Atheists and believers surprisingly share moral values, except for these 2 key differences

[robocop (actually)]

Atheists, it turns out, are a rather morally driven bunch. This is news to many, including Tomas Ståhl, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who this week published a fascinating study in Plos One comparing the deepest beliefs of theists and atheists.

By analyzing the beliefs of nearly 5,000 people in the United States and Sweden, he found that atheists and theists share a number of moral values: Both groups fervently believe in fairness, liberty (including freedom of belief), and the importance of protecting the vulnerable, and both groups hold surprisingly strong bents toward rationality and evidence-based knowledge.

Where they differ is revealing:

• Theists are likely to support morals such as reverence for authority, loyalty, and sanctity, which all fuel group cohesion (versus individuality).
• Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality of the action that caused it (for instance, the common atheist bent that sex acts are fine as long as they’re consensual and no one gets hurt).
  
  Atheists and believers surprisingly share moral values, except for these 2 key differences

 

[Altfish]

Atheists, it turns out, are a rather morally driven bunch. This is news to many, including Tomas Ståhl, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who this week published a fascinating study in Plos One comparing the deepest beliefs of theists and atheists.

By analyzing the beliefs of nearly 5,000 people in the United States and Sweden, he found that atheists and theists share a number of moral values: Both groups fervently believe in fairness, liberty (including freedom of belief), and the importance of protecting the vulnerable, and both groups hold surprisingly strong bents toward rationality and evidence-based knowledge.

Where they differ is revealing:

• Theists are likely to support morals such as reverence for authority, loyalty, and sanctity, which all fuel group cohesion (versus individuality).
• Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality of the action that caused it (for instance, the common atheist bent that sex acts are fine as long as they’re consensual and no one gets hurt).
  
  Atheists and believers surprisingly share moral values, except for these 2 key differences

Indeed, I always thought so.

 

[samtonga43]

I don't find this surprising at all.

 

[ChristineM]

Nothing new here

 

[Subduction Zone]

Nothing new here

Au contraire. I was shocked, shocked I say to find that theists could be moral

 

[ChristineM]

Au contraire. I was shocked, shocked I say to find that theists could be moral

In their way they can, not what i consider moral but none the less they have am image to portray

 

[Left Coast]

Atheists, it turns out, are a rather morally driven bunch. This is news to many, including Tomas Ståhl, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who this week published a fascinating study in Plos One comparing the deepest beliefs of theists and atheists.

By analyzing the beliefs of nearly 5,000 people in the United States and Sweden, he found that atheists and theists share a number of moral values: Both groups fervently believe in fairness, liberty (including freedom of belief), and the importance of protecting the vulnerable, and both groups hold surprisingly strong bents toward rationality and evidence-based knowledge.

Where they differ is revealing:

• Theists are likely to support morals such as reverence for authority, loyalty, and sanctity, which all fuel group cohesion (versus individuality).
• Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality of the action that caused it (for instance, the common atheist bent that sex acts are fine as long as they’re consensual and no one gets hurt).
  
  Atheists and believers surprisingly share moral values, except for these 2 key differences

Makes sense to me. The notion that without theism people become amoral selfish hedonists is just a silly caricature.

 

[Heyo]

Atheists, it turns out, are a rather morally driven bunch. This is news to many, including Tomas Ståhl, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who this week published a fascinating study in Plos One comparing the deepest beliefs of theists and atheists.

By analyzing the beliefs of nearly 5,000 people in the United States and Sweden, he found that atheists and theists share a number of moral values: Both groups fervently believe in fairness, liberty (including freedom of belief), and the importance of protecting the vulnerable, and both groups hold surprisingly strong bents toward rationality and evidence-based knowledge.

Where they differ is revealing:

• Theists are likely to support morals such as reverence for authority, loyalty, and sanctity, which all fuel group cohesion (versus individuality).
• Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality of the action that caused it (for instance, the common atheist bent that sex acts are fine as long as they’re consensual and no one gets hurt).
  
  Atheists and believers surprisingly share moral values, except for these 2 key differences

While that isn't very surprising, it is good to have a study to support my personal experience.

 

[ChristineM]

While that isn't very surprising, it is good to have a study to support my personal experience.

I will be using it myself next time i am told 'you are atheist therefore you have no morals"

 

[PureX]

Interesting that none of the atheists here cared to comment on their apparently amoral belief that 'the end justifies or condemns the means'.

"Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality (intent) of the action that caused it."

 

[Mock Turtle]

Is reverence for authority a moral value? Seems to me that even if respect is expected - where authority is legitimate - any reverence is likely to me detrimental - where such (the authority) can sometimes be abused.

 

[ChristineM]

Interesting that none of the atheists here cared to comment on their apparently amoral belief that 'the end justifies or condemns the means'.

"Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality (intent) of the action that caused it."

Yes, if thumping someone in the face (figuratively) will cause a war, then don't do it. Its interesting that theists don't recognize that.

 

[Augustus]

New Is reverence for authority a moral value?

Whether you personally agree with it is subjective, but if you compiled a list of the most common human values across cultures and time, then respect for authority would certainly be one of the most common ethical principles.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Yes, if thumping someone in the face (figuratively) will cause a war, then don't do it. Its interesting that theists don't recognize that.

If theists want "group cohesion" they probably don't want war.

 

[Left Coast]

Interesting that none of the atheists here cared to comment on their apparently amoral belief that 'the end justifies or condemns the means'.

"Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality (intent) of the action that caused it."

Since when is consequentialism amoral? Whether ends justify means depends on the ends and means in question, from my perspective.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Whether you personally agree with it is subjective, but if you compiled a list of the most common human values across cultures and time, then respect for authority would certainly be one of the most common ethical principles.

My query was the reverence term though. Respect, we can all understand.

 

[ChristineM]

If theists want "group cohesion" they probably don't want war.

Read some history.

Group cohesion does not include that other group who believes differently to our group

 

[robocop (actually)]

Read some history.

Group cohesion does not include that other group who believes differently to our group

Yeah, I don't know. Marx/Stalin and Lenin killed 100 million and Marx was probably Satanic. Hitler was fake Christian. I don't know about nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those were the 3 worst IMO.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Read some history.

Group cohesion does not include that other group who believes differently to our group

Also, the group often wants everyone else to join them, so they don't attack them.

 

[Revoltingest]

Interesting that none of the atheists here cared to comment on their apparently amoral belief that 'the end justifies or condemns the means'.

"Atheists tend to decide whether or not something is moral by the consequences of a behavior, rather than the morality (intent) of the action that caused it."

Why call it "amoral"?