Difference in moral thought between atheists and believers

[Shadow Wolf]

Who's version of God?

He tells Muslims that He will admit them to heaven in exchange for them fighting, killing, and dying for Him.

If that's morality, they can keep it.

He also says one day Hell will be empty.

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

Does God permit lying to save someone’s life?

I have no idea.

 

[YoursTrue]

I think atheists morality fluctuates due to new ideas and evidence that warrants a change many times. Nothing wrong with morals changing if we are trying to make our morality better.
I don't see this as true since all religious based morality is interpreted from some ideas or books. For instance there are Christians that are pro choice and some are pro life, they both point at the bible as their source. Same for same sex marriage.

That is an interesting point. I haven't read all the posts here, but do you know if anyone has defined what morals are?

 

[Tinkerpeach]

Who knows what sort of "middleman to God" some believer follows, so I would rather trust an atheist like @Clizby Wampuscat to make a moral decision than some arbitrary person who "follows a God". I say that because atheists are using their own moral sense to make moral judgments, not following some ideology that was created by flawed humans for some idealistic agenda.

I would lie to save someones life. It's an easy moral decision.

Good thing all atheists have great morals huh?

 

[Tinkerpeach]

That was my point, if you are correct here then the 9-11 hijackers (who are religious people claiming to follow the moral dictates of their God) were just and correct in their actions.

Do you want to adjust your statement?

Non-bleievers have themselves to account to, not what they learned from social conditioning. Non-believers have to think for themselves and consider what is right. Believers just have to blindly follow orders from their religious hieracrchy. That's how Lutherans and Catholics in 1940's germany committed the holocaust. Do you consider the Holocaust a moral act by Christians? Your previous statemenst say YES.

Yet many of your fellow believers do steal. How did that happen?

Much like the punishment that believers fear if they go against their God.

Why can't you think for yourself? Your morals are whatever your human "middleman to God" says. Non-believers have to use their moral sense and do the right thing.

If that’s what their God instructs them to do, killing innocent people then I’m sure their God would be pleased.

 

[F1fan]

If that’s what their God instructs them to do, killing innocent people then I’m sure their God would be pleased.

So it's good advice not to listen to God (middlemen who claim to speak for absent an God). Notice there aren't any actual Gods saying anything to people.

 

[Tinkerpeach]

So it's good advice not to listen to God (middlemen who claim to speak for absent a God). Notice there aren't any actual Gods saying anything to people.

The Bible is God’s word.

I can’t speak for other religions.

 

[F1fan]

The Bible is God’s word.

That's what people say.

I can’t speak for other religions.

Each have their own authority, so there's no one true God, no absolute morality.

 

[danieldemol]

But that is your choice, there is nothing dictating or guiding you to it. You could just as easily choose to be an evil person and it would be morally correct. Only others opinions of your actions would come into play.

False in my view, my own evolved opinion of my actions comes into play

Without God there is no moral guidance, people can and will simply make it up as they go along.

With God people simply make up Gods to follow the moral guidance of in my view, and even if there's an actual intervening God there that would just mean that the God is just making up morality as it goes along, which is no better than humans doing it unless that God follows the dictates of compassion and reason - which people are *generally* capable of doing without the input of the allegedly intervening God.

 

[Tinkerpeach]

That's what people say.

Each have their own authority, so there's no one true God, no absolute morality.

Ok

 

[Tinkerpeach]

False in my view, my own evolved opinion of my actions comes into play

With God people simply make up Gods to follow the moral guidance of in my view, and even if there's an actual intervening God there that would just mean that the God is just making up morality as it goes along, which is no better than humans doing it unless that God follows the dictates of compassion and reason - which people are *generally* capable of doing without the input of the allegedly intervening God.

Ok

 

[Heyo]

The Bible is God’s word.

And what morals did you extract from it?
And how do you explain that other people extracted other morals?

 

[Tinkerpeach]

And what morals did you extract from it?
And how do you explain that other people extracted other morals?

I’ve no idea about other people as I don’t know them. How would I know what some guy in Iowa is pulling out of the Bible.

 

[stevecanuck]

He also says one day Hell will be empty.

Could you please provide the verse number for that?

 

[Heyo]

How would I know what some guy in Iowa is pulling out of the Bible.

By watching YouTube, reading the news or a history book.
There are people, like Pastor Greg Locke, who want the death penalty for homosexuality, the medieval and Renaissance churches who extracted the morality of crusades and witch burnings from the Bible, the RCC, who in the 21st c still justifies gender discrimination.
I don't think that a book, that is so ambiguous about morality that it can justify the Spanish Inquisition, is useful for teaching morality.

Btw.: you didn't answer the first question.

 

[McBell]

If Lucifer and his army of angels couldn’t take down God I doubt He fears you lol.

Maybe if you watch a Rocky movie first or something you might have a shot.

To bad he is not around in order for us to find out

 

[stevecanuck]

Good thing all atheists have great morals huh?

Strawman number ..... uh, I've lost count.

NOBODY said all atheists have great moral. They've only said they CAN have morals and don't need the threat of punishment from a God-du-jour to do the right thing.

 

[Tinkerpeach]

By watching YouTube, reading the news or a history book.
There are people, like Pastor Greg Locke, who want the death penalty for homosexuality, the medieval and Renaissance churches who extracted the morality of crusades and witch burnings from the Bible, the RCC, who in the 21st c still justifies gender discrimination.
I don't think that a book, that is so ambiguous about morality that it can justify the Spanish Inquisition, is useful for teaching morality.

Btw.: you didn't answer the first question.

Because someone calls themselves a Christian does that make them one or should we decide that based on their actions?

If Hitler said he was a Christian would you blame God for teaching that all Jews should be exterminated or would you say that Hitler probably wasn’t telling the truth?

 

[Heyo]

Because someone calls themselves a Christian does that make them one or should we decide that based on their actions?

If Hitler said he was a Christian would you blame God for teaching that all Jews should be exterminated or would you say that Hitler probably wasn’t telling the truth?

1. We are not talking about people claiming to be Christian (although that also applies), but people claiming to get their morals from the Bible, often citing the verses which sanctify their actions.
2. Godwin's Law - you lose.

 

[Tinkerpeach]

1. We are not talking about people claiming to be Christian (although that also applies), but people claiming to get their morals from the Bible, often citing the verses which sanctify their actions.
2. Godwin's Law - you lose.

So if Hitler said he got his morals from the Bible would you believe him or would you think he might be interpreting the Bible in incorrect ways to justify his moral behavior?

I guess you just believe what everyone tells you huh?