Atheists: can you answer a few questions?

Question

Honest questions here, I'm not being sarcastic/mean

What source of guidance do you use to gouge right from wrong? (I'm not just talking about the law, I'm talking about personal 'right and wrong'

What is your purpose in life?

Do you believe in any sort of spirituality? (believing in a higher power, just not God, or something similar?)

Answer 1

Hi

The guidance I use for right and wrong is: I just behave in a way which causes as little damage as possible to others. And I stay within the laws in my country. Also I try to treat others how I myself would want to be treated.

My purpose in life is to live as good & decent a life I can, to study & to eventually get myself in a position where I can help others.

I do not believe in any kind of higher power at this moment in my life, but I keep an open mind.

Answer 2

I don't need a 'higher power ' to explain the difference between right and wrong, common sense is all that is needed.  But I do appreciate that those not capable of using common sense perhaps needs a higher power to guide them.

My purpose in life is to try and enjoy it.

Why do I need to believe in any form of spirituality, life is great as it is thank you.

Answer 3

I use my brain..

my purpose is to grow up get married have children and us both watch them grow up.. also get a degree for a good paid job :)

I believe in ghosts etc :) x

Answer 4

I have a very strong moral code, and I'm atheist. If you think about it this way, a lot of religious people live a good life because they're scared of the consequences of their bad actions, and also because they believe there is a reward for being good.

I don't believe that there's an afterlife, or a higher being, so my decisions in life aren't based on fear or hope of something else.

I lead a good life because I want to make the world a better place. I believe that all people are basically good, but that some people choose to deter from this.

I like to do nice things for other people because it makes me happy to think that I've made a difference to their life. When someone does something for me, however small, it restores my faith in humanity.

Answer 5

I use the same sort of guidance that most people in secular societies use: most of my sense of right or wrong is based upon my culture's standards; the values with which my family raised me; and those moral choices based upon my critical reasoning as an intelligent adult. What else does a sane, rational adult human being need in the 21st century? Certainly not a fictional cosmic bogeyman, such as a god.

My purpose? My purpose is very much based upon my self-image i.e. who I define myself as. Much of my purpose is based upon being a good husband, father, and grandfather.

Spirituality? I know many atheists who completely reject that term outright. While I am no longer comfortable with the term, I accept that, in its broadest definition to include emotional and/or aesthetic qualities such as awe and/or reverence, spirituality may yet be a valid term even for myself as an atheist. Of what then would my "spirituality" consist? I am in constant awe and amazement at the processes of nature, which do not need either a supernatural entity or even human beings to function. In fact, the processes of nature work quite well up until the moment that human beings interfere with them. We have devastated much of this planet and there is a very high probability that our species will not survive the disruption to our ecosystem that we have caused.

Answer 6

My conscience (i do what i believe to be right) I make my decisions based  on how i feel about the issues. For example I don't believe in abortion, not because God says its wrong but because there are thousands of childless couples who should have a child.

I don't know my purpose, i probably don't have one. It doesn't matter as long as i live a decent life I'm happy. I suppose my purpose is to be happy.

No, i have too many reasons to list so i won't bore you with them. I believe we're just stunted little apes. :)

Answer 7

What source of guidance do you use to gouge right from wrong?

My brain xD

What is your purpose in life? To LIVE it, get married, have children and help people..

Answer 8

Good old common sense. Simple.

Anyone following Christianity, can retrieve

snippets of Right and Wrong, but ultimately

it's just simple Intelligence.

Atheists are probably Intellectuals of sorts and peaceable with it.

Answer 9

Salam sister,

Isn't this the wrong section to be asking Athestis questions. We are Muslims here. Maybe try the r&s. May Allah guide help them to become Muslims one day! I think most atheists just live life day to day with no purpose but pleasure and greed. I am not sure on this, but this is what I see.

Answer 10

I should point out that I am an agnostic rather than an atheist but on a day to day level there is not really a practical difference. Anyway, here goes - hope I don't bore you! :-)

There are various secular moralities which can guide people to idea of right and wrong without reference to a spiritual authority. One is consequentalism which is to judge the rightness of an action upon the consequences it gives (the right action gives the best consequences) but this is open to questions about "Whose consequences?" and moral dilemmas such as "If you were captured by thugs who promised to let you and 10 other people go if you kill one person, would you do it?"

A german philosopher Immanuel Kant (who was a christian) came up with an ingenious idea called the categorical imperative which was meant to define morality in logical terms. Very crudely as an example - Lying is wrong because it cannot be universal, if everyone lied there would be no trust and so the very purpose of lying would be removed (you cannot abuse trust if no-one trusts you).

Your first response was virtually dripping with contempt when he said "They" [atheists] don't believe in right and wrong but I think many atheists would take that as a compliment - and furthermore it doesn't make them morally empty. Take this song lyric:

"Do What you wanna, do what you will,

Just don't mess up your neighbours thrill,

and when you pay the bill, kindly leave a little tip,

to help the next poor sucker on his one way trip."

(Reference below)

This sanctions just about anything as long as it doesn't harm anyone elses good time and it recommends giving back just a bit more than you take from this life.

All moralities have problems - even religously based ones, for religon the major problem for me is faith. Don't get me wrong, I respect anyone who has the strength of will to believe absolutely in something but the bottom line is that no possible proof exists. Who is to say that all religious texts are not simply books of allegorical moral philosophy from an age when the oral tradition meant that stories were the best way to pass things on? Somewhere along the way they got written down and taken literally.

I can't prove that either - which is why I am agnostic and not an atheist, but I do consider myself to have a spiritual aspect, sometimes I seem to see a pattern out of the corner of my brain that makes me think there is a wider reality that I am not seeing, but I do not personify it.

(I'm almost done now!)

Taoism is more of a philosophy than a religon (depending on who you speak to) and the "Tao" is the Way. Put simply - your Way is your easiest path in life. It is the path of least resistance through the fluctualtions of Yin and Yang that comprise existence. This is not a destiny as such - you can exercise free will and go a different way, but the challenges will be greater.

The Yin and the Yang are not gods - they are impersonal forces of nature, and while we are on the subject - isn't the Yin/Yang symbol the most perfect symbol of any spiritual system? It is at once harmonious and dynamic; it speaks of symmetry and yet it does not display it; it shows mathematical precision (in the sinusoidal line that divides it) and aesthetic beauty; and it embodies the duality that is arguably the one constant of existence (life/death, substance/oblivion, belief/disbelief).

There, a pocket tour of secular morality, there is a great deal more out there of course and I am no expert but hope it has been vaguely informative.

Oh... and my purpose in life? Is to express myself as honestly as possible, deceiving myself is the greatest sin I can commit (and yet still I find that it happens all too often)

Thanks for a good question - my browser seems to object to me trying to give "Interesting" stars but I will try!!

Answer 11

Hi there,

What source of guidance do you use to gouge right from wrong?

We have a pretty well designed sense of right from wrong built into us via our genes or instincts believe it or not. Even in peoples who have never known the main religions of the world and are quite isolated set up rules and an ethos to live by.

What is your purpose in life?

To live to see my grandchildren's grandchildren but I have my doubts on living that long -- see it isn't to complicated is it.

Do you believe in any sort of spirituality?

I do not believe in a man who lives in the sky or the one described in popular holy books by a male orientated religion. I do believe in natural justice however so you will reap what you sow (notice the words used and guess my upbringing) in this life and not an after-life.

Answer 12

You don't need religion or spirituality to know what is right and what is wrong. It's just basic common sense.  

Purpose in life is just that.  Life......., you eat, sleep, play, enjoy, work, pay taxes, and then you die.  Purpose in life is what you make out of your life.  

Answer 13

You do not need to believe in a God to understand that stabbing someone in the back is wrong.

Answer 14

we live we die, in between we have no time for the tooth fairy

Answer 15

Well I suppose I just use guidance from my parents, I dont follow any rules from any spiritual beings because I dont believe they exist.

Answer 16

Right and wrong is judged by conscience. Purpose in life is down to the individual, personal achievments etc.

I dont believe in any sort of spiritual stuff.  

Answer 17

right from wrong & respect,  was instilled in me by my parents...and

my purpose in life is to live, love, enjoy my children & love my husband...that's what we all strive for isn't it?  i don't need any god 'thing' in my life!