Moral atheists

[ribozyme]

Is it possible for an atheist to be moral. I think that atheists can be moral. A great example is Peter Singer. He gives 20% of his money to Oxfam and Unicef. He also wants to reduce human suffering. Therefore, Peter Singer is an example of a moral atheist.

 

[deb1]

I do think that atheists can be moral. But I don’t think that Peter Singer is a good example of a moral atheists.

Considering Singer’s views on bestiality, and infant murder, why do atheists keep using him as an example of a moral person?

 

[jprioli]

Is it possible for an atheist to be moral.

I would rephrase the question: Can an atheist act morally?

The answer to that, of course, is yes. The fundamental moral law, ie, the “natural law” is written on our hearts.

Pax,
Joe

 

[ribozyme]

I do think that atheists can be moral. But I don’t think that Peter Singer is a good example of a moral atheists.

Considering Singer’s views on bestiality, and infant murder, why do atheists keep using him as an example of a moral person?

But if we look at this from a preference utilitarian perspective, Peter Singer would be precieved as a moral atheist.

 

[deb1]

But if we look at this from a preference utilitarian perspective, Peter Singer would be precieved as a moral atheist.

Please explain what a preference utilitarian perspective is. I honestly don’t know.

 

[Pug]

Is it possible for an atheist to be moral.

Yes, an atheist can do moral things, conform to a set of standards, be chaste, serve others, whatever you probably mean by the word “moral”. I suggest that you don’t use Peter Singer as your example when talking with Catholics. He is offensive to many Catholics.

 

[havemercy]

It is possible for anyone to be moral, but not without God.

This is a great write-up:
The Indispensability of Theological Meta-Ethical Foundations for Morality, by William Lane Craig.

Theism and naturalism are contrasted with respect to furnishing an adequate foundation for the moral life. It is shown that on a theistic worldview an adequate foundation exists for the affirmation of objective moral values, moral duties, and moral accountability. By contrast, naturalism fails in all three respects. Insofar as we believe that moral values and duties do exist, we therefore have good grounds for believing that God exists. Moreover, a practical argument for believing in God is offered on the basis of moral accountability.

 

[Liberian]

Ribozyme,

I agree with Deb1. It is possible for atheists to act morally, but Peter Singer is not a good example. I agree that donating so much of his income to hunger relief is laudable, but the man’s thinking as a whole is not a good example of moral correctness. He is trying to undo two thousand years of development in moral thought.

• Liberian

 

[Gilbert_Keith]

It is possible for atheists to act morally. In most cases, their morality has been conditioned by Christian (or other religious) upbringing since many atheists only became atheists **after **they had received Christian moral teachings.

Then again, as someone has already pointed out, the natural law kicks in. The desire to do good and avoid evil is in all of us. The question is whether that law is sufficient or insufficient for us to be the best that we can be.

Christians do not think so. They have 3 great reasons not to think so in the 20th century alone …Hitler, Stalin, and Mao … atheists par excellence who organized human slaughter on a scale unmatched historically by any so-called body of religious men.

 

[francisca]

It is possible for an atheist to be a moral man, according to society’s standard and according to his own (which may or may not be a good standard of morality according to christian teaching).

 

[stillwater]

Christians do not think so. They have 3 great reasons not to think so in the 20th century alone …Hitler, Stalin, and Mao … atheists par excellence who organized human slaughter on a scale unmatched historically by any so-called body of religious men.

but didn’t God committed genocide as well?

 

[Atreyu]

Is it possible for an atheist to be moral. I think that atheists can be moral. A great example is Peter Singer. He gives 20% of his money to Oxfam and Unicef. He also wants to reduce human suffering. Therefore, Peter Singer is an example of a moral atheist.

The fact that there aren’t more atheists jumping up and down about the hypocrisy of allowing abortions is a sign to me that atheism fails as a moral system. There really is no difference between abortion and infanticide, and this conclusion can be reached by reason alone. If you disagree with this, please start a thread and we can have a debate.

But my point in this post is to say that atheism (well, maybe I should call it secularism or humanism, I’m not really sure) fails as a whole to recognise the injustice of abortion, therefore it fails as a moral entity.

By the way, the Barcelona Football Club has for the first time ever donated their shirt-sponsor space to UNICEF. Therefore, Barcelona FC is a moral football team. Go Barça!

 

[Atreyu]

but didn’t God committed genocide as well?

Is Capital Punishment not warranted (or at least, allowed), in some cases? In the case of God: as He gives life, is He not therefore allowed to take it?

The Capital Punishment (as well as sickness etc) in the Old Testament demonstrates to us the spiritual punishment that results from sin.

Personally, I am against Capital Punishment of any kind in today’s day and age, as it is not needed any more. But this is off-topic…

 

[ribozyme]

The fact that there aren’t more atheists jumping up and down about the hypocrisy of allowing abortions is a sign to me that atheism fails as a moral system. There really is no difference between abortion and infanticide, and this conclusion can be reached by reason alone. If you disagree with this, please start a thread and we can have a debate.

But my point in this post is to say that atheism (well, maybe I should call it secularism or humanism, I’m not really sure) fails as a whole to recognise the injustice of abortion, therefore it fails as a moral entity.

By the way, the Barcelona Football Club has for the first time ever donated their shirt-sponsor space to UNICEF. Therefore, Barcelona FC is a moral football team. Go Barça!

Actually, I think Peter Singer actually agrees that abortion and infanticide are essentially the say. He justifies abortion by saying the infant does not feel pain and no suffering is inflicted.

 

[Atreyu]

Actually, I think Peter Singer actually agrees that abortion and infanticide are essentially the say. He justifies abortion by saying the infant does not feel pain and no suffering is inflicted.

Ah, so that’s Peter Singer who says that. Yes I’ve heard of that before. At least he recognises the truth that abortion and infanticide are the same thing. Now if we can establish that infanticide is murder, ipso facto that means that abortion is murder! Establishing the fact that infanticide is murder is easy, don’t you agree?

 

[stillwater]

Is Capital Punishment not warranted (or at least, allowed), in some cases? In the case of God: as He gives life, is He not therefore allowed to take it?

oh like He is also allowed to test someone’s faith to win a bet with the devil…like Job’s. poor guy.

but to answer the topic, i guess anyone can do good if he chooses to do good, regardless of his belief. people who do good out of fear of bein condemned to hell, isn’t genuine goodness. it’s hypocrisy.

 

[deb1]

Actually, I think Peter Singer actually agrees that abortion and infanticide are essentially the say. He justifies abortion by saying the infant does not feel pain and no suffering is inflicted.

I have to give Siner credit for honesty and for following his beliefs to their logical conclusion.

Yes, if you abort a baby that is murder as is infanticide. Yet, Singer believes that a child should be killed for a certain number of months after birth.

 

[deb1]

oh like He is also allowed to test someone’s faith to win a bet with the devil…like Job’s. poor guy.

.

What are you talking about? Peter Singer believes that babies should be allowed to be killed after birth. How is that testing someone’s faith? That is what the man actually believes.

The original question was, can atheists be moral. I answered yes and still believe so, but come on, surely most atheists do not find Singer to be admirable.

equip.org/free/DD801.htm This is an article on Singer’s belief in infanticide.

In 1979 he wrote, “Human babies are not born self-aware, or capable of grasping that they exist over time. They are not persons”; therefore, “the life of a newborn is of less value than the life of a pig, a dog, or a chimpanzee.”1

 

[stillwater]

What are you talking about? Peter Singer believes that babies should be allowed to be killed after birth. How is that testing someone’s faith. That is what the man actually believes.

The original question was, can atheists be moral. I answered yes and still believe so, but come on, surely most atheists do not find Singer to be admirable.

duh, i was not talkin bout peter singer

 

[jbuck919]

I am not going to make any friends here with my honest opinion on this, but though this is an ancient questions, it is perfectly possible for an atheist to be a highly moral person, and there are many, many examples of such. You could start with some of the very greatest scientiests. There are many lesser examples, it’s just that they don’t have any claim to fame but are very ordinary people.

I have to think that this is a case of a potential parable by Jesus himself. He thought the good Samaritain af hero, and the adulteress someone who should only be stoned by someone who was himself without sin, it being the case that no such person could be found. Atheism was an alien concept in his time, except in the sense that it was a carry-over from a branch of Hellenistic philiosophy, which I have to guess he knew something about. But if he had been given a choice between Herod (pick which one) who dissembled belief, and the smart neighbor who stated in all honesty that he could not see how there was a God but was a Mensch in everything he did, I don’t see how there could be a choice.

In my father’s house, there are many mansions, and by your fruits shall you know them.