Moral Values of an Atheist (page 3)

beksbks

Well, I'm probably opening myself up for criticism, but here goes. I've always felt that the only thing a human can really do in this life, is take care of the planet to some extent, and be good to other living beings. People in particular. Make the way easier for those we come in contact with every day. What else really matters? Does it mean anything to go door to door and teach other people to fear god, or feel the need to judge their bother? Does bowing down to any god type do anything to help another soul? We are all living this life together, and making it easier for one and all seems the most important and honorable effort we might achieve.

sass_my_frass

My moral anchor is the law. My ethical anchor is hard to define, but I know it when I see it!

inkling

So where do your moral values come from hamilcarr?

ALL of our moral values come from the same place. Ourselves.

Wether we admit it or not, humans wrote the Bible, and the Koran,
and other humans decided to follow them. If humans are capable of writing a moral law code to begin with,
I think we ought to be allowed to revise it in the light of modern
enlightenment, compassion, and tolerance. [inkling]

cognizant dissident

I've always felt that the only thing a human can really do in this life, is take care of the planet to some extent, and be good to other living beings. People in particular. Make the way easier for those we come in contact with every day. What else really matters? Does it mean anything to go door to door and teach other people to fear god, or feel the need to judge their bother? Does bowing down to any god type do anything to help another soul? We are all living this life together, and making it easier for one and all seems the most important and honorable effort we might achieve.

Well said bebshk. This is the very foundation of morality. To "do no harm" to others is admirable, but if we can go further and ease the physical and mental sufferings of others then we have really accomplished something worthwhile.

Cog

Eyes Open

"you do the right thing simply because it is the right thing"
But what if someone else, even another atheist, disagrees with your view of what is 'the right thing'? What would make your view of 'the right thing' better than someone else's view?

Nothing.

Hence, athiests are never restricted to an absolute, fixed set of morals, but can collectively develop (evolve?) the way the human race deals with itself and its environment.

mkr32208

"atheist" values are impossible to quantify. That's one of the reasons that I don't like the term. To borrow from the youtube atheist explained movies, "do we have a word for people who don't believe in astrology or zeus?" All an atheist is saying is "I don't believe in god." that is it. People try to lump all atheist together and say "you atheist believe..." Well ANYTHING after that statement except "in the NON existence of god" is wrong!

You might believe that murder is wrong. I might say 'there's no god so what does it matter if I kill people?'
You might believe that stealing is wrong. I might say 'there's no god so what does it matter if I steal from people?'
You might believe that rape is wrong. I might say 'there's no god so what does it matter if I rape people?'
You might believe that littering is wrong. I might say 'there's no god so what does it matter if I litter?'
You might believe that destroying the environment is wrong. I might say 'there's no god so what does it matter if I drill for oil an Alaskan sanctuary?'
You might believe that taking care of your fellow man is the right thing to do. I might say 'there is no god so why should I care about people?'
You might believe that bombing Iraq is wrong. I might say 'there's no god so what does it matter if we blow those people up en masse and take their oil?'

You see my point? There IS no basic value system across the "atheist" spectrum. I think that's one of the reasons that the powers that be fear us. They want everyone to be in a box. If your in a box they can put you up on the shelf and control you. Dangle this carrot here hit with this whip there but for atheist there is no carrot and whip. What might entice me might not you. What I consider abhorrent you might be fine with. What they can use as a whip on me might turn you on! It's very possible to take all the people who get wet for jebus and say "here is this carrot, here is this whip, now do and think what we want you to do and think!" Same with those that have a woodie for mohamed or those that think a white lotus blossom is god. They SHARE certain (and very important to them as a GROUP) traits.

We don't!

Deputy Dog

hamilcarr

What does it mean to be an atheist?

It means any righteousness ("Moral Values") comes from self. Which would make one self-righteous

Satanus

'Which would make one self-righteous'

Is that bad?

S

hamilcarr

What does it mean to be an atheist?
It means any righteousness ("Moral Values") comes from self. Which would make one self -righteous

I believe this is a common misunderstanding of atheism. Atheism means any righteousness doesn't come from a creator or any group representing this creator (for example by claiming their writings are inspired by God).

This however doesn't necessarily imply that righteousness comes from self.

Righteousness always originates from a community, never from an individual!

Problems arise when you believe your community is directed by higher forces and therefore possesses a higher truth.

Deputy Dog

S

Is that bad?

I would guess not for an atheist.

Moral Values of an Atheist

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