Can you be moral without God?
Hi Thomas White,
I'm not sure if this is a question related to God's existence or to one's actions. So = Yes and no.
One can act "morally" in certain situations without having a saving relationship with Jesus. However, nobody can be moral (or even act morally) unless God exists since He is the one who sets the standards for morality, perfection, holiness, etc.
The question is too hypothetical, because without God, we would not be created in his image, and therefore we would not have the innate awareness of good & evil, that everyone is referring to. Meaning, you wouldn't have even brought up the question in a strictly material universe.Can you be moral without God?
But you can't, for even the concept of principles would not exist in a solely secular universe. No other creature on earth has 'principles', that they live by as a dogmatic rule. This notion is an endowment from God, exclusively to man."mo·ral·i·ty: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior"
Sure, you can be moral without God. You just need to have a system for determining right from wrong. My father was a moral Atheist. I never saw him violate his principles.
Before becoming a Christian, I was an agnostic Catholic and followed my moral principals carefully. I was probably more moral than most Christians on this forum.
Now I am a Christian and my morals come from the Bible. That is standard that I often violate. Fortunately, my righteousness comes from faith in Christ not my morality.
So humans are inherently evil without the influence of God?
Can you be moral without God?
because all sin at its heart is the same - it's rebellion, rejection and contempt for God and His Word, will and design.
John said this about sin.
1Jn 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Please consider the following;Can you be moral without God?
I’m curious as to your thoughts and beliefs as they relate to Christ.If you believe in free will, then God doesn't control any of your decision.
and if someone violated that moral standard they would have no basis to say that they were wrong or that their moral standard is right.Then how do cultures that do not believe in the Christian God set a moral standard?
When the Bible says. “The saints shall judge the world.” That is precisely what that means. They will set the standard of what will and will not be judged as moral.The real question is 'moral by whose standards'.
No, a certain measure of morality can exist even among those who think they do not believe in God, but morality, itself, is a nonsense concept if God does not exist. People can argue right and wrong all day, but if God does not exist then there is no right and wrong, but only convention.So humans are inherently evil without the influence of God?
"mo·ral·i·ty: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior"
Sure, you can be moral without God. You just need to have a system for determining right from wrong. My father was a moral Atheist. I never saw him violate his principles.
Before becoming a Christian, I was an agnostic Catholic and followed my moral principals carefully. I was probably more moral than most Christians on this forum.
Now I am a Christian and my morals come from the Bible. That is standard that I often violate. Fortunately, my righteousness comes from faith in Christ not my morality.
Being moral by one own standard. Cheap."mo·ral·i·ty: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior"
Sure, you can be moral without God. You just need to have a system for determining right from wrong. My father was a moral Atheist. I never saw him violate his principles.
Before becoming a Christian, I was an agnostic Catholic and followed my moral principals carefully. I was probably more moral than most Christians on this forum.
Now I am a Christian and my morals come from the Bible. That is standard that I often violate. Fortunately, my righteousness comes from faith in Christ not my morality.