Do atheists have morals?

24567…11

Comments

  • audiodave
    audiodave Posts: 1,623
    Now I remember why I don't visit this board very often, it makes me angry.

    I don't believe in God, how does that equate to having no morals? I was raised by my parents to have my own sense of what is right and what is wrong, and compared to most people I know, I have just as much, if not more, "morals".

    I believe very strongly about some things being right and some things being wrong. Because I have come to this decision without the help of some sort of religion...I have no morals?
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

    I don't wanna think, I wanna feel

    Dublin 23/08/06 Lisbon I 04/09/06 Lisbon II 05/09/06 Paris 11/09/06 Verona 16/09/06

    London 18/06/07 Dusseldorf 21/06/07 Copenhagen 26/06/07 Nijmegen 28/06/07
  • catefrances
    catefrances Posts: 29,003
    audiodave wrote:
    Now I remember why I don't visit this board very often, it makes me angry.

    I don't believe in God, how does that equate to having no morals? I was raised by my parents to have my own sense of what is right and what is wrong, and compared to most people I know, I have just as much, if not more, "morals".

    I believe very strongly about some things being right and some things being wrong. Because I have come to this decision without the help of some sort of religion...I have no morals?

    that's correct dave, people like you and i have no internal barometer for distinguishing between right and wrong. we covet our neighbours' husband or wife or both and by the light of the full moon, sacrifice live chickens to our atheist overlord. :D
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • audiodave
    audiodave Posts: 1,623
    catefrances wrote:
    that's correct dave, people like you and i have no internal barometer for distinguishing between right and wrong. we covet our neighbours' husband or wife or both and by the light of the full moon, sacrifice live chickens to our atheist overlord. :D

    Don't TELL everyone!

    Quick, they're on to us...RUN!
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

    I don't wanna think, I wanna feel

    Dublin 23/08/06 Lisbon I 04/09/06 Lisbon II 05/09/06 Paris 11/09/06 Verona 16/09/06

    London 18/06/07 Dusseldorf 21/06/07 Copenhagen 26/06/07 Nijmegen 28/06/07
  • mammasan
    mammasan Posts: 5,656
    know1 wrote:
    Everyone has their own set of individual morality. Why is that hard to grasp? It shouldn't even be a discussion.

    Well said. It is a bit norrow-minded for certain religious individuals to believe that only those that share their beliefs have morals. Look at Congressman Foley and, shit I forgot hisname, the head of that Evangilical group. Both men may have claimed to be of a higher moral standing becauseof their belief in God, but their actions certainly did not reflect their preaching. I don't believe in the Christian interpretation of God, but I don't have to read a book and go to mass every sunday to realize what is right and what is wrong.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • yosi1
    yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Now, I happen to agree that this is bullshit, but is it possible that this is just semantical? If someone could answer, what is the difference between ethics and morality? Is it possible that morality only applies to religion, while ethics can apply to religion and not to religion? Again, if that's the case, then its totally semantical. And I don't really understand why someone who didn't believe in God couldn't have morals.

    Edit: I just looked it up in Merriam-Webster, and there seems to be nothing about religion. So, then I really don't why an atheist wouldn't have morals. If they can make moral judgements (deciphering between right and wrong) than how do they have no morals?
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    yosi wrote:
    Now, I happen to agree that this is bullshit, but is it possible that this is just semantical? If someone could answer, what is the difference between ethics and morality? Is it possible that morality only applies to religion, while ethics can apply to religion and not to religion? Again, if that's the case, then its totally semantical. And I don't really understand why someone who didn't believe in God couldn't have morals.

    Ethics is what you call the study of what is morally right and what is morally wrong.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


    naděje umírá poslední
  • yosi1
    yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Collin wrote:
    Ethics is what you call the study of what is morally right and what is morally wrong.

    Thanks. I saw that on m-w.com. But again thanks. Its a bit confusing because they're so intertwined.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    yosi wrote:
    Thanks. I saw that on m-w.com. But again thanks. Its a bit confusing because they're so intertwined.

    I didn't see that you edited your post. But indeed it is confusing... when my teacher tried to explain it, she got confused as well.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


    naděje umírá poslední
  • yosi1
    yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Collin wrote:
    I didn't see that you edited your post. But indeed it is confusing... when my teacher tried to explain it, she got confused as well.

    Mine just said look it up. :rolleyes:
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • angelica
    angelica Posts: 6,038
    By studying personality type (Myers Briggs) I was taught that "ethics" is more of an intellectional, rational look at values. For example, what is objectively "fair" and what works, and what is not or does not. Whereas "morals" are more based on one's personal subjective value system, which is more about what feels "right" to the individual.

    Also, personality typing makes it clear that each person has their own moral values system, athiest or not. Even within religion and matters of faith, clearly there are HUGE ranges of just what one's values are. For example, a Christian might hold themselves to the standard of the ten commandments and atone for "wrongdoing", and yet another Christian might flagrantly break the commandments and justify such "wrongs" even resorting to using biblical text.
    "The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr

    http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta

    Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
  • angelica
    angelica Posts: 6,038
    I know numerous athiests whose morals appear far superior and more consistent compared to how I've observed some people talk and act with religious-based morals.
    "The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr

    http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta

    Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
  • flywallyfly
    flywallyfly Posts: 1,453
    I take my moral code from the teachings of Jobu. Hats for bats is rule number one. Gotta run, Jobu needs a refill of rum.
  • Sonja_S
    Sonja_S Vienna Posts: 444
    yosi wrote:
    Mine just said look it up. :rolleyes:

    Those teachers nowadays. No morals anymore... ;)
    You can tell a man from what he has to say - Neil & Tim Finn
    They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
  • yosi1
    yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Sonja_S wrote:
    Those teachers nowadays. No morals anymore... ;)

    Actually, this is one of the better and more moral professors I've ever had. The reason why he didn't want to explain it was because he thought he might get confused. :p
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/phil/blfaq_phileth_deon.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorical_imperative
  • Byrnzie
    Byrnzie Posts: 21,037
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/phil/blfaq_phileth_deon.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorical_imperative

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Kantian_Philosophy_%28Schopenhauer%29
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    Does this mean that agnostics like me have morals only if one can prove to us of god's existence?;)
  • macgyver06
    macgyver06 Posts: 2,500
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    Atheists, who do not believe in God, do not have morals.

    Penguins, who cannot fly, do not have wings; indeed, they are not even birds. :D

    your insane. come back to reality.
  • macgyver06
    macgyver06 Posts: 2,500
    hey harmless.... what about the atheists who do belive in god...lol..
  • PJPOWER
    PJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    EVERYONE has their own set of morals and values regardless of what society they live in, their culture, and their religion or their lack there of. People who are religious would probably have a different moral outlook on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, drugs, and anything else that their particular religion deams "right or wrong" than an athiest who bases their morals off their own personal logic. Religious people also have logic, though, although they believe that logic can be defied by a higher power. A person that bases their whole opinion off logic will never win an argument with someone who believes logic can be defied by a higher power, and vise versa. Unethnical would be a religious person trying to logically debate the existance vs. non-existance of a higher power just as it would be unethnical for an athiest to pray for an answer to a debate. It is pointless for people believing in a higher power to argue with an athiest because there will always be that 1 major informal fallacy with that 1 seperate truth in the minds of both parties........

Categories