Can atheists actually have morals?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Most of this country, and most of the world, seems to think "no".  I would argue that a vast majority of them naturally line up in the "do unto others as you would have done to yourself" crowd... Which tends to be more straightforward and easy to follow, obviously to different degrees.

[Franzl]

Frequently better morals than the American evangelical crowd.

[dead0man]

yes

[John Dibble]

Of course we can.

[DemPGH]

I always like to say this: if a person's religion keeps them from going around mugging people or raping women, I hope they never have a crisis of faith!

I believe morality at some point is intrinsic, and there are really good evolutionary arguments. Also, intelligent animals like dolphins show altruism broadly, and others show it to their own species.

Secular morality often pushes religion to improve its own moral code, too. A great example is that yesterday I read that two women were beheaded in Saudi Arabia for SORCERY. I guess it's rather common under puritanical Islam. But who jumps on that stuff right away? Amnesty International, of course, which does great work.

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

Of course. (To say that nonreligious people can't have morals or that sincerely religious people's morals aren't or shouldn't be connected to their religion are both, I think, spurious.)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Of course. (To say that nonreligious people can't have morals or that sincerely religious people's morals aren't or shouldn't be connected to their religion are both, I think, spurious.)

Basically, yes. There's literally nothing to discuss here.

[User157088589849]

i find the question utterly offensive.

[Robert California]

i find the question utterly offensive.

Then maybe you should actually read the original post.

[Blue3]

i find the question utterly offensive.

Then maybe you should actually read the original post.

That doesn't make it less offensive.

[DC Al Fine]

It depends what the moral in question is. If it's "thou shalt not kill" then of course atheists can have morals. If it's "love the Lord your God with all your strength" then obviously not.

[DemPGH]

It depends what the moral in question is. If it's "thou shalt not kill" then of course atheists can have morals. If it's "love the Lord your God with all your strength" then obviously not.

That's a pretty good point. From a secular and certainly agnostic point of view, the second one is not even a moral issue at all since what God wants, desires, or requires cannot be ascertained, let alone how God is to be loved.

And if we're to look cross-culturally, what God reportedly wants, desires, or requires changes drastically. In Saudi Arabia, for example, God wants one to be beheaded in public for witchcraft, and they are very eager to do it. In most other places, however, this is not the case. In some places God requires meditation. In other places incantations so that ordinary bread and wine become infused with the body and blood of Jesus Christ. And etc.

[patrick1]

Of course and as stated by others to suggest otherwise is offensive. However, many people, religious or otherwise, are narrow minded bigots. People's certitude of their correctitude can lead to argument over small things like music or fashion or extend to things like religion and politics, when things get bloody serious.

[McGovern]

Yes

[TNF]

Morality and religion are in no way linked.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Morality and religion are in no way linked.

Considering that most religions address the topic of morality, that's an awfully strong statement to make.  Now it could well be that none of the religions you have encountered have exactly the same set of moral axioms that you do, or if one has the same axioms, it might not have the same weighting of those axioms as you would have.

[Insula Dei]

Obvliously not. Whenever I discover I'm in the house of an atheist, I always make sure I have a heavy object within reach and know the fastest way to the nearest exit.

[Franzl]

Obvliously not. Whenever I discover I'm in the house of an atheist, I always make sure I have a heavy object within reach and know the fastest way to the nearest exit.

Better safe than sorry, eh?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Obvliously not. Whenever I discover I'm in the house of an atheist, I always make sure I have a heavy object within reach and know the fastest way to the nearest exit.

Better safe than sorry, eh?

Nah.  Most safes are too heavy to be good weapons if thou shouldst need smitest thine infidel friends.

[DC Al Fine]

Obvliously not. Whenever I discover I'm in the house of an atheist, I always make sure I have a heavy object within reach and know the fastest way to the nearest exit.

Better safe than sorry, eh?

Nah.  Most safes are too heavy to be good weapons if thou shouldst need smitest thine infidel friends.

I prefer a baseball bat personally.

[afleitch]

In a Christian house the threat of giving them the gay is all I need

[John Dibble]

Obvliously not. Whenever I discover I'm in the house of an atheist, I always make sure I have a heavy object within reach and know the fastest way to the nearest exit.

Better safe than sorry, eh?

Nah.  Most safes are too heavy to be good weapons if thou shouldst need smitest thine infidel friends.

I prefer a baseball bat personally.

Your need for physical defense is misplaced. As everyone intelligent knows, we atheists are too insidious to try for a direct assault. It's much more likely that we'll try to drug you. Poison if we particularly don't like you. In fact, if you're in one of our houses you've probably already breathed in quite a bit of mind control gas. Also, we worship Satan, so we've already probably placed a dozen or so hexes on you. As if a mere blunt object would protect you.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I actually only created this thread to see who would say "no".  No one really did, and it turned into a decent discussion.  Good show. 

[Torie]

Ask Grumps. He seems to think these days that I don't have any.

[Knives]

Obvliously not. Whenever I discover I'm in the house of an atheist, I always make sure I have a heavy object within reach and know the fastest way to the nearest exit.

Dude, you're lucky Inks hasn't seen this post yet!