• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Objective Morals Debate (Atheists only)

9Westy9

Sceptic, Libertarian, Egalitarian
Premium Member
Do you believe in absolute good/evil? Do you believe in absolute morals?

Yes, but I don't believe that we can be held accountable for them.

How can you believe in absolute morals or something that is good or evil to everyone if you don't believe in an objective meaning to life?

duo theistic god theory. One absolute evil and one absolute good.

Do you believe in an absolute meaning of life?

Nope
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Yes, but I don't believe that we can be held accountable for them.



duo theistic god theory. One absolute evil and one absolute good.



Nope

Why do you have absolute morals? What are they trying to achieve? Why do we have to achieve that if it is not an absolute goal (meaning) of life? If we don't have to achieve that goal, why do we have to follow those morals? If we don't have to follow those morals, why are they absolute?
 

jarofthoughts

Empirical Curmudgeon
Do you believe in absolute good/evil?

No.

Do you believe in absolute morals?

No.

How can you believe in absolute morals or something that is good or evil to everyone if you don't believe in an objective meaning to life?

I don't.

Do you believe in an absolute meaning of life?

No.

How can you believe in an absolute meaning to life if you don't believe in a God?

I don't.

What I mean by absolute is that it applies to everything living.

:monkey:
 

waitasec

Veteran Member
Why wouldn't he? Thinking everything is good does not mean someone can't kill.

gotcha.

from what i got out of swampy was judge others favorably, like you would judge yourself.


but you're right if everyone thought everything was permissible then no one would think twice about acting out on ones initial response...like animals do.
 

9Westy9

Sceptic, Libertarian, Egalitarian
Premium Member
Why do you have absolute morals?

They're inbuilt. Everyone fells that they should be treated well and that is the basis for absolute morality. Good being how you'd like to be treated and evil the opposite

What are they trying to achieve?

The general happiness of mankind

Why do we have to achieve that if it is not an absolute goal (meaning) of life?

it's the way all people deserve to be treated (equal rights). So why don't we all act on it is a better question.

If we don't have to achieve that goal, why do we have to follow those morals?

Because everyone deserves to be treated in a certain way.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
They're inbuilt. Everyone fells that they should be treated well and that is the basis for absolute morality. Good being how you'd like to be treated and evil the opposite



The general happiness of mankind



it's the way all people deserve to be treated (equal rights). So why don't we all act on it is a better question.



Because everyone deserves to be treated in a certain way.

And why should we give people what they deserve?
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
It's the way everyone feels they should be treated. Denying people that is denying them equal rights/ being rude. Depending on how severe the 'crime'

Why follow the way everyone feels they should be treated? Why is it bad to be rude and deny equal rights?
 

Falvlun

Earthbending Lemur
Premium Member
Do you believe in absolute good/evil? Do you believe in absolute morals?
Penumbra and Peng both gave much more sophisticated answers than I could, but they sound about right.

My gut instinct tells me that there are absolute (for humans) moral rules. Things like rape and murder and slavery are always wrong. Things like treating others kindly, helping others when you can, is always right. But due to differing definitions and cultural biases, it's hard to determine exactly what constitutes murder, etc.

In other words, yes, I think there is probably a correct way for humans to act, but that we don't exactly have the ability to know what it is all the time, and so it's best to understand that there's gonna be wiggle room in real life.

Sum of Awe said:
How can you believe in absolute morals or something that is good or evil to everyone if you don't believe in an objective meaning to life?

Do you believe in an absolute meaning of life?
No, but that doesn't mean I think life is meaningless. Just everyone defines what is meaningful for them. My meaning to life is to be happy, to help other people be happy, and to leave the world a better place. That is what I strive for in my life. I don't think I need god to exist in order to have that meaning.
 
Last edited:

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Painted Wolf and Peng both gave much more sophisticated answers than I could, but they sound about right.

My gut instinct tells me that there are absolute (for humans) moral rules. Things like rape and murder and slavery are always wrong. Things like treating others kindly, helping others when you can, is always right. But due to differing definitions and cultural biases, it's hard to determine exactly what constitutes murder, etc.

In other words, yes, I think there is probably a correct way for humans to act, but that we don't exactly have the ability to know what it is all the time, and so it's best to understand that there's gonna be wiggle room in real life.

How can you believe in absolute morals or something that is good or evil to everyone if you don't believe in an objective meaning to life?


No, but that doesn't mean I think life is meaningless. Just everyone defines what is meaningful for them. My meaning to life is to be happy, to help other people be happy, and to leave the world a better place. That is what I strive for in my life. I don't think I need god to exist in order to have that meaning.

But why is rape and murder any worse than Gandhi?
 

Falvlun

Earthbending Lemur
Premium Member
But why is rape and murder any worse than Gandhi?
Morality is about our responsibility to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Our responsibility to others is to not cause them unreasonable harm or suffering. That's why.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Morality is about our responsibility to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Our responsibility to others is to not cause them unreasonable harm or suffering. That's why.

Why is causing unreasonable harm or suffering bad?
 

Falvlun

Earthbending Lemur
Premium Member
Why is causing unreasonable harm or suffering bad?
That's where the "absolute" part comes in, I suppose. It just is.

I think that sentiment is present in at least most people, and particularly regarding the people they consider to be a part of their community, tribe, culture, etc. So I suppose you could make an evolutionary argument that being nice to people helps you in the long run because people therefore are more likely to be nice to you.

In other words, we don't want to be raped or murdered or forced into slavery, so not doing those things ourselves, and supporting their disapproval among our fellow man, helps make it less likely that those things will happen to us.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
That's where the "absolute" part comes in, I suppose. It just is.

I think that sentiment is present in at least most people, and particularly regarding the people they consider to be a part of their community, tribe, culture, etc. So I suppose you could make an evolutionary argument that being nice to people helps you in the long run because people therefore are more likely to be nice to you.

In other words, we don't want to be raped or murdered or forced into slavery, so not doing those things ourselves, and supporting their disapproval among our fellow man, helps make it less likely that those things will happen to us.

Why try to avoid it happening to us? Why is rape or murder to us bad?
 
Top