Can a Person be truly Moral and Ethical Without God?

[Joe Daddy]

Well, can you? Must one actually believe in God to be good?

Is religion required to achieve morality?

Can Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists achieve a loving, moral and ethical life in society today?

[silvergrove]

Yes.

How about all those people who lived before Moses or Jesus came along? In those groups of people, you were bound to have moral and ethical persons (all relative in their time period). Humanity does have a primal and savage nature but it's not enough to wipe us out in prehistoric times.

Even after religious prophets came around, how about the rest of the world? Native North and South Americans have never heard of Jesus till Westerners came to their land. The Asian societies already had an ethical system in place before Christianity arrived. And morality is all perspective. Native Americans may have viewed themselves as ethically and morally superior to the strange "white" men who are here, especially after the invaders were killing their people and taking their lands.

I have ancestors who have never heard of Jesus until the last few generations and even then, I believe that at least most of them are good people. And you have to understand, morality and ethics is a societal based concept.

A society that develops its own ethics for its own environment will thrive and will maintain itself. A nice case study would be the Polynesian societies of Easter Island and Tikopia.

Easter Island had a Polynesian society that refused to change its ethics and eventually succumbed to starvation, warfare, cannibalism, and societal collapse.

Tikopia is another Polynesian society that has survived since they adapted. Pork is one of the most highly valued meats in their culture (much like beef is in ours) but the islanders decided to discard pig raising in lieu of limited resources on their islands. They practice infanticide, expulsion of youths, celibacy, and birth control to maintain their population on an island that is 2 square miles. This may seem horrifying to our Western culture but to them, it's perfectly ethical and moral to sacrifice some members of the population than to have the entire population suffer from famine and overpopulation.

So all in all, yes you can be moral and ethical without having God in your lives. There are those who are immoral with or without God, but to use God as the key factor in deciding if a person is moral is flawed at best.

[skyrick]

Well, can you?

Yes.

Must one actually believe in God to be good?

No.

Is religion required to achieve morality?

No.

Can Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists achieve a loving, moral and ethical life in society today?

Yes.

[Casey]

I'll just second what skyrick so eloquently posted.

[possumfritter]

Whose standard of morals and ethics are you talking about? Without God? Yes.

[PennyQuilts]

The old testament religion imposed a standard of behavior. The early christian faith imposed ramifications for failure. Other religions do the same. Knowing what is right/wrong is an intellectual exercise. Wanting to do right goes more to morality, depending on the motivation. You might want to help out the little old lady down the street so she'll leave you some of her money when she dies. Or you might just want to do the right thing and help her out.

Most religions attempt to inspire good acts/deeds - some with a carrot, some with a stick. However, a parent can teach a child to "share," "be nice," "tell the truth," etc. without ever mentioning god.

Young children begin to develop a conscience in order to please a parent figure. Over time, most internalize it, with or without the help of faith in a particular religion.

Some have postulated that about 10% of the population are sociopaths, although that number is surely apt to increase given the turmoil so many families have experienced in the past two generations that has disrupted children and their caregivers in the relevant age. I used to dread the diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder when I worked as a guardian ad litem because many of those kids are heading down the path to sociopathic thinking - the lack of ability to experience empathy. Many of these kids appeared to have absolutely no conscience or ability to see out of anything but their own needs. Most kids aren't like that. They are goofs while their brains are developing and do things they would be ashamed to do if they were adults. But that is primarily a judgment problem, not simply a lack of ability to empathize or feel guilt.

[Edmond_Outsider]

Yes. Basic conformity to social mores is hard wired into our psyches. We are social animals because it gives us survivablity since we have little besides intellegence and social bonds to protect us from all the creatures who have far greater advantages.

Also, our bonds to each other, give us the instinct to be nice, take care of those in need, all all the other pleasant aspects of human nature.

Our opposing competitive side is about equal and inspires us to do the opposite.

We are complex and contradictory beings.

However, religion or lack of it is not really the cause or effect of moral and ethical behavior. I have hard core atheist friends who are far more moral, ethical, and curse less than I do and I'm not particularly immoral or unethical.

[onthestrip]

Absolutely a person can be moral and ethical without a god. You dont have to be religious to live by the golden rule. You dont have to go to church and pray to think, "why would I do this bad thing to this person when I wouldnt want it done to me."

A person shouldnt have to have the constant reminder of eternal damnation to not do something immoral. Its quite sad that there are those that do.

[mugofbeer]

In a single word, YES.

[JohnDenver]

I just listened to a presentation by Dr. Joshua Greene about Chimps and the morality they live by... Sharing... caring.. Murder.. etc. It boiled down to our "gut" feelings, which we know are right, to being our "inner chimp." They are just rights and wrongs, without the Bible telling us.

Current Research - Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Brain, Mind and Behavior (CSBMB)

More: http://audio.wnyc.org/radiolab/radiolab042806a.mp3

[mugofbeer]

They are just rights and wrongs, without the Bible telling us.

Rights and wrongs are learned thoughts and behaviors. What may be right or wrong to you or I is the total opposite to someone else who has either been taught that way or has nothing to compare it to. How else would women who belong to a certain religion that treats them as nothing more than breeding cattle blow themselves up in a subway killing other women and children in the name of that religion? They know of nothing else and have been taught to believe that sort of thing is right behavior.

[flintysooner]

The question wasn't clear to me.

It seems to me that anyone could devise an ethic.

On the other hand I would find it surprising if anyone could actually achieve any ethic regardless of the author.

[mugofbeer]

The question wasn't clear to me.

It seems to me that anyone could devise an ethic.

On the other hand I would find it surprising if anyone could actually achieve any ethic regardless of the author.

I totally agree with the statement that "anyone could devise an ethic." And I'll throw in MORAL, too. One person's morals are another person's "progressive" ideals and thoughts.

[ronronnie1]

Moral without a god?

YES. Also, belief in god does not automatically equal "moral." Just look at the catholic church.

[JohnDenver]

Science can answer moral quesions.

Sam Harris: Science can answer moral questions | Video on TED.com

[Caboose]

Obviously.

[scootinger]

This question bothers me.

[sam greenroyd]

Just take a look at peoples morals today as compared to 30yrs ago when more people as a whole went to church. ( I rest my case )

[possumfritter]

1970's...really? Back when Billy Graham was preaching? It did seem like more younger folks were going to church, maybe as a result of the "Jesus Movement."

But attending church does not necessarily make one moral and ethical...maybe more religious or spritual?

[ewoodard]

Just take a look at peoples morals today as compared to 30yrs ago when more people as a whole went to church. ( I rest my case )

To me morals and ethics are taught at home. 30 years ago this was the case. Today many parents raised their kids in front of the TV hoping they would get the message. Kids need to SEE the parents being moral nad ethical. How many times have you seen the news where parents are using their kids to help them steal items from stores?

[sam greenroyd]

1970's...really? Back when Billy Graham was preaching? It did seem like more younger folks were going to church, maybe as a result of the "Jesus Movement."

But attending church does not necessarily make one moral and ethical...maybe more religious or spritual?

There's alot of cases where people are not moral, ethical or even religious that go to church. I'm talking about as a whole as a nation.

[sam greenroyd]

To me morals and ethics are taught at home. 30 years ago this was the case. Today many parents raised their kids in front of the TV hoping they would get the message. Kids need to SEE the parents being moral nad ethical. How many times have you seen the news where parents are using their kids to help them steal items from stores?

exactly, that's what i'm talkin about.

[possumfritter]

One thing is for certain...if parents today are relying on the TV to teach their kids ethics and morals, then we are indeed in a heap of trouble. Gone are the days of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It To Beaver, My Three Sons, Little House On The Prairie, etc, etc, etc. Now they watch shows like Two and a Half Men and such.

Yep, we be in a big ole heap of trouble!

[mugofbeer]

Spongebob Squarepants is my son's moral light. (kidding)

What made me post this was that yesterday he was watching his half hour limit and decided to watch Garfield. A commercial came on and it was for the Bravo Network and RuPaul's Project Runway drag queen contest. Now, maybe I'm showing my old-fashioned-ness but I'm sorry, that commercial has no place being on the Cartoon Network at 3:30 in the PM! Adult Swim time, sure, not during after school time.

[PennyQuilts]

I am not a church goer but I think the people who regularly go to church tend to hang out with positive people and that is contagious. Doesn't work with everyone but if you hang out with nice people, I think it is easier to keep your perspective and the eye on the ball when it comes to raising your kids. A lot of parents are overwhelmed and let things slide they should be attending to because they are worn out. Being around positive people is like an emotional vacation and rejuvenation, even if it is only a couple of hours a week.