Minimum Conception Of Morality In Religion
Morality in no way depends on religion as an entity in and of itself.
That being said, religions can have a very influential factor in the creation and passing of morality to the next generation; but this is simply because a religion is simply a social grouping. Any social group, ranging from families to secular communities to workplaces can and do have influence on morality.
So, in a way, morality does depend on religion, but only the religion as a social group; the religion as a belief in a God doesn't make someone moral.
I would argue the opposite, a sense of morality must exist for a religion to function. Judaism was founded on the Ten Commandments. Presuming they were man-made (I would say very likely), then humans had a sense of …show more content…
As the name suggests , the minimum conception is a core that every moral theory should accept, at least as a starting point." --James Rachels
Atheism and the Golden Rule
Atheism, however, is identified with evil and moral anarchy, and some atheists indeed are less than virtuous -- just like some religious people. As a group, disbelievers surely are no better than believers, but are they worse?
It is difficult to mount an affirmative defense of atheism without sounding as self-righteous as religious zealots quoting scripture. But you can, at least, acknowledge what atheism is not: It is not inherently nihilistic, as many believe; it does not deprive you of moral standards or instincts.
Except for the sadomasochistic among us, childhood lessons in the Golden Rule may serve as well as fables about God handing Moses a tablet of commandments in establishing acceptable behavior. (In fact, sadomasochists are apt to feel more at home with religion given its occasional habits of authoritarianism and self-flagellation.) Nor does atheism encourage hedonism. The conviction that there is no cosmic justice can fuel a commitment to the cause of earthly justice. Atheism denies you the luxury of believing that the wrongs of this world
That being said, religions can have a very influential factor in the creation and passing of morality to the next generation; but this is simply because a religion is simply a social grouping. Any social group, ranging from families to secular communities to workplaces can and do have influence on morality.
So, in a way, morality does depend on religion, but only the religion as a social group; the religion as a belief in a God doesn't make someone moral.
I would argue the opposite, a sense of morality must exist for a religion to function. Judaism was founded on the Ten Commandments. Presuming they were man-made (I would say very likely), then humans had a sense of …show more content…
As the name suggests , the minimum conception is a core that every moral theory should accept, at least as a starting point." --James Rachels
Atheism and the Golden Rule
Atheism, however, is identified with evil and moral anarchy, and some atheists indeed are less than virtuous -- just like some religious people. As a group, disbelievers surely are no better than believers, but are they worse?
It is difficult to mount an affirmative defense of atheism without sounding as self-righteous as religious zealots quoting scripture. But you can, at least, acknowledge what atheism is not: It is not inherently nihilistic, as many believe; it does not deprive you of moral standards or instincts.
Except for the sadomasochistic among us, childhood lessons in the Golden Rule may serve as well as fables about God handing Moses a tablet of commandments in establishing acceptable behavior. (In fact, sadomasochists are apt to feel more at home with religion given its occasional habits of authoritarianism and self-flagellation.) Nor does atheism encourage hedonism. The conviction that there is no cosmic justice can fuel a commitment to the cause of earthly justice. Atheism denies you the luxury of believing that the wrongs of this world