Why do some christians think atheists have no morals?

Answer 1

It's really a matter of moral authority. If we have no moral authority over us, we will always be able to justify our actions because there is no fixed standard.

Self deception is a strong part of our human nature. We can rationalize anything. For example, we all think ourselves to be good. Even criminals plotting their next crime think of themselves as basically good. So, of course atheists think themselves moral. So does everyone else.

Answer 2

It's because they know religion actually provides no basis for morality. In other words, it's projection.

Major world religions such as Christianity and Islam are inherently amoral - They do not judge behaviour according to whether it is moral, but according to whether it is 'sinful', i.e. whether or not it is consistent with the orders of the religion's deity. Atheism, by contrast, allows for true morality, since the atheist worldview allows actions to be judged good or bad according to conscience, which is the true definition of morality.

In the theistic worldview, anything goes as long as it is imagined to be the wishes of the deity... and virtually any atrocity can and has been justified in this way. This is how all oppressive regimes succeed, whether it be Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia or Iraq under Saddam - The most hideous crimes can be justified on the basis of "just following orders".

Furthermore, anyone imagining that they can make moral pronouncements from a religious basis is faced with an insurmountable problem: In tying their pronouncements to religious claims, their pronouncements are invalid until they can provide logically satisfactory evidence that the claims are true, and this they will never be able to do, so therefore any moral viewpoints based on religion should be dismissed as irrelevant.

Faced with such insurmountable problems with morality in their own camp, theists lash out at atheists instead. It's quite understandable really. They should be treated with sympathy.

Answer 3

You asked why CHRISTIANS think that atheists have no morals, and so far, you've gotten responses from 3 skeptics (that I saw, at least), mocking Christianity, but they didn't attempt to actually ANSWER your question.

Please be patient and read through this. It may not be what you like, but it IS the answer to YOUR question.

First, I need to say that I know, and am convinced that there are some really nice people who don't believe that God exists, and I'm not questioning that at all.

What I am trying to demonstrate here is that, even though "nice", it is not moral.

I would appreciate if you would answer the following questions:

Have you ever told a lie?

If so, do you like it when you are lied to?

Now then, if you, in all honesty, had to say "yes" to the first and "no" to the second, that means two things:

First, you are a liar. Second, because you have a double standard, that makes you a hypocrite.

My next set of questions is similar:

Have you ever taken anything that wasn't rightfully yours to take? (ie stolen anything?)

Do you like to have your property stolen?

Again, if you had to answer "yes" and "no" respectively, in all honesty, and OUCH! I KNOW that hurts!, but it means that you are a thief with a double-standard, again hypocracy.

You see, we have ALL violated our own conscience, and we have ALL done things that have been contrary to good moral values, and yet we do NOT want those same things done to us.

Each time we DO violate our conscience, we demonstrate that we are, in fact, NOT moral; and that we don't like it happening to US, makes us doubly non-moral with our double-standard, making us hypocrites, as well.

Now, I'm not saying that atheists are any worse than anybody else, please don't misunderstand.

What I AM trying to point out is that we are ALL guilty. The difference in Christianity is that the God that you believe doesn't exist, offers us a pardon and forgiveness, and a clean conscience.

Christians believe that this God came to earth as Jesus Christ to demonstrate God's love for us, not that we loved God, but that even while we were enemies against God, He loved us and died for us, the godly for the ungodly, and in so doing, procurred us a pardon by paying the penalty when we couldn't.

Christians are NOT better than non-Christians, but we believe that we are in a better situation because if we DO sin again, according to the Bible, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, and THAT gives us GREAT peace and strength.

I realize I went beyond the bounds of your question. Please forgive me for the additional elaboration, but I trust that this helps you to understand WHY Christians say that atheists have no morals - because, basically, that NO body has morals. We believe that God MAKES us moral (the Bible calls it "righteous"), because "He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we could become righteous" ...

Does any of this help answer your question?

Additional comments to whoever gave me the "thumbs down". Just because you don't LIKE an answer, doesn't mean it is wrong. I didn't like when my parents had to discipline me when I was a child when I disobeyed them, but that doesn't mean they were wrong to do so.

Answer 4

Cause it's what they're told.
It actually raises very serious questions about their own sense of morality - obviously they feel it's something they've learnt rather than something they posess innately - unlike, it would seem, the vast majority of people who've ever lived.
But I'd say they probably just haven't thought about it that much.

Answer 5

Because christians like to think they have the monopoly on anything 'good' and 'pure'..... which of course, is a crock of sh*t.
Start with abuse of little boys by 'men of god'.
Next, go to the schools where nuns beat the kids.
Follow that by televangelists raping the poor of the last bit of money they have with the promise of 'wealth and prosperity' if you believe.... if only you believe.... believe.... OOPPSS... sorry yer check bounced: guess you didn't really believe 'hard' enough... not enough 'faith'

Answer 6

That's the sort of thing that was made up by some believers so that they can tell it to each other, pat themselves on the back, and feel superior.

However, it has no basis in reality.

Answer 7

Because they don't need some one else to tell them right from wrong. Christians can't figure it out for themselves and they figure every one else does also.

Answer 8

They don't realize that the atheist's rules of morality show that God has left an imprint of His Law on their hearts.

Rom 2:14-16
14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
(from New International Version)

Answer 9

Because many of them wouldn't have any if it weren't for the spectre of Hell.

ADDENDUM

Jaye16: You must be new here. http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result;_ylt=AsJxv4s.rX5Nd5PEUbH19LAnzKIX;_ylv=3?ps=1&p=atheist+morals&pn=&scope=&mc=396545454&mc=396545163&fltr=_en&tab=0&asktime=&save_search=1&st=1

Answer 10

It has always confused me that they question our morals when their dogma revolves around the fact your actions are worthless and only faith saves you. Talk about justification to do anything you want. Just believe in jesus and that family you murdered will be forgiven. It is truely sickening.