Does Atheism Lead to Immoral Behavior?

[Polymath257]

what do you think is the most powerful entity on earth; who has the power to cut off your utilities and your supply of essentials that sustain your life?

Saudi Arabia?

 

[Nakosis]

Ever since I've been an atheist I've enjoyed pillaging and raping, I eat babies for breakfast and am off to rob a bank shortly

Other than going to jail, what stops you?

 

[chris baron]

What, if anything, encourages/discourages immoral behavior?
Other than punishment, since some feel there ought to be something other than punishment that drives our moral behavior.

compassion, sympathy and the desire to see others be happy discourages immoral behavior, i think.

 

[Polymath257]

you think he is a superhuman "god"? how do you appease this deity?

No deities. Only humans wanting power.

I see far more immorality in religious societies throughout history than I do in secular ones.

Most, but not all, dictatorial governments rely on religion to support their power. And most theocracies become dictatorial quickly.

 

[Polymath257]

Other than going to jail, what stops you?

Compassion for other people?

 

[Revoltingest]

What, if anything, encourages/discourages immoral behavior?

Generally, it would be....
1) One's having been raised to be moral.
2) One's culture.
3) Laws & enforcement.

Other than punishment, since some feel there ought to be something other than punishment that drives our moral behavior.

See above.

Religions typically have the problem that
one can read scripture, which is vague &
poetic, to infer whatever one wants. And
one may find clerics preaching the same
views.
This makes religion largely independent of
morality, claims otherwise notwithstanding.

 

[Polymath257]

compassion, sympathy and the desire to see others be happy discourages immoral behavior, i think.

And no belief in a deity is required for those. If anything, they are encouraged by a secular belief system and discouraged by religious systems.

 

[Polymath257]

What, if anything, encourages/discourages immoral behavior?
Other than punishment, since some feel there ought to be something other than punishment that drives our moral behavior.

Well, teaching kids compassion and mutual respect goes a long way.

 

[Altfish]

you think he is a superhuman "god"? how do you appease this deity?

Take his money, like Trump and Johnson did.

 

[Nakosis]

No. And I'd pit my personal morality against that of the vast majority of religious folks i know.

Morality is a human (and some animals trait). Without it it humanity would be unable to live in social groups. Civilization could not have begin which in turn developed religion which in turn stole morality for itself, bastardised it and used it against non believers.

So society promotes social/moral behavior for the benefit of society?
And I'd suppose religion was part of that social behavior.

IMO, stories I've read, cartoons/movies I've watched. Parents try to teach moral behavior.
Religion also taught some moral behavior but society has change what was once accepted as moral behavior.

My morals basically run on their own now, but they remain a product of my culture even if religion is no longer a part of it.

 

[Altfish]

Other than going to jail, what stops you?

My conscience, my love of community and fellow humans.
People who ask that question are actually saying, "If it wasn't for my fear of my deity and their promise of an afterlife, I'd be a murderer/rapist/thief."
Atheists don't think that, they are good because it makes life better for all.

 

[Nakosis]

Well, teaching kids compassion and mutual respect goes a long way.

Sure, I am a product of my culture.
Imagine the product of this culture.
Today’s uncritical supporters of “Palestine” should worry that they are lending tacit support to the indoctrination and weaponization of child warriors.
Solidarity with ‘Palestine’ Means Kalashnikovs for Kids | National Review


Not to pick on Palestine but I imagine if I had been indoctrinated into a different culture.
So a battle of cultures were I suppose the best culture wins?

 

[ChristineM]

all you need to do is look at expressly atheist societies and see how degenerate they are. nominally religious societies are also degenerate but that is not because of religion but despite it.

there is no such thing as an atheist, whatever is your priority in life, who are whatever you think is the most powerful entity on earth, whatever you get up in the morning for is your "god", even if it is not much of a god and you have nothing in particular to live for.

I assume you haven't seen the statistics for the bible belt, highest teen pregnancy, highest rate of STDs, highest crime rate... edit : highest abortion rate (though recent laws to remove woman's rights may have altered that statisic)
Compared with the rest of America.

Oh and i am an atheist by definition.

 

[Secret Chief]

Ever since I've been an atheist I've enjoyed pillaging and raping, I eat babies for breakfast and am off to rob a bank shortly

God you live in a rough area.

 

[Nakosis]

My conscience, my love of community and fellow humans.
People who ask that question are actually saying, "If it wasn't for my fear of my deity and their promise of an afterlife, I'd be a murderer/rapist/thief."
Atheists don't think that, they are good because it makes life better for all.

I suspect your conscience was programed in by your culture which you had no choice in.

It all feels right to you and it'd probably be hard to change them to anything other than what they are at this point.

 

[ChristineM]

And I'd suppose religion was part of that social behavior.

Probably not originally, take a look at social animals, no religion, but togetherness and morality

Religion also taught some moral behavior but society has change what was once accepted as moral behavior.

Yes, no religion needed. Yet religion seems to think it is the some arbiter f morality.

My morals basically run on their own now,

Welcome to the world ;-)

 

[We Never Know]

I assume you haven't seen the statistics for the bible belt, highest teen pregnancy, highest rate of STDs, highest crime rate... Compared with the rest f America.

Oh and i am an atheist by definition.

When they determine the teen pregnancy rate, are abortions counted?

 

[ChristineM]

When they determine the teen pregnancy rate, are abortions counted?

My bad, i missed out the highest rate of teen abortion. Ill go back and add it thanks

 

[Revoltingest]

Today’s uncritical supporters of “Palestine” should worry that they are lending tacit support to the indoctrination and weaponization of child warriors.
Solidarity with ‘Palestine’ Means Kalashnikovs for Kids | National Review

Of course, this culture is a product of oppression
by Israel, which has a culture of doing this to them.

 

[F1fan]

all you need to do is look at expressly atheist societies and see how degenerate they are. nominally religious societies are also degenerate but that is not because of religion but despite it.

there is no such thing as an atheist,

Wait, above you said we need to look at atheistic societies, but now you say there are no atheists. Which is it?

whatever is your priority in life, who are whatever you think is the most powerful entity on earth, whatever you get up in the morning for is your "god", even if it is not much of a god and you have nothing in particular to live for.

So everyone lives for some "god", so is that good or bad? You must fall into this same category, and we are all the same, and given you probably don't want to condemn yourself no one is good or bad, right? I am an atheist and equal to you in your religious belief, right?

people undergoing body modification surgeries and then committing suicide is degenerate. canadian medical assistance in suicide (MAID. maids clean up places) is totally insanely degenerate.


In most jurisdictions in the world with legalized euthanasia, doctors are explicitly prohibited, or strongly discouraged from raising assisted dying with a patient.


Canadian doctors encouraged to bring up medically assisted death before their patients do
A guidance document produced by Canada’s providers of medically assisted death states that doctors have a professional obligation to bring up MAID

It's better to behead them, like Western journalists. Or stone them in public for minor infractions, like a girl dating a boy that clerics disapprove of, or getting an education. Or daring to rebel against head scarfs in public. Are these examples of a moral society as we observe in Muslim theocracies?