Does morality exist without God?

[LogicDreamer]

True I suppose. I would be more willing to save my own family members than those of another if it came down to it. Though I hope I'm never put into that kind of situation, personally.

Fortunately, because of the development of society, those in a structured and developed group don't have to! Yay!

I meant the concept of social something... what'd you call it? Darwinism? Bluh. Survival of the fittest, let's go with that. The way I'm learning is that it's more a mentality and/or way of being. Though I'd have to read it again to be sure I got that right...

Eh sorry, I'm not being too helpful or clear eheh.

There are hypotheses and theories based on the concept of social Darwinism, but most components of it are undeniably true. Groups evolve and survive, often at the expense of other social groups.

 

[darthcamronius]

Absolutely, yes. The tricky part is that there is no specific set of moral rules. It all depends on your culture and the people around you. There are areas in the world in which it is completely morally acceptable to eat other humans. I assume that idea is wrong to you, and I know it is semi-wrong to me, but it is normal to them. Cannibalism is part of their moral code, just as punishment by imprisonment is of ours. Who's to say they're wrong? No one. I am an atheist, and I have what I believe to be a beautiful set of morals. I wasn't even raised by Christian parents.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Cannibalism is part of their moral code, just as punishment by imprisonment is of ours. Who's to say they're wrong?

Any thinking person who considers facts of human nature.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[darthcamronius]

Any thinking person who considers facts of human nature

natural - occurrs in nature

How does cannibalism not fall under that definition? Yes, cannibals are not common, but neither are atheists, gays, earthquakes, solar flares, etc. Rarity and acceptance have nothing to do with normality or morality.

 

[Eudaimonist]

natural - occurrs in nature

The word "natural" can mean several different things. That's not my intended meaning.

Human nature refers to the way in which human beings function, including the requirements for that function. Human nature includes considerations of personal well-being, sometimes referred to as human flourishing. We can, in principle, judge cannibals on that basis. We aren't stuck in some nihilistic fog.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Dorcas01]

I will classify morality into two:Earthly morality and Heavenly morality.The earthly morality has to do with principles governing our mode of behaviour in the earthly way while heavenly morality also has to do with principles but in the heavenly way.That is simply the difference.If we are to live by earthly morality we will never be able to meet up with God's standard because it is full of imperfection.

 

[darthcamronius]

A lot of cannibalism is based on belief systems which encourage it. Humans will be eaten as sacrifices, as a part of other rituals, or maybe just because Bob died and the tribe was hungry. No matter their reason for doing it, they have a reason. If they truly believe that their god will only let them live if they eat the weakest member of thier cult once every six months, then how is it justified any less than avoiding sin to get into the Kingdom of Heaven? Now, I don't believe either of those things, but if I did, why can't I participate in those rites?

 

[Eudaimonist]

A lot of cannibalism is based on belief systems which encourage it. Humans will be eaten as sacrifices, as a part of other rituals, or maybe just because Bob died and the tribe was hungry. No matter their reason for doing it, they have a reason.

Hitler had reasons for tossing Jews and other people into gas chambers. That doesn't mean that we have to accept his reasons as good ones.

If they truly believe that their god will only let them live if they eat the weakest member of thier cult once every six months, then how is it justified any less than avoiding sin to get into the Kingdom of Heaven?

I'm not saying that it is.

Now, I don't believe either of those things, but if I did, why can't I participate in those rites?

You can... That doesn't mean that it's a good idea.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[darthcamronius]

Hitler had reasons for tossing Jews and other people into gas chambers. That doesn't mean that we have to accept his reasons as good ones.

Of course not, but he was imposing his beliefs on others. In a cannibalistic society, everyone is okay with cannibalism, so no one is technically being harmed.

 

[AGODBELIEVERlove1stfaith2]

As according to the Ethical Spectacle ,

Morality Without God

Saying that without God, not everything is permitted, is not the same as saying that our complex ethical systems are possible without God. Such systems exist. Are they evidence of God? Or did they come about in some other way? Darwin began by viewing God as the first cause, the force that set in motion all that he saw. Later, he came to understand that God was not required as part of the explanation.
Similarly, God is not required to explain moral systems. Yet the compassionate or just treatment of humans by their fellows who don't have to is one of the most compelling arguments ever offered for the existence of a just, compassionate God. To disagree with this, it is necessary to advance some alternative explanations.
The following is a brief survey of some other theories of the origin of morality, followed by one of my own. Just as biological, psychological and sociological influences conspire to influence any other human behavior, the following theories don't seem to be mutually exclusive; they may all hold true simultaneously.
Psychological Explanations. Freud wrote in The Future of an Illusion that religion was nothing more than a self-deception in which man engages to deny his own loneliness and fear. God is nothing morer than a projection of the infant's loved, feared, all-potent father.

 

[AGODBELIEVERlove1stfaith2]

lawlessness is abundant...

.. as in the days of NOAH & in sodom and gomorrah .... so shall it be in the last days...

 

[Belk]

lawlessness is abundant...

.. as in the days of NOAH & in sodom and gomorrah .... so shall it be in the last days...

Doom. Doom! Doom!!

 

[Eudaimonist]

lawlessness is abundant...

.. as in the days of NOAH & in sodom and gomorrah .... so shall it be in the last days...

I hope that street corner works out for you.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[jonpy]

Why must there be one moral code that transcends all others? I think to make such a statement is to misunderstand how complex an issue it is. There are many morals that all agree on, but i wouldnt call it 'one moral code'. To want such a thing, I can only speculate, is to appeal to something firm and solid, excusing us of the obligation to think about it, discuss and reason with it. I think to title it, or to search for 'one moral code' may result in misleading people into thinking everything is that straightforward and there is no need to think independently.

 

[MattiMuck]

Why must there be one moral code that transcends all others?

There are many moral codes that do have some agreeable aspects, but there is also always a contradiction among them. Only one can be right.

 

[Eudaimonist]

There are many moral codes that do have some agreeable aspects, but there is also always a contradiction among them. Only one can be right.

That's not exactly clear to me. Is there only one right way to play chess? There are many wrong ways, but there are several excellent strategies.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[MattiMuck]

That's not exactly clear to me. Is there only one right way to play chess? There are many wrong ways, but there are several excellent strategies.

eudaimonia,

Mark

Salvation is far from a chess game or a game of any sort. The moves you can make in Chess do vary, but they never contradict. Jesus claimed He is the only way to salvation. This is the goal of the Christian and the desired destiny (by God) for everyone. If Jesus is the only way and He is God, then everything he said and believed in must be true. That is the contents of the Bible, which contains a morality with similar aspects of other religions or doctrines, but ultimately meet at a contradiction at some point, and at this point they part ways keeping in mind Jesus' words, that He is the only way. Therefore, the righteousness of Jesus is strived for and revered by Christians via living out the morality taught in the Bible.

 

[Lethe]

Is there only one right way to play chess? There are many wrong ways, but there are several excellent strategies.

Bad example. In game theory, chess is a non-stochastic (no randomness), discrete (countable or finite strategy space), game where the players have perfect information (know all the rules). And therefore it is exactly solvable. It hasn't been solved yet, but it can be said that there exists a winning (or draw) branch of the game tree at move one, given perfect play from your competition. So in a sense, there is a perfect strategy.

In other words, it's like tic-tac-toe.

 

[Lethe]

There are many moral codes that do have some agreeable aspects, but there is also always a contradiction among them. Only one can be right.

Or... they're all varying degrees of wrong.

 

[CabVet]

Take a look at the rankings of most violent countries... Try to memorize the top 10 countries or so... Then compare that to the most religious countries... You will be surprised.