Christians: If you found out, for a fact, that God didn't exist, what would happen to your sense of morality?
This is a purely hypothetical question, so don't say "that would never happen because God does exist" and prance away content that you found a loophole in my critical thinking exercise. I want you to actually apply those God-given brains and consider this honestly.
I ask because many Christians say atheists have no morals because they don't believe they are held accountable to God. I want to know, does that mean that if it was proven that God didn't exist and there was absolutely no threat of hell, you would lose your sense of morality?
If so, is pleasing God and avoiding hell the only reason you behave morally? Did you even really have a sense of morality in the first place? Even psychopaths (who have no sense of guilt) can be made to behave morally if they have to under the threat of unavoidable punishment.
If all that is true, then wouldn't you agree that people like Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, and Mark Twain, who all behaved morally and contributed much to our society, although they did not believe in the Christian God or any sort of force that would hold them morally accountable, are actually morally superior to you? And if you disagree on any of the previous points, will you at least stop making the absurd claim that atheists have no morals?
No Christians insisting that atheists have no morals? I must say I'm kind of disappointed! People like that are pretty common in R&S but I guess none of them were around for this one.
To those who said atheists can have morals but they come from God: Alright, I can accept that as a sound answer to the question. I disagree, but I at least appreciate the acknowledgment of my ability to have morals.
@ĿįģĥťĠũàřđïåń: The question wasn't intended as a criticism of Christians, so I don't think it's failed, at least not in the way you suggest it has. It seems your answer admits that atheists can behave according to morals though, which I guess puts you in the same camp as the "they can have morals but they come from God" crowd.
@Pookie: As long as that also means I'm not going to hell, I'm fine with that idea. I've got no problem with any Christian who believes that moral character decides afterlife rather than adherence to specific religious beliefs.