Do Atheists Have a Moral Code?

[rightwinger]

Atheism gives you the freedom to do anything to anyone.

The only thing that's holding an atheist back is the law.

What moral values do the religious have that atheists lack?

 

[Blues Man]

Atheists act on their own self values
We do the right thing because doing the right thing makes you feel better

The religious act out of a fear of heaven/hell
God will get you

Even atheists adopt the morals of the society they live in.

There have been laws against murder for millennia and societies allover the world have adopted those very same laws.

Most of these things we call morals are nothing but what societies have deemed acceptable or unacceptable behaviors and most people do not make a conscious choice to follow them but rather are conditioned from birth to follow them

 

[Otis Mayfield]

Even atheists adopt the morals of the society they live in.

There have been laws against murder for millennia and societies allover the world have adopted those very same laws.

Most of these things we call morals are nothing but what societies have deemed acceptable or unacceptable behaviors and most people do not make a conscious choice to follow them but rather are conditioned from birth to follow them

That's moral relativism.

Under moral relativism, any behavior is okay, the rape and murder of a child, for example, if the culture at large says it's okay.

I believe that a higher power gives us a moral code. And the rape and murder of a child is never going to be acceptable.

 

[Blues Man]

That's moral relativism.

Under moral relativism, any behavior is okay, the rape and murder of a child, for example, if the culture at large says it's okay.

I believe that a higher power gives us a moral code. And the rape and murder of a child is never going to be acceptable.

That's how we evolved.

Most of what we have come to accept behaviorally has evolved from people living in large permanent settlements.

When we were more nomadic and tribal and barely surviving killing was much more acceptable.

And not too long ago in human history parents used to marry off girls as young as the age of 13.

In fact the concept of childhood is rather new in human societal evolution.

So our very evolution is a study in moral relativism

 

[Otis Mayfield]

That's how we evolved.

Most of what we have come to accept behaviorally has evolved from people living in large permanent settlements.

When we were more nomadic and tribal and barely surviving killing was much more acceptable.

And not too long ago in human history parents used to marry off girls as young as the age of 13.

In fact the concept of childhood is rather new in human societal evolution.

So our very evolution is a study in moral relativism

Yes, real atheists believe in moral relativism.


If they believe in anything else, it's just that they were raised in a culture with a moral code, a religion, and that religion has "brushed off" on them.

If you don't believe in "moral relativism", you're not an atheist. You believe in a religion no matter how mild a religion.

 

[Meriweather]

What moral values do the religious have that atheists lack?

It is not that simple--or maybe you have made it too complicated. Religious institutions stand against issues such as divorce, adultery, abortion to follow a higher ideal. As we are all aware, there is still divorce, adultery, abortion among those who follow a religion.

Each person, whether a believer or non-believer, forms their own conscience.

 

[Blues Man]

Yes, real atheists believe in moral relativism.


If they believe in anything else, it's just that they were raised in a culture with a moral code, a religion, and that religion has "brushed off" on them.

If you don't believe in "moral relativism", you're not an atheist. You believe in a religion no matter how mild a religion.

You can think that if you want.

The truth is most of us do not choose our own individual moral codes we are merely conditioned by the society we live in as to what is acceptable or not. Even so called counter culture movements never really went off script on the big moral issues like murder.

 

[bodecea]

No.
If they had an objective moral code, it would be written and published widely.
I saw a poll on Quora. The question was:"Is lying moral". Out of eight atheists who answered, 7 said lying was moral sometimes. That's why theists don't trust you.

Of course...the same as all others based on the Golden Rule.

 

[Care4all]

No.
If they had an objective moral code, it would be written and published widely.
I saw a poll on Quora. The question was:"Is lying moral". Out of eight atheists who answered, 7 said lying was moral sometimes. That's why theists don't trust you.

I think you are way off base Viktor, to generally paint athiests with a broad brush.

God seared right from wrong in to mankind....then he gave us free will.

Atheists and Gentiles will be judged, on that basis.... Right from wrong

Christians will be judged via our belief, that Christ sacrificed Himself for all sins.

Jews will be judged by the Law.

As far as Atheists responding that in SOME CASES, lying is ok.... Most people would agree...

If a friend who is ugly asks, "Am I ugly?"

Most friends would say, No.

If your wife has a new dress she is going out in, and you know how much she loves the dress, and asks, "Do I look ok? Do you like the dress?", when you are not that crazy about it....are you going to be brutally truthful, or let your wife be happy in her moment?

 

[skews13]

No.
If they had an objective moral code, it would be written and published widely.
I saw a poll on Quora. The question was:"Is lying moral". Out of eight atheists who answered, 7 said lying was moral sometimes. That's why theists don't trust you.

Yes. They actually practice the teachings of Jesus Christ, unlike Christians that only preach them.

 

[evenflow1969]

No.
If they had an objective moral code, it would be written and published widely.
I saw a poll on Quora. The question was:"Is lying moral". Out of eight atheists who answered, 7 said lying was moral sometimes. That's why theists don't trust you.

Some do, some don't.

 

[Blues Man]

It is not that simple--or maybe you have made it too complicated. Religious institutions stand against issues such as divorce, adultery, abortion to follow a higher ideal. As we are all aware, there is still divorce, adultery, abortion among those who follow a religion.

Each person, whether a believer or non-believer, forms their own conscience.

most people don't form their own conscience but are conditioned by the society they live in to accept or not accept behaviors.

It starts as birth and the conditioning is so ingrained and insidious that most people can never be free of it

 

[ding]

A relativistic one, sure.

 

[Blues Man]

A relativistic one, sure.

The history of human beings is a study in relative morals.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

No.
If they had an objective moral code, it would be written and published widely.
I saw a poll on Quora. The question was:"Is lying moral". Out of eight atheists who answered, 7 said lying was moral sometimes. That's why theists don't trust you.

Atheists and secular people in general understand that morality is and should be a constant discussion. This code will never be "complete". The religious people also understand this on some level, which is why they are not stoning people in the street for wearing two different types of fabric at the same time. They just play pretend that their morality comes from an iron age handbook. When, in reality, it comes from the world around them that they meet through the genetic accident of the time and place of their birth. Then, they try to retrofit it to the iron age handbooks.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

That's moral relativism.

a/k/a, reality for every person who has ever lived and ever will live

 

[SweetSue92]

Atheists and secular people in general understand that morality is and should be a constant discussion. This code will never be "complete". The religious people also understand this on some level, which is why they are not stoning people in the street for wearing two different types of fabric at the same time. They just play pretend that their morality comes from an iron age handbook. When, in reality, it comes from the world around them that they meet through the genetic accident of the time and place of their birth. Then, they try to retrofit it to the iron age handbooks.

That's one of the most Biblically ignorant posts I've ever read here

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

That's one of the most Biblically ignorant posts I've ever read here

And that's one of the most awkward bits of gibberish I have seen from the kneejerkers.

 

[SweetSue92]

The history of human beings is a study in relative morals.

Not really.

Lying
Using your children for food
Using your children for sex (ugh)

That some morals vary by cultural--say, one wife or two or whatever--does not mean morality is relative.

 

[SweetSue92]

And that's one of the most awkward bits of gibberish I have seen from the kneejerkers.

You cannot discern the meaning of a simple sentence? That explains a lot.