Morality vs. Religion

[Thanatos]

This is a topic which has always interested me. Can a person be MORAL without being RELIGIOUS? Or are the two inevitably connected?

I personally think that you can be moral without being religious. It is the guideline I attempt to follow through my life. I make sure to do what I feel is better for myself and the collective, and the future. If I do some good deed its not because some dusty book threatened me with eternal suffering if I didnt.

[ImCoolBeans]

I personally don't practice a religion and I don't entirely believe in God. I have morals and I have a pretty good sense of what's right and what's wrong. So yes - you can be moral without being religious.

[Genghis Khan]

Anyone can get their morals from a rational consideration of the consequences of their actions, which does not require a religious dogma.

[Mortal Coil]

Morals can be completely seperate from religion. I of course say that about the traditional view of religion.
On the other hand, there are those who believe that religion IS morals- That God, as in Nietzche's "God is dead," is merely the embodiment of all human kindness and morality. In that case, obviously morals are irrevocably tied to religious faith, but I assume you mean the more traditional view of religion.

[Jupiter]

Yes. A person can be moral without religion .

You don't see 11.9% of the world going around murdering, raping, etc. However, there are some people who do this, but this doesn't exclude people who are religious.

[BFG9001]

Yes.

[Amaryllis]

Doooood. Seriously? Morality =/= Religion. Moral =/= Religious. It's like saying "If you like pie you must like flour."

If being religious means you are concerned with right and wrong, then all religious people must be bloody saints. However, as you've seen from the countless genocides, discriminative behaviours, wars, attacks, cruel tactics, unjust actions and scandalous choices - this is obviously not the case.

Since Hypothesis H must be true if Assumption A is true and Assumption A can be validated by evidence, Hypothesis H must most likely be true.

/length explanation that can be summed up in one sentence

EDIT: So no.

[Sonic Boom]

Of course! Some of the kindest people I know are atheist.

[Peace God]

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/5992/religionz.jpg
http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/7166/crimeu.jpg

[huginnmuninn]

NO the god damned atheist are horrible people who like to steal candy from babies and jay walk and dont flush the toilet! Atheists are horrible people!!!!!!!!

Fo' serious? nah dey kewl.

[scottnesss]

of course you can be moral without religion. moral philosophies such as kantanism or utilitarianism are separate from religion and do not require religious fuel to power them. Religion merely provides a separate form of morality

[Can'tHelpIt]

Thats actually quite insulting! It's like saying because I'm an atheist I don't know wrong from right!

[Rage of the Menace]

Yes, you can have morals and be aethiest. Although, the morals are not dependant on one thing, the persons ideology.

Religion has a stable set of morals that aren't and most likely can't be changed. I personally think that Christian morals are just... common sense i guess.

[kenoloor]

Yes, you can have morals and be aethiest. Although, the morals are not dependant on one thing, the persons ideology.

Religion has a stable set of morals that aren't and most likely can't be changed. I personally think that Christian morals are just... common sense i guess.

> implying that non-christians lack common sense?

[ImCoolBeans]

Yes, you can have morals and be aethiest. Although, the morals are not dependant on one thing, the persons ideology.

Religion has a stable set of morals that aren't and most likely can't be changed. I personally think that Christian morals are just... common sense i guess.

Do I lack these common sense morals since I am not christian?

[Bubbawhack]

I didn't practice religion for the longest time. In 7th grade my friend showed me a book on Buddhism as a joke, and I really was interested and really agreed with most concepts. Three years later I now identify as following the Buddhist concept, and do think of myself as a moral person.

[Genghis Khan]

Yes, you can have morals and be aethiest. Although, the morals are not dependant on one thing, the persons ideology.

Religion has a stable set of morals that aren't and most likely can't be changed. I personally think that Christian morals are just... common sense i guess.

The common sense morals are the ones that should always remain an integral part of the Christian faith, it's when people start to take the apocalyptic bits seriously that they go completely berserk. Realistically 'love thy neighbour' and 'turn the other cheek' should be the essence of Christian morals in modern-day living.