Atheist, what are your top 3 moral that you live by?

Question

mine are to treat others how i would want to be treated. avoid lying to anyone regardless of their age and not to judge someone based on their looks alone. please share your morals :)

Answer 1

I wouldn't say I have a top three. I just kind of wing it.

I guess I try to have more basic altruistic traits, which would be: honesty, kindness, empathy, thoughfulness, generosity, etc...

...of course, I try not to let anybody take advantage of me (like they did when I was Christian).

Answer 2

I'll do this in two:

1) Do what leads to my own gratification (which can be anything from keeping my life out of danger, to seeing assurance that my loved ones are safe and happy)

2) DON'T do #1 if it involves stupidity, lack of foresight, harm to myself in the long run, or breaking the law. In other words, employ self-responsibility in all cases.

For the record, I don't concur with any of the 3 guidelines you listed. I will not treat people nice if they're harming me, I don't think lying is 100% wrong (I may lie about where I'm going if I'm secretly getting a birthday present for a girlfriend, or about my religion if a Muslim terrorist held a gun to my head), and I'm not taking my chances in making conversation with a 7-foot tall guy at the end of a dark alley wearing nothing but a clown hat.

Answer 3

You wrote "treat others how i would want to be treated." Do you know where that came from? I bet you don't do you. Well it was a philosopher and those writing the bible took his work and put it in the bible. You also wrote "avoid lying to anyone regardless of their age and not to judge someone based on their looks ALONE. please share your morals :)" is your real name Shallow Hal.

I live by some simple ethics. The primary it to not needlessly and purposely harm anyone. Obviously you find murder ok. I as an Atheist do not. The simple ethic can be applied to every one of life's situation and works very well. Let's take the act of lying. Will it harm someone. Well if not someone else it could harm me. Is it needless to lie. Most times it is not only needless it is foolish. How about judging people. Will my judging someone harm them. Not unless i use it to discriminate against them or as justification to harm them, then it will be . Is judging the person purposely? Or is it a part of human nature? Anyone who say they never judge is delusional. We judge people as to weather we want them to be our friends or spouse and in many other cases. The main part is does it harm the person we judge and are we doing it purposely to do harm to them.

Answer 4

It's more than three, I'm afraid, but I'm very very fond of the "New Ten Commandments" from ebonmusings.org:

(1) Do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you.

(2) In all things, strive to cause no harm.

(3) Treat your fellow human beings, your fellow living things, and the world in general with love, honesty, faithfulness and respect.

(4) Do not overlook evil or shrink from administering justice, but always be ready to forgive wrongdoing freely admitted and honestly regretted.

(5) Live life with a sense of joy and wonder.

(6) Always seek to be learning something new.

(7) Test all things; always check your ideas against the facts, and be ready to discard even a cherished belief if it does not conform to them.

(8) Never seek to censor or cut yourself off from dissent; always respect the right of others to disagree with you.

(9) Form independent opinions on the basis of your own reason and experience; do not allow yourself to be led blindly by others.

(10) Question everything.

Answer 5

I see the Golden Rule or similar words are frequently given as the answer.

The problem is that there is no moral authority to the Golden Rule unless God is behind it.

If we get to choose the rules we live by, then what is to keep us from changing the rules when circumstances change? You make the rules and if you start to lose, change the rules. Only an idiot would lose a game (unless there were no consequences for losing) where he or she made the rules.

Answer 6

Those are also in my top 5. I would probably modify the not judging people to include many other things we don't choose.

And I take the "do unto others.." very seriously.

For instance as it applies to this forum if someone wishes to impose their beliefs on me I take that as an open invitation by them to have beliefs imposed on them. It's the only time I ever wish I had some beliefs to impose on others.

Answer 7

I never see Atheist in here asking questions about why Christians do what they do. Atheist pay their bills and own homes go to parties have jobs. I even saw a Atheist laugh once.They drive carsI know one with a Motorcycle.they do their laundry clean their house. Eat lunch,get sick. They just don't believe in God. I think in a free country you can not believe in God. I believe in God but you can't tell it by looking at me. I've never had anybody ask me if I believed in God before they became my friend. Come to think of it nobody has ever asked me that question. Maybe nobody likes me. Great I'll be thinking about this all night and never get to sleep.

Answer 8

My only ethic, is that I do what I believe benefits me most in all regards.

That includes factoring in that I am empathetic to others and feel bad when I hurt them, and it includes factoring in my future self interest rather than doing stupid things that benefit me short term at great long term cost, etc.

In other words, I behave like pretty much any other decent person as a result.

Answer 9

I have two, and really only two:

1: Don't be a dick.
2: Treat other people the way you'd want to be treated.

I don't think any others are necessary.

Answer 10

I treat others how I want to be treated (with respect and dignity, so that includes not lying to people); I'm generous even if I can't afford it; and I'm loyal to all those I love and care for.