morality?

to all you atheists, why do you have morals?

i could elaborate on thaat question, but it is the purest form of the question so i shall leave it as it as.

that's the only thing that seems bad about atheism, there is no reason for people to not go ape shit and torture people. but then again, if religion is the only thing keeping people from doing that, then religion is restricing them for being themselves in the first place.

so very confusing, and it is so late.

I'm an agnostic but I'll answer anyway. I don't live morally because I am afraid of god's punishment. I would be unhappy being an asshole.

Because I know from personal experience that some things are unpleasant and people would like it if you would not do them. Happiness is a self-evident "good".

quote:Originally posted by Twisted_Ferret:

Because I know from personal experience that some things are unpleasant and people would like it if you would not do them. Happiness is a self-evident "good".

God doesn't ask you to be good for God's benefit but for your own benefit and the benefit of society. In other words, be good for yourself, not for any other reason than it being more beneficial and positive than hurting yourself or others. Then to top it off if you believe in all that paradise and God stuff you get presents for being good and retribution for being naughty.

quote:Originally posted by vehicular mansLAUGHTER:

if religion is the only thing keeping people from doing that, then religion is restricing them for being themselves in the first place.

Wondering

do you see this as a good or bad thing, and please explain your answer (doesn't have to be a long explanation, just like two or three paragraphs, I mean, sentences).

I think you can be moral without being religious - I’m an atheist and I follow a system of morals - because morals aren’t meant to help others, they’re meant to help you really. You’re nice to a person not out of the goodness of your heart, but because they’ll do favours in return or the general good buzz you get from feeling like a good person for helping another; it’s kind of like you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

All morals and values of good and evil are subjective. I don't believe there are any objective morals.

[This message has been edited by Overman (edited 07-23-2006).]

[---Beany---]

Doing things that you believe to be out of love will bring more of what you consider to be love into your life.

Doing things that you believe are bad will bring more of what you consider to be bad into your life.

quote:Originally posted by vehicular mansLAUGHTER:

to all you atheists, why do you have morals?

i could elaborate on thaat question, but it is the purest form of the question so i shall leave it as it as.

that's the only thing that seems bad about atheism, there is no reason for people to not go ape shit and torture people. but then again, if religion is the only thing keeping people from doing that, then religion is restricing them for being themselves in the first place.

so very confusing, and it is so late.

Ethics are important in general for our own survival and because to attain a certain goal such as happiness. Thats why we have standards. What stops most atheists from "ape shit and tortuing people" is reason and mental well-being. Why would people with mental health be sadistic enough to do that? Ironically Christianity is famous for that The Inquisition, the Jonestown Massacre. Religion by saying "Do this" and to say "Why" is asking for hell actually is more horrendous than atheism's stance.



[This message has been edited by hespeaks (edited 07-23-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Merlinman2005:

Wondering

do you see this as a good or bad thing, and please explain your answer (doesn't have to be a long explanation, just like two or three paragraphs, I mean, sentences).

i would say it is bad. people should be who they are meant to be. and i had a typo in my first post, it should have read "form being themselves" instead of "for being themselves."