Without a God or ultimate accountability for the things you do wrong, why is there any reason to be moral?

Question

If there is no God shouldn't we just do whatever we can get away with and let our fellow man take care of his own interests.

Why, atheists, should anyone worry about morality at all if there is no ultimate accountability. Shouldn't we just treat people as badly as we can get away with and get as much stuff for ourselves as we can?

Without God, why be moral?

Ok Richard,

I'm not talking about Hell. I just mean without an ultimate, moral authority there is essentially no morality. Or morality becomes subjective, so basically it's whatever I want it to be. But if that's the case then whatever ANYBODY did would be "moral" by their own standards. HOWEVER since the standard would then be based on every single seperate individual it's like having no morality at all.

Born Again Atheist,

Then tell me what integrity is based on? Why have it? If there's no God or other ultimate moral authority, isn't that subjective too?

Robin... VT,

I find your numbers highly suspect. I am wiling to bet money that there are more non-religious people in prison than religious, but even if by some remote chance your numbers or correct. Many people find Jesus in prison. Trouble is, they usually leave him there when they get out.

Lily,

Congratulations on your clairvoyence. I find it amazing that you can so perfectly understand my moral convictions based on a scant paragraph online.

kudos.

Sara H,

Thankyou for being one of very few responces that are civil and thoughtful rather than hateful. But the question comes down to. You think you're a moral person. If there is no God where does that morality come from. How do you know what is "moral" and what is not. If there is no constant, ultimate source for morality how can it exist as anything more glorified than a simple majority opinion?

Dany,

Is a moral person really just someone who doesn't kill or rape people? Larry Flint never did either. Would you argue that he is a "moral" person?

Paul S Bullfighter,

I have NEVER argued anything remotely similar to that and you are free to browse all my old questions as proof. I just asked a question about the basis of morality.

Is no one on here capable of a civil, intellectual debate?! Jeese!

Answer 1

I'm a very moral person, not because of a God or higher power, but because I have a very strong sense of right and wrong. I want to be moral because I feel that it makes me a good person, and I want to be a good person for myself and those that I love.

Edit: I do believe that a lot of morals and the sense of what is "right" and "wrong" come from society's views, tradition, etc. I also think that every person's individual conscience could possibly exist without God/higher powers OR society's norms. Since there's no way to test this, we'll never know.

Answer 2

Because it's the right thing to do.

I'm amazed at how many believers hold the "it's only wrong if you get caught" ethic you're promoting here. Have you really never considered that some behaviors are simply wrong, regardless of whether or not you get caught?
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"I have NEVER argued anything remotely similar to that and you are free to browse all my old questions as proof. I just asked a question about the basis of morality."

I'm sorry - I took you to be advocating the "there can be no morality without accountability to God" position. If you were simply asking about it, couldn't you have made it more clear that you didn't agree with it, though? Surely you've noticed that this site regularly gets that kind of comment from Christians, so it's very natural that respondents would assume that you were advocating it.

As for your "browse all my old questions" bit, I wonder if you're missing the fact that an advocate of the "there can be no morality without accountability from God" position is in fact saying "it's only wrong if you get caught". You seem to be acting as though there's nothing in _this_ question that implies that, when in fact the core assumption directly implies it.

Answer 3

Without a divine standard of right and wrong, right and wrong would be relative. Nothing would be inherently good, and nothing would be inherently evil. The most that we would be able to do would be to create laws and ethics that help us get along with one another. God gives his commandments for reasons of his own. Sometimes he reasons with us. Sometimes he doesn't. The only guarantee is that he commands what is best at the time. The divine command theory gets it exactly backward. It isn't right simply because God commands it. God commands it because it's best at the moment. First, we are his children, and he has to prepare us for eternal responsibilities. Second, he gives us commandments to keep us from eternal harm. Third, he gives us commandments that are for our benefit and help in this life, but he seldom if ever gives a commandment that is purely temporal. There are always divine and natural consequences to our actions. Fourth, sometimes a commandment is a complete shibboleth that has no right or wrong to it -- but we are still blessed for obedience and still lose the offered blessing if we disobey.

Answer 4

The reason to behave in an acceptable manner is that we've been trained to do so from our infancy. This training, mostly based upon the reward of praise, gives us a good feeling when we've done something acceptable and a bad feeling when our behavior is unacceptable. Essentially we do what we feel like doing and that is our morality.

If we can somehow escape the consequences, including the bad feelings from what we call conscience, then all bets are off, e.g. what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Answer 5

This is a complex question since it presupposes the non-existence of God. To answer would mean to simplify the question: "Does God exist?" This complex question has its basic rootedness on this very basic question all human beings ask at one time of their life or another. Morality is based on a belief in God and the question can be simplified if it seeks its answer in something greater than itself - a moral code or a religion. A moral code helps a society maintain order and peace and often moral codes are based on either religion or civil law. The question will best be resolved one first studies morality, or religion, or the law of one's state.

Answer 6

Without God there is no foundation. Everything is relative and a morality is forced upon people so that some order can be established. Look at Secular Humanism, it contains for the most part Christian ethics without Christ. They're all plagiarizers. Without God, the morality we are forced to conform to is like totalitarianism.

Answer 7

Because every human has an innate sense of empathy and compassion for his fellow man. We are social creatures, and acting like savage beasts all day wouldn't do us any good.

The only way that we can have a comfortable, enjoyable lifestyle is to work together and help oursevles out. It's an evolutionary advantage. It's less about morality, and more about common sense.

Answer 8

As much as you chrsitian bigots believe that you are the inventors of morality, you are and were not. Morals are based on the accepted norms in society, not what is written in your illogical and idiotic book of bigotry.

People don't worry about morals, they simply are moral.

If your parents are witness to horible attrocities, then move away to raise you, then; if you are brought up in a moral society with moral parents who support moral activites and behavior, there is a good chance that you will exhibit the same traits. You will tend to associate with people with similar morals and you might form a community, then a state, then a country and so on.

Morals have nothing to do with your theocratic, dogmatic pompous and vile book of war mongering.

Answer 9

Right: Causes happiness without negative consequences.
Wrong: Causes negative consequences.

How hard is that?

Why abide by it? Because I would like to remain a member of society and not be ostrocised by my friends, family and colleagues and would also not like to end up in prison or with a criminal record.

Now stop asking this question, it's been answered an infinite number (yes, that's right) of times. Would it kill you to search for answers?

Answer 10

Sure what the heck, winding up in jail multiple times, with diseases, five fatherless children, and being a selfish b*tch that everyone hates sure sounds like a great life doesn't it.

Who the hell wants that. Lets try some common sense next time.