people, religious people, do good because of something called divine command theory, in short they do good because god says so and a promise of a reward when they die.
2007-08-07 10:26:57 · answer #4 · answered by independant_009 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have not heard that, because belief or non belief has nothing to do with a persons morals.
There are so called religious peoples with the morals of an alley cat, and vice versa.
2007-08-07 09:58:49 · answer #5 · answered by bgee2001ca 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because we don't follow the doctrine of a 2,000+ year old book and because we don't believe in healing the sick with leeches and whipping out the demons from the insane. Personally, I don't much concern what "people" believe, fundamentalist christians are no better than the taliban, their belief system is based on ignorance and intolerance.
2007-08-07 10:01:53 · answer #6 · answered by acydskull 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I know alot of people who say they are Christians and they don't know right from wrong. You don't need to read the bible to know the difference between the two.
2007-08-07 09:59:56 · answer #7 · answered by Aloha88 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is a natural law at work here that we come hard wired with. Everyone has some instinctual grasp of right and wrong (fairness and unfairness)
Everyone has this (unless they are mentally deficient in some way)
2007-08-07 10:10:51 · answer #8 · answered by JOSEPH L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't say that.
Many athiests DO have morals.... and that is what makes them as guilty of cherry-picking as christians. Afterall, it is naught but hypocrisy to criticise religious folks for their superstitious beliefs when one's own devotions (i.e. morals) are ritualistic and without any semblence of understanding.
As a Nihilist I am proud to say I have no morality at all.
I judge each situation as it comes, on its own ability to help or hinder my goals of the moment... and without generalising it to any broad fallacy of "right" or "wrong".
If I consider someone a threat and I believe I will get away with it, then I will kill them without hesitation. If they're not bothering me then I won't. Simple as that.
2007-08-07 10:00:43 · answer #9 · answered by Roger C 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I agree. It's much more noble to do right for the sake of doing right, and not because you fear punishment or hope for reward.
2007-08-07 10:02:37 · answer #10 · answered by Julia Sugarbaker 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋