Poll: Atheist Morality

[dekkarax]

I'm an apathiest, I find the existence of a God irrelevant. You don't need a god to justify your morals.

I was soo ready to let this one go until you said "atheistic religions!!!" it was probably just a slip of the tongue on your part, but I have to correct you, there is no such thing as an atheistic religion.
.

I would say that Atheism is a faith, however.

 

[Skeleon]

The words latin roots are as follows, "A" = the absence of, and "theism" = religion, thus the word means, "The absence of religion."

Sorry, but you're wrong on that.
Atheism means "absence of belief in gods". Buddhism is by many considered an atheistic religion. As well as some pantheistic religions. Ancestor- and spirit-cults. Religions based on fate/destiny. There are/were several religions/cults/beliefs without gods.

As for your second point: Yeah, that's what I meant with we're going nowhere. I could simply repeat stating that I think the root is in ancient Greece and then the circle would repeat once more.

Third point: Well, secular just means "worldly". As long as there have been religions (the very dawn of mankind), there has always been a secular view as well.

 

[DeathsAmbassador]

Morality and religion are two completely different things in my mind. Just because someone doesn't believe in god doesn't mean that they don't have a problem killing people.

 

[Shynobee]

I'm an apathiest, I find the existence of a God irrelevant. You don't need a god to justify your morals.

I was soo ready to let this one go until you said "atheistic religions!!!" it was probably just a slip of the tongue on your part, but I have to correct you, there is no such thing as an atheistic religion.
.

I would say that Atheism is a faith, however.

Firstly, I've always found apatheism a difficult thing to grasp. Especially because religion involves some of the most important aspects of your life, ie, what happens to you after you die. But then again, its your life, not mine, so believe what you will.

As for atheism being a faith, that just cannot be true, atheism by definition is a lack of religion, thus it cannot be one.

 

[Shynobee]

The words latin roots are as follows, "A" = the absence of, and "theism" = religion, thus the word means, "The absence of religion."

Sorry, but you're wrong on that.
Atheism means "absence of belief in gods". Buddhism is by many considered an atheistic religion. As well as some pantheistic religions. Ancestor- and spirit-cults. Religions based on fate/destiny. There are/were several religions/cults/beliefs without gods.

As for your second point: Yeah, that's what I meant with we're going nowhere. I could simply repeat stating that I think the root is in ancient Greece and then the circle would repeat once more.

Third point: Well, secular just means "worldly". As long as there have been religions (the very dawn of mankind), there has always been a secular view as well.

No I am not. You are taking the word of "theism," that is, a belief in some sort of god, but not any one in particular, and applying that to atheism. But that is incorrect. I'm not quite sure how I can prove this to you, but you'll just have to take my word I guess, that Atheism is a lack of religion.

As for what you said about secularism, you are also incorrect. Secular doesn't just mean "worldly," it means, "worldly rather than spiritual."

 

[effilctar]

I am atheist and I must say yes and no. Primitive laws like do not kill and such were initially started because of the Ten commandments so a lot of laws we have today WERE influenced by religion but we've gotten to a state where we can feel a sense of morality without the need for God

 

[Skeleon]

*snip*

1.) "Atheism can be either the rejection of theism,[1] or the position that deities do not exist.[2] In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of deities.[3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

2.) I thought it was clear that I refered to the distinction from spiritualism as well since it was in the same paragraph as my sentence about religions. I said that where there were religions, there also was a secular view. Sorry for just implying it.

 

[Deacon Cole]

I would say that Atheism is a faith, however.

That statement assumes there is any credibility to the concept of god.

Back to the OP, many theist tend to cherry pick from their own holy book what inerrant words of god to follow and which to ignore. Few have their children stoned to death for talking back or their daughters stoned for being raped. So even if they claim to use the bible or whatever as the basis for their morality, they don't. They already have their own sense of morality which they follow and just pick bible passage out to confirm their own morals and their faith since they "found" it in their holy book. Anyone who actually takes all of their morality from the bible lacks a moral compass.

 

[James Raynor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn4DT5sHNWs&feature=channel


This basically sums up all you need to know.

 

[effilctar]

Being well-learned I can verify that Skeleon is correct. Atheism is the absence of a belief in God, however there are many non-religious cults and religions. If you're against Religion altogether you are a nihilist. I am atheist but I have an open mind to spiritual beliefs

 

[fluffybunny937]

I don't know who to blame but why doesn't anyone come up with the new moral of not starting religion threads?

 

[Lordpils]

Anyone who doesn't understand that you can be moral without a belief in god or a fear of hell is a sociopath.

Empathy, sympathy and stability of a society are the things that create morality.

 

[Midniqht]

Of course there's morality without god. No one needs a god to tell them that something is right or wrong. Guilt and morality are natural human occurances. The number 1 thing I hate is when someone religious tries to tell me that just because I don't believe in their god, I'm "immoral".

 

[Darkrain11]

Right and wrong still exist without there being some all powerful god behind them. It is society and the individual that usually dictate what their morals are.

 

[civver]

Of course it does. Unless you think all atheists partake in immoral acts.

 

[quiet_samurai]

It's all on the individual.

Throughout history, how many religios assholes have there been?

 

[Gerazzi]

I do what I think is good.

And I'm an Atheist.
Take that, random people who said no.

 

[dekkarax]

I'm an apathiest, I find the existence of a God irrelevant. You don't need a god to justify your morals.

I was soo ready to let this one go until you said "atheistic religions!!!" it was probably just a slip of the tongue on your part, but I have to correct you, there is no such thing as an atheistic religion.
.

I would say that Atheism is a faith, however.

Firstly, I've always found apatheism a difficult thing to grasp. Especially because religion involves some of the most important aspects of your life, ie, what happens to you after you die. But then again, its your life, not mine, so believe what you will.

As for atheism being a faith, that just cannot be true, atheism by definition is a lack of religion, thus it cannot be one.

I would say that Atheism is faith in the non-existence of a God(s). But that may be getting a little philosophical
As for Apatheism, it would not matter if I believed in a deity or not, I would still act the same, essentially, I don't care if there is a god or not, it wouldn't really matter to me.

 

[DN83]

Humans define morals by consciences given to us by God. Even if you don't believe in God though, you can still uphold basic morals, unless of course, you're a nihilistic existentialist.

 

[Worgen]

if anything religion retards morals by expressly exempting thoes that dont share the religious beleafs as lessers