Quick morality poll...?

Question

How many of you actually believe that morals come from religion? Does this mean you think people who are without religion have no morals?

I guess I should submit my own answer. I don't believe morals come from religion and I don't think we need religion to be moral beings. And as someone pointed out, I don't believe morals originated in religion either. I personally believe morals are based in the society in which you live and the upbringing you had.

Answer 1

Morality is certainly elaborated and formally defined within human culture. But I'd argue that morality has it's source in our biology. We can easily see behavior in other species that would be difficult to not consider moral behavior. Biologists have been observing and studying this in mammals for several decades.

Morals do not "come from religion" in any absolute sense, and more important, there is do divine source for morality. The main reason is that there is simply no divine anything, unless you count the great desert I had tonight.

The funny thing is that many religious people want to take credit for morality and even claim that their particular view shaped this or that national culture. This is especially true in the U.S. where many Christians flatter themselves by claiming (or at least believing) that the country was "founded as a Christian nation." This is a complete fabrication, but it serves religious folk to think that the higher ideals, even cultural morals, can only come from god via the approved holy books.

Eventually we will have to accept the reality that morality comes from us (and not a divine source).

Answer 2

Morals do not come solely from religion. They come from within a person. There are plenty of immoral religious people and plenty of non-religious people with very strong morals.

I am on the verge of believing that there is some instinctual sense of morality inborne in humans that develops naturally as we get older, in some stronger than others. I think experience also teaches and hones morals. Upbringing plays a part. Religion may play a part. I think it is really very multifaceted and complex .

Answer 3

Morals do not come from religion. Many people are moral and irreligious at the same time. Religion can serve as a morality guide, but sometimes people don't need a rule book to know right from wrong.

Answer 4

There was a study done that showed that the most basic morality, the reason most of us know murder is wrong, that kind of thing, is actually primal and even physical.
Check out the WNYC Radio Lab entitled "Morality", available on iTunes for free. Showed that even apes have a sense of morality, and they sure as heck don't have organized religion. Unless that's what we're calling fundies today, which would just be mean.

Answer 5

Religion defines a set of morals.Religion is not responsible for morality.Morality in general is an invention of mankind.Not religion.However, since religion is also an invention of mankind then the religion defined morality is also an invention of mankind.The only difference with religious morality is it is defined by dogma rather then a general ideology of right and wrong.Hence the distinction between religious morality and general morality.

Answer 6

Morality is a function of society. Most Christians are moral despite their religion.

Answer 7

Morals DO NOT come from religion. If anything, religion works as a way to supress certain morals, while systematically claiming to provide all of the other ones.

Answer 8

Here's how I look at it....

I don't believe morals come from religion and I don't think we need religion to be moral beings. I don't believe morals originated from religion.

I personally believe morals spawn from society in which one lives and that one chooses to adopt or reject all or in part the norms of his early life experiences and the values he has been exposed to.... We merely copy what we see around us and "know" that it's correct.

Sound familiar ?

Remember the Cannibal who chooses to have his neighbor for dinner is morally correct to do so according to other Cannibals.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Mencken_Monkey_2GIF.gif
[][][] r u randy? [][][]
.

Answer 9

morals get their basis from Judeo-Christian beliefs. Without a set of absolute laws laid down, how can there be morals? Look at the story of Noah. Before the 10 commandments were given, man became so desperately wicked that he had to be destroyed, simply because he had been given no moral law. Out of thousands of people, only 1 family had kept their faith in God. The morals of our society are all based on religious beliefs. Other cultures have adopted them, and they have become so ingrained in our society, that people think that somehow we just 'naturally do them". No, it doesn't work like that. Animals have no morals, and man doesn't either, when there is no law to guide him. Without God's law, this whole world would be just like the Roman empire or Nazi Germany. The strong survive, the weak serve as slaves and are killed. Life has no meaning, so murder, stealing, sexual immorality are not considered wrong, as long as there is no god to answer to. So I believe all our morals have their basis in religion.

Answer 10

Morality is part of human nature to know right from wrong. Religion has nothing to do with it.