Atheists, what tells you right from wrong?

Question

There's is something bigger than science that tells you right from wrong and that is called you're soul. I don't think that intrelligence gives us morals I think it's our soul.

Answer 1

It is written upon our hearts by God, some just refuse to acknowledge this.:)

Answer 2

One of the first known sets of "rules" was the Code of Hammurabi, written some 300 years before the Ten Commandments (the Code was ripped off to make the Ten). Hammurabi, by all accounts, was not a religious man, but he knew right from wrong.

The assumption atheists have no morals because of our apostasy is disingenuous at best. If you want to believe your soul keeps you from doing something wrong, that's fine. My morality is based on compassion, empathy, logic, reason and common sense. Also a little document called the Constitution, and the rule of law.

We don't need mythological concepts to treat each other decently. Just plain old human decency will do.

Answer 3

I'm not an atheist anymore but, I can answer. Morality is instinctual for the most part. You just know whats fair and unfair, just and unjust. Ever since birth you are guided to whats right and wrong but, even in cases of murder and other immoral crimes in nomadic tribes there are guidelines and laws written by the tribe elders set as a basis to be taught by parents to their young and everyone had/has a mother and those that were not raised under the law usually do not abide by that said law.

Answer 4

Common Sense tells what is right and what is wrong.
A child of 4 or 5 years knows what is right and what is wrong.
Science does not tell what is right or wrong except in that particular speciality.
WE don't need man-made laws to brain wash and say what is right or wrong -written by a group of politicians in cohort with priests -both play the same game - two sides of the same coin.
Jesus was crucified as a political sacrifice to appease the Jews from revolting against the Romans.

Answer 5

When you hurt yourself physically, what happens? Do you feel pain? When you eat something tasty, what do you feel? Is it pleasure?

If you answered yes to those two questions, then your question has been answered. All of human morality is determined via pleasure and pain. If something feels good, then people are going to imitate that behavior. Doesn't it make sense that sticking with one person will result in the greatest long term pleasure? I don't need an old, outdated book to tell me that.

There is nothing bigger than science that tells us what is right and what is wrong. There is no soul, and there is no God. You shouldn't delude yourself in that way. I think it is intelligence that gives us our morals, but we are all entitled to our own opinions- just don't try and push your false beliefs on other people, okay?

Answer 6

Intelligence obviously doesn't give us morals. There are a lot of immoral intelligent people.

It's not "you're (sic) soul" that gives us morals either.

Instead, we all get to use free will to decide how we are going to be. I choose to treat people the way I would like to be treated. And the ironic part is that I do it even without the expectation of an eternal reward, or the fear of eternal punishment if I don't.

Answer 7

There are many derivations for moral systems that don't depend on revealed religious dogma, such as the societal compact and the moral imperative. The englightenment philosophers like Kant, Hume, and Locke, whose secular thoughts on ethics and morality provided the underpinnings for the foundation of the American democracy, and subsequently for the popular democracies of most of the western world today.

Answer 8

no one ever said science tells us right from wrong stop looking at books about atheists from a christians point of view. This was preaching not a question... To even have morals there has to be interaction of two or more people physical, verbally, emotionally etc etc. It can't just be beamed into someone. Hence why we experience things to learn from them and conclude it is wrong to do something to someone and there is a thing call guilt even the thought of doing harm or wrong to someone should draw up some sort of guilt and having to live with it.

Answer 9

We are taught values from our parents. Well, as least most of us are. As we get older, we learn to evaluate things on our own.
The golden Rule was very important, to me growing up. By the time I wan an adult, I knew what was good and bad, which behavior's were acceptable, and which ones weren't. and I decided for myself which ''morals' I would adhere to, and which ones i wouldn't.
The right to have sex, was a decision I made for myself, since I was the only one responsible for my actions. No one else.
Logic, and ethics, and common sense, and law of the land, play a big part too.
What I DON'T need is the threat of eternal damnation, to ''make '' me behave, and be good''. The bible is so far outdated, as far as what you would call 'morals', it is unreal. You can not take rules that worked two thousand years ago, and apply them to, today's world.
The idea of burning in hell, for eternity is not an enticement, or an incentive, for me to do what is right.
There will always be people, who violate the law, and the rights of others, regardless of what they have been taught.
Personally, I used to think that the 'soul' was your conscience. But, now I can see, your personality, or ''soul', comes from a chemical reaction, and nothing more.
So, you can have your 'soul', and your 'morals', I will go with what works for me, ' intelligence'.
And You are entitled to go with ''soul'' , as that, works for you.
Thanks for asking, so nicely!!!
Everyone is entitled to think , and believe as they choose. For me, the state the world, is in, and the lawlessness, and selfishness rampant in the world, says ,that there is no god.
He would make his presence known if he existed.
If there were a god, what would be his problem, with talking to us, and reassuring us, and giving us comfort?
So therefore, he does not exist. and there is no evidence that he ever has.

Answer 10

Actually I don't have a little voice in my head telling me right from wrong. Does that mean I don't have a soul? I literally do use my intellect to figure out what is socially acceptable.

Answer 11

I use rational thinking. I try to decide how my actions will affect myself and others before acting. You call that a result of the soul, but I think the conscience is just part of the mind that helps us humans coexist with one another.