Atheists, if no god exists what is the point of ethics or morality?

Question

ok, i'm only asking those who don't believe in any God whatsoever

Answer 1

You guys scare us when you talk like this you know.  What it says is that you are a sociopath who is just to afraid to act on it.

Answer 2

The root of social interaction contains ethics and morality which is also contained in Communism in which there is no God but the Government elect.

Answer 3

Well personally I wouldn't want to live in an unethical, immoral society.  What further argument could you possibly need for ethics and morality?  Gods have nothing to do with it.

Answer 4

The most scary thing of all is if you are serious that you need to ask your question.

It would show that you are a person who would think ethics and morality are not necessary unless you believe in a god or a religion.



So you are saying that if you didn't have a religion, you would be immoral and unthetical.

You are a total loser...LOSER!

Answer 5

The continuation of the individual and of society.

Answer 6

I am not a Atheist- however I will say this-  they will tell you that there are a lot of moral atheists.  And I suppose in the eyes of those people, they are moral.  Actually I know some very upstanding and moral people who do not believe in God.  However, be moral in and of itself does not save anyone.  Even those who do believe in God, can never be good enough to be saved.  God is Holy, and we are not, regardless if we believe in God or not.  I believed in God all my life, and I was called "the good girl".  However I did not measure my morality through the eyes of God, and that is where the problem lies. We cannot be good enough in the eyes of God without Christ.  Atheists will say there is no God, and they can still be good- that is true, but...............

Answer 7

I have to admit I am amused when a fundie reveals his lack of knowledge.

The cultures of the world all have codes of conduct, even the ancient ones, and many of these codes predate the writing of the various books of the Bible and almost all predate each cultures first exposure to the Bible.

Where did the Greek Philosophers gain their insights? Did Socrates have no morals? Was Pythagoras lost? Confucius? Buddha? The American tribes? Eskimos?

Much of what is contained in the Old Testament is simply the conduct codes of the ancient Middle East. Some of these codes are commonly found in cultures all over the world, such as the prohibition against murder, but many are unique to the region and were never adopted by anyone else, like the prohibitions against eating pork or working on Saturday. Many are tribal rules, such as the requirement for a man to marry and have children with his brother's widow in order to ensure the survival of the tribe. Much of the New Testament is a reinterpretation of the older Biblical laws from the perspective of a culture that had been exposed to Greek and Roman thought for several centuries.

We have access to thousands of years of religion, history, philosophy, ethics and sociology from all over the world. We can see what worked well, and what didn't work so well, and we acknowledge that many things should never be allowed to happen again, such as genocides, witch burnings and Inquisitions. We do not believe that any group or culture has had all of the answers, and we refuse to be tied to laws that should be abandoned and rules that do not work. Claiming to have all of the answers is a dangerous game, and claiming to be the "One True Path" has led to some of the most horrific abuses and tragedies in human history.

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." - Albert Einstein, "Religion and Science", New York Times Magazine, November 9, 1930

Answer 8

Your ignorance is disheartening but sadly very abundant in this world.

You people make me sick.

Answer 9

You can think of no other purpose for ethics and morality than as a result of the existence of your god?  That is amazing.

The point of ethics and morality is to maintain a society, guide its people and provide a means of representation and a basis for compensation when they are broken.

Answer 10

The scientific answer- They help a species survive.

My personal answer- If I know something will make me feel bad why would i hurt someone else?

The really scary thing here is that the only thing stopping you from killing and raping is a belief in god.

Answer 11

i honestly don't know how to answer this instead of just saying that everyone is entitled to respect and decency. why is this targeted towards atheists??

Answer 12

Interesting that few even attempted to answer the question, but attacked the quesioner.

Short answer : Game Theory

If everyone is honest, you have the advantage if you are not.  So even if you wish to be unethical, it is easier if you convince everyone else to be.

Religion has nothing to do with it.

Answer 13

Man, as a social animal, developed morals to get along with his fellow man in order to survive and prosper.

Religion merely borrowed these morals.

Answer 14

first of all i an one Atheists. just because people do not believe in God or many gods/goddesses doesn't mean they are crazy people who run around killing people. if people didn't have morals and ethics the human race would not have survived. Even most animals have some social structures to ensure their survival.

and just because you don't believe in God it gives you no right to make fun of people who do. It would be like me saying you are going to h**l b/c you don't believe. Also God is no coward and he has come back to Earth! You have the right to believe what you think is right In the end we will all see.

Answer 15

Atheists are people who, whether they like it or not, have the law of God written on their hearts (Rom. 2:15). They are subject to the same laws of our country (and other countries) and they have a sense of right and wrong. They often work with people who are religious and have ethical standards as well as non-believers who are don't.  So they are exposed to all sorts of moral behavior.  In addition, they often form their own moral standards based on what suits them.  Besides, robbery, lying, stealing, etc., can get you imprisoned, so it is practical and logical for an atheist to be ethical and work within the norms of social behavior.  How ever you want to look at it, atheists, generally, are honest, hardworking people.

Nevertheless, some Christians raise the question, "What is to prevent an atheist from murdering and stealing? After all, they have no fear of God and no absolute moral code." The answer is simple: Atheists are capable of governing their own moral behavior and getting along in society the same as anyone else.

At the risk of labeling the atheist as self-centered, it does not serve the best interests of an atheist to murder and steal since it would not take long before he was imprisoned and/or killed for his actions. Basically, society will only put up with so much if it is to function smoothly. So, if an atheist wants to get along and have a nice life, murdering and stealing won't accomplish it. It makes sense for him to be honest, work hard, pay his bills, and get along with others. Basically, he has to adopt a set of ethics common to society in order to do that. Belief in God is not a requirement for ethical behavior or an enjoyable life.  

On the other hand  

Atheists' morals are not absolute. They do not have a set of moral laws from an absolute God by which right and wrong are judged.  But, they do live in societies that have legal systems with a codified set of laws.  This would be the closest thing to moral absolutes for atheists.  However, since the legal system changes the morals in a society can still change and their morals along with it.  At best, these codified morals are "temporary absolutes."  In one century abortion is wrong. In another, it is right. So, if we ask if it is or isn't it right, the atheist can only tell us his opinion.

If there is a God, killing the unborn is wrong. If there is no God, then who cares? If it serves the best interest of society and the individual, then kill. This can be likened to something I call, "experimental ethics."  In other words, whatever works best is right. Society experiments with ethical behavior to determine which set of rules works best for it. Hopefully, these experiments lead to better and better moral behavior.  But, as we see by looking into society, this isn't the case:  crime is on the rise.

There are potential dangers in this kind of self-established/experimental ethical system. If a totalitarian political system is instituted and a mandate is issued to kill all dissenters, or Christians, or mentally ill, what is to prevent the atheist from joining forces with the majority system and support the killings? It serves his self-interests, so why not?  Morality becomes a standard of convenience, not absolutes.

But, to be fair, just because someone has an absolute ethical system based on the Bible, there is no guarantee that he will not also join forces in doing what is wrong.  People are often very inconsistent.  But the issue here is the basis of moral beliefs and how they affect behavior. That is why belief systems are so important and absolutes are so necessary.  If morals are relative, then behavior will be too.  That can be dangerous if everyone starts doing right in his own eyes.  A boat adrift without an anchor will eventual crash into the rocks.

The Bible teaches love, patience, and seeking the welfare of others even when it might harm the Christian.  In contrast, the atheists' presuppositions must be constantly changing, and subjective and does not demand love, patience, and the welfare of others.  Instead, since the great majority of atheists are evolutionists, their morality, like evolution is the product of purely natural and random processes that become self serving.

Basically, the atheist cannot claim any moral absolutes at all. To an atheist, ethics must be variable and evolving. This could be good or bad. But, given human nature being what it is, I'll opt for the moral absolutes -- based on God's word -- and not on the subjective and changing morals that atheism offers.  

  

Answer 16

It keeps me from improving the gene pool by eliminating people who ask questions with self-evident answers.

Answer 17

What God do you refer to that is an authority on ethics and morality?

I haven't seen or heard of such a God.

Certainly not the judeo/christian god.

Answer 18

essentially, it has to do with self interest. we do good to others, for example, so that in turn they'll return the favor. this process increases survival potential. it's also a good thing to do. your question sounds like this to me,"hey kid, now that your mom's not around, are you gonna eat from the cookie jar"? of course a child would, but i didn't think you were one also, guess i was wrong. if you need a big daddy around to tell you what's right and wrong, that shows how much you've matured intellectually.

Answer 19

Your narcissism is appalling. Two thirds of the world does not believe in your 'god'. Are they all immoral? Are they all unethical? Have you ever traveled outside the confines of your community. Your state? Have you ever traveled in a country where a majority of the people are athiest (like Sweden 85% atheist) If you did, were the people of Sweden immoral and unethical? Get some perspective, please.

Answer 20

Wow, your stupidity astounds me.

The point of ethics and morality are to make sure that you are being kind and considerate to the other, you know, 6.4 billion people that live on Earth. They're not just some rules that God tells you to follow or he'll send you to h**l. You don't have to belong to a religion to have ethics or morals; you should have developed a conscience as a child with the help of your parents and your community.

If you honestly think that fear of God is the only reason to be morally and ethically sound, then I feel bad for you, because you are a truly hollow person.

Answer 21

Why are so many believers so utterly self-centered?

They can't even comprehend the idea of caring enough about one's fellow humans to recognize their right to their own property, health and happiness.  No, it's all about whether or not Big Daddy in the Sky will punish you.

You're basically telling us that you have no morals and no conscience, all you have is fear of punishment.  Fortunately, atheists aren't like that.

EDIT:  If you were preventing from living my life to the fullest, I most certainly would NOT "eliminate" you.  I'm not a murderer, and you have as much right to live as I do.

You need to stop believing all the lies your church is feeding you regarding atheism.  There is no such atheists' code and atheists are not totally self-serving.  And no, we're not "admitting that there is a higher power."  We're simply telling you that your ignorant prejudices aren't true.

Answer 22

wow what a question just because we dont listen to a outdated book we still have it  its because i want to live in a society that benefits us all insteead of listenin to people pray and c**p

Answer 23

Atheists tend to do the right thing merely because it is the right thing without selfishly thinking "what's in it for me".

Glad I could clear that up for you.

*Cheers*

Answer 24

So you are actually admitting that if it wasnt for your god you would be a murdering rapist.  Oh? you are not saying that. Good I didnt think you were.

Answer 25

...And religions like Christianity have done wonders for the world?

Crusades and the inquisition and the enslavement of the Africans and the genocidal killing of the Native Americans.

Shall I go on you hypocrite.

Deist

Answer 26

So we can all co-exist peacefully and get through life together.

Answer 27

If you need to believe you're being watched all of the time to have ethics you are morally bankrupt. We are social creatures, it is nearly impossible for us to survive on our own. We have evolved to cooperate for the common goal or our species survival. This is the basis of ethics, not some invisible sky fairy.

Answer 28

to keep society functioning and in order

which them subsequently keeps our species surviving reasonably well

are you telling us you dont know that matt

Answer 29

So you're saying if you didn't believe in god you would go around murdering, raping and stealing? No one else but you would matter?

How moral of you. You must be a psychopath.

Answer 30

If you stop believing in your imaginary friend (hey, it happens), should we then expect to see your picture on the wall at the post office?

Answer 31

umm, not killing each other (this applies to ethics only since the bible prescribes murder in certain circumstances)