I am curios as to an atheists beliefs when it comes to morals and what morals they abide by?
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Can an atheist be moral?
Sure! I more or less meet the standards of behavior expected of me by the community.
/e If you claim that isn't what morality is about; well if you define it tightly enough, no one can be moral; define it loosely enough, everyone is moral. If you tighten it just the right amount, in just the right way: with some luck you can make it where atheist can't be moral. But that would just be semantics and surely you are not interested in that?
It depends on what is included. Some people consider things to be im/moral and I think the opposite. If you provide a specific, I would be happy to tell you where I stand on it. You must understand, I can speak only for myself. There just is no 'moral code' by which all folks who identify as atheist abide.
No. Absolutely not. Fear me for I am that which your worst nightmare can conjure on your most sullen night, alone, in your bed, sleep deprived and cringing with fright as the shadows close in around you inches at a time, yet retreat at your wide-eyed glances darting around your room. I am one of them, but which one? Fear me.
Ahem...
Morals and ethics are innate in man. But, he was deprived of them by those who would make him believe such natural behavioral traits could only be the works of gods, and surely not himself, an ordinary ignoramus incapable of such charitable thought. Why would such people deprive man of his natural ordering of himself amongst other men? Control, power and wealth are the profits of fear. Telling a man he must fear eternal damnation unless he embraces (name religious doctrine here) places controls over him. If man believes his morality and ethics are ascribed to him by the gods, and he must abide by those gods, he will submit to them as told by those unscrupulous few who have duped him. People, the ignorant masses, were very superstitious (still are) and those few who were not could gain unbelievable power over them.
That said, if a man was to suddenly learn that there is no god he would assert that his life has no purpose, no reward of immortality and therefore no logical motivation to keep to moral and ethical codes of conduct. Anarchy could be the result and if such a free-for-all should be the work of secular revelation man would surely proscribe any sense and existence of community by his actions. Each man a recluse, each man a mercenary, each man an outlaw in a lawless land, religion keeps his lawlessness safely on the fringes and society's well being the charitable goal.
Man may have a natural endowment of moral and ethical behavior, but he is also greedy and known to submit to it at any cost. That is the religious argument and that is why morality and ethics are said to be a god's work. And, it's a very profitable business, indeed.
Your question is on the lips of apologists the world over because doubt exists in their minds about where such things should be originally ascribed.
I believe so, but Steve Harvey will tell you otherwise.
Morality is set by society, not religion. Atheists as a group are far more moral than most any other demographic.
Can a Christian be moral?
Christians apparently need the fear of hell to keep them from murder, rapine and robbery. Christian leaders, such as catholic priests and evangelistic preachers, might be expected to have the best of Christian morals, yet they molest children, take drugs, frequent prostitutes, and steal money from the faithful.
I'm curious about Christians' belief when it comes to morals, because judging from their leaders' behavior, they don't actually have any.
@ confusedandlost101
Absolutely.
Morality is a much debated concept though, how would you define it?
I ask myself what kind of world would exist if everyone acted according to Plan A vs. Plan B.
Stealing : What if everyone stole from everybody else? Do I want my grandchildren to inherit such a world? No!
Sharing : What if everyone shared with those in need? Would I want my grandchildren to inherit such a world? Yes!
Easy! No god needed!
Confusedandlost101,
Why don't you go out and meet a few atheists? I think you will find that they are like everyone else except that they don't do stupid things in the name of God.
If you have some money you might want to move to Sweden or some of the other countries in that region which have the highest quality of living in the whole world. Their streets are safe and you don't have to choose between food and medicine should your investments go sour. However, the people there are atheists, mostly, so I hope you wouldn't mind.