How do you define moral values without God?

Question

For atheists, how is that possible? Because we are humans, does that make us the moral god? If not then where do moral values come from? If things just came to be then does that mean we can just make up moral values on the fly?

I'm afraid that one day someone will challenge our mind and declares that "he who has the biggest bombs win"! Wait, that is happening already.

Explaining the whys only work for those who does not plan to challenge the answer. Giving reasons based on history lessons does not make it moral, it is history.

I would also say that moral values as a "contract" to society is pretty weak. If one day society A decides to practice cannibalism, what who gives society B the moral right to oppose? Basically, the majority decides what is right and what is wrong. The minority will always be at an disadvantage.

Answer 1

From what I have seen, most unbelievers will quote one of the following as the foundation for their morality:

"because it is the right thing to do". For the life of me, I don't know how they know it is the right thing. They just know.

"I do what my conscience tells me". But what is their conscience except a vague set of meaningless feelings? We know feelings are not a good foundation for morality.

"It's common sense". Common sense is again a vague set of meaningless feelings.

"things that are in my best interest as long as they don't cause harm to others". Self interest is a true answer except the part about causing harm to others, which is often contrary to self interest. So adding the part about not harming others is just a feel-goodism. Self interest may be the true foundation for their behavior, but it isn't moral.

Answer 2

As an atheist, I believe that it is much healthier to instill moral values without injecting irrational motivation. The motivation for good moral judgment should be: "because it is the right thing to do", Not "because god says so".

It certainly is much more complicated though, explaining right from wrong, nature and the like to my children. I actually have to explain "why", instead of the old "cause that's the way god made it" brush off the shoulder.

Answer 3

It is easy to have morals without god so long as you think in selfish terms.

I do not like farming. I am happier when someone farms for me. I feel the same way about many tasks. Because I need these tasks to be done so I can live, I agree to live is a way that these services can be provided for me. In addition to an economic agreement, I also have a social agreement with my society. For example, people don't want to be murdered. People tend to want to be places that people aren't being murdered. To help gain and retain people, we all agree that we won't murder and we will punish people who do. In exchange, we don't have as much fear of ourselves and our families being murdered.

This idea of a "social contract" can be applied to things, like stealing and other crimes. The rules make living in a society more fair for everyone. A more fair society makes better opportunities.

Sometimes, however, power is concentrated in a small number of people. As you alluded to, these people can become quite obsessed with their power. Usually, however, society finds that these people make a system that the majority doesn't like. Then the majority punishes the powerful minority with numbers. Even if you have the biggest guns, you can't stop when millions of people try to oppose you.

Answer 4

Without God, morality has no definition. It is a string of letters with no meaning. Atheism's ultimate realization is that life has no meaning whatsoever and that existence is absurd. To what end does an atheist ascribe morality to anything? How is it remotely possible for any particular random collection of atomic debris (me), to conjure anything as mystical as "morality" concerning dealings with other walking clouds of atomic debris. There should be no more concern for other people on this earth than you would show a flake of dandruff if you follow their logic to its inevitable conclusion.

Answer 5

Our moral values were originally established by the "law" that God gave to the Hebrews in the Old Testament. The Ten Commandments basically. However, people who don't know God can still be moral people. But being moral isn't enough. God's standard is perfection. And none of us can be perfect. That is why God sent Jesus (the only perfect man) to pay the penalty for the laws we broke. And only through belief in Him can we be made righteous (perfect) in God's eyes.
You can be the most moral person on earth and still burn in Hell. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me."

Answer 6

Seems to me that without God there are no moral values. The less God the less morals.

The Bible speaks of the world calling good evil and evil good. Those times are here. Because the world says evil things are actually good. And that good things like morals and convictions are evil.

Answer 7

a tough question, to be sure
most philosophies/theologies came up with a variation of the "golden rule" more than 2000 years ago...
the Avesta predates the Old Testament by hundreds of years, as does the writings of Buddha and Confucius

of course, adding the "weight" of a divinity gives some muscle to the concept...
heaven/hell/reward/punishment...etc etc etc

the "moral" value associated with civil law does change as the culture/civilization/dominant aspects change
in addition...without the ultimate threat of a "god", there is no real reason to follow any moral value system...there is simply no fear of reprisal, no fear of retribution

Civil law tries, but is defined by its time in history

Kant proposed the "categorical imperative" as a philosophical touchstone to judge/value the "moralness" of actions...

however, as "civilized" humans, we'd like to think of ourselves as being to a point of development that the "golden rule" should suffice...and that would be a sufficient guide for moral value judgments

so, in a way, we need the concept of "god"-even if he/she/it doesn't exist...to give our "morals" validity....

Answer 8

It is not necessary to have an imaginary god to have moral values.
If the attributes of god are omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent; god does not need our protection, nor does s/he need a religion, a form, sex etc - we let our imagination run riot and create a god to suit us and as we please.

Look at the religions and sub-religions. Each have their own creation and say 'my god is the true god' & in the name of our religion and god kill, burn, rape and say we have moral values.

If I do not know anything about someone, (where that person lives, or that person's religion or anything about that person) but only that person's name - we can fantasize that that person is black, Asian or African and a man or woman' old or young, rich or poor, has a beard or not - But the person we imagine is not the real person.
We think we are better than others because we believe in a word 'god' imagining it is a person.

Moral values do not come just because we follow a book, a priest or a religion - they too have their problems - they are not as perfect as god to interpret god. Only a person who has known god personally can interpret god to others.

The wise person is one who faces the fact and says that s/he does not know god and wants to know god - god may reveal to that person who is humble and pleading to know.

Morale values can be present in someone who has a conscience and is open and humble.
That person does not need our creation - that person may be having that faith, love and respect for something called 'Universal Energy or Nature or the Ultimate Creator - not god as we imagine - and in our imagination we strut about proudly with ego and pride despising others and condemning them saying that god will protect us and we can say and do what we please.
.

Answer 9

If everyone who believed in God and followed a bible acted in a "moral" way, we would not be in the mess we are in today. If you were to ask all of the world leaders today, they would tell you that they are strong believers in their own brand of God and morality.

Personal accountability is independent of any set of beliefs except your very own. Are you who you are because of fear of hell or some other form of damnation, or are you good because you ARE and you cannot imagine yourself any other way? You learn, you evolve, you teach, you learn and so on...

No one knows for sure but, I think that, the only thing that we take away with us is the sum of our experiences.
Knowledge is probably the only currency on the other side and I intend to be rich...

Answer 10

Our morals are from society, and it's mostly from the bible or god. But when you think about it didn't someone just write those morals down? I get my morals from my family not god, but in someway it's the same. In this day and age morals are becoming more and more vague.