Atheists, what are your moral values, if you don't have beleive in God?

Question

If you don't obey the ten commandments and you don't use the moral christian values, how do you decide what is right or what isn't right? I'm sorry if this question was already asked I couldn't find it and was really wondering. Oh and this isn't any attempt to convert anyone, I was just sincerely interested.

I just wanted to say, please do not use slander Catholic Preists. I'm a Catholic, and I'm not slandering y'all for not beleiving in God, so please don't do that to me. You shouldn't generalize all Catholic Preists as child abusers. Not all of them do that, it's a form of racism.

Ok sorry maybe I didn't make myself clear enugh, I know that y'all have moral values and that you can have them without reading the bible, but where do get these values? I know you have a consiense and all, but where do you get these and what are they.

Answer 1

History and Culture.

Try to visit different countries and different cultures, you will notice the moral values differs too. Even if the two people were christians from the same denomination, if they were from different culture background, they will have different moral values.

Answer 2

If morality includes motive, and most of us would agree that it does, then we have to investigate motive before we say someone is moral.

If someone does a good deed either through fear of punishment or from hope of reward, we don't count that as evidence of morality. But the good feelings of self esteem that we get when we do a good deed are also rewards. And the bad feelings we get when we do something bad are also punishments.

So once we take away all rewards and punishments, including the rewards and punishments of good and bad feelings, is there anything left? No, not for the unbeliever. The rational, logical unbeliever either agrees to the concept that morality is either rewards and punishments, or agrees that they are just feelings that may come from various natural sources.

The only motive worthy of a moral foundation is an obligation to respect a higher moral authority than ourselves, i.e. God.

Answer 3

This question always blows my mind.

Why would anyone believe that if you don't recognise a god that you have no moral values? What has one to do with the other?

When you assume that people are good only because they fear punishment by god, then you are saying that they have no real love or respect for humanity.

I don't steal because I don't believe it's fair to take something from someone that is not yours.

I don't kill because I don't feel that I have the right to take someones life away from them.

I don't lie because it always comes back and hits you in the face.

I try to do unto others as I would have them do unto me because it's logical.

I WANT to be liked and admired by the people I know and come into contact with.

And when I die, that will be it. It's all over. No eternal life. No burning in hell. It will be OVER.

Answer 4

Hate to tell ya, but most of those "commandments" are pretty much a common thing throughout much of humanity. Sure some cultures that remain a bit more barbaric today may not disapprove of something the rest of us would find appalling (lets not forgot that at one time Christianity was perfectly fine with stoning people to death, even their own children, so they've been there too), BUT...for the majority of human cultures, most of those "commandments" are common moral even if they, the people themselves, are not Christian.

Most cultures are against murder, most cultures would not approve of adultery, probably every culture demands respect of parents, etc.

My own values come from those values and expectations of my family, my community, and my society. Of which, if a person goes against the grain, you pretty much become an outcast...something most people would not want to be.

Answer 5

I get my morals/ethics by observing those around me and learning what to do/not to do so that my life and those around me go as smoothly as I can make it. By observing the laws laid down by my government I get along well with said government. By observing the rules in a person's house I get along well with that person.
There are also things that I personally have decided are not "good" and should be avoided, but those things have been decided through my choices and observations.
Of course, my family instilled quite a few rules on morality when I was young (who's family doesn't) based on the ten commandments (they are christian) and I do find that following them helps get along in society abit easier. It isn't a matter of what is right or wrong really (at least in my opinion) but about what makes your place in society easier to deal with.

Answer 6

think of with regard to the mass of absolute nothingness inflicting the creation of remember! there are a number of evidences that element in the direction of the super Bang. the super Bang would not circulate against God, although the nuts available have a bent to think of so. God explains issues technology won't be able to. What we don't understand is how that remember develop into formed or began. Who is familiar with, would have been divine, would have been organic. the main important section to envision isn't the incredibly creation of the universe, yet here. there is taken under consideration one of those little risk that the universe would have made it that for the duration of my very own opinion, there had to be something help it alongside the way. and it is the reason i've got self assurance in God. you won't be able to prepare the lifestyles of God or the legitimacy of a faith employing books, articles, arguments, etc. you are able to in simple terms use good judgment and are available to a determination your self, in accordance with despite suggestion you have have been given. looking your non secular ideals, or lack there of, is a private journey!

Answer 7

I think you have the wrong idea or picture of atheists. I have a higher morals than most Christian I known. I don't cheat, steal, kill, lie, or try
to make people believe like I do. I know what is right and what is wrong. I don't need to be religious to know the differences. I do know the psychology of mind control, people control, and how religions use it. If you look at the world today and ask yourself why is all the happening. Killing,Greed, Racism,One world Christian order.

Answer 8

Every human has an innate sense of empathy and compassion for his fellow man. We are social creatures who rely on one another. The 10 commandments didn't inspire modern morality. It's the other way around.

Just because I don't kill or steal from people doesn't automatically mean I'm following the 10 commandments. There is such a thing as common moral standards, and they don't require faith in a God to abide by.

Answer 9

Love
life
family
honor
you don't need a god to have this
so pretend there is no god, would you have morals?
or is the only thing stopping you is the punishment of hell?

I think most Christians, Catholics, Mormom, etc needs a book to tell them right from wrong, isn't it why you're asking this question? because you got your morals from a book, and we don't have morals because we don't believe the book?

You should hold on to the bible, it looks like you need it
If you really want to know, it comes from the heart

Good Luck

Answer 10

All morality begins and ends with sympathy.

We have evolved the ability to empathize, to share the motivations and feelings of those around us. From this, we have gained the ability to sympathize with the plight of others, to understand what may be causing them distress or pain, and to wish, for their sake, that their suffering would stop. Armed with this sympathy, we act in a moral way to prevent the distress and suffering of others. Our opinions on what constitutes a moral course of action may differ, but the underlying sympathy is the same.

With sympathy for others and recognition of the similarities between people, we each build an internal code of the morality of our actions. For example, to protect innocent children, because I was once a child myself and needed protection.

My morality isn't based upon threats and rewards, combined with a scripted set of moral and immoral actions. Its based on empathy and logic.

Although your bible allows for slavery but bans the wearing of clothing consisting of mixed fibers woven together (Leviticus 19:19, KJV), most people today recognize that slavery is bad and mixed-fiber clothing is harmless, am I right? I believe ultimately just about everyone, religious or not tends to use common sense and bases their morality on empathy, not on scripted works.