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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.
7 Answers
- Anonymous9 years agoFavorite Answer
First of all, I want to thank you for asking a serious, legitimate question.
Secondly, atheists can have morals. They can be good people and contribute to society.
Every society that has ever existed has had a standard of right and wrong. Atheists have that sense of morality, too. But the question is, where does that universal moral code come from?
It seems that, like me, you are a very logical person. I think you might like the book "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. It talks about morality and gives a very intellectual, logical case for Christianity.
- Dr. DLv 79 years ago
The failing in your thesis is the concept of apokatastasisl. This is the Christian view of universal salvation - there is no hell. It first appears in the second century theologian Origen and continues in a small of Christian philosophers including Karl Barth. Recently there is a popular Christian book called, "Love Wins" by mega church pastor Rob Bell. Rob Bell questions the concept of hell as unbiblical.
So there have always been Christian churches and Christian theologians who supported the idea that there was no hell. These Christians still have a sense of morality. Why? Because the teaches of Jesus, the teachings in the Bible, instruct us that everything we do does matter. Christians believe that whether hell exists or not what we do in life still matters.
Source(s): Matt 10:42 "And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Matt 25: 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[c] you were doing it to me!’ Revelations 22: 12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. - LindaLouLv 79 years ago
Morality is morality, just as right is right and wrong is wrong. It doesn't take a theologian or religious faith to have MORALITY. Our morality is formed and determined in our youth, in our homes, by the experiences and teachings we are faced with, by our circumstances and surroundings, by our culture and so forth. IF GOD was proven to NOT exist it would shake a lot of FAITH in alot of ppl - BUT MORALITY doesn't change. Society's view of it changes - but that's not the same!
- Anonymous9 years ago
I would still use the bible as a sense of morals. To be honest, I was an atheist/agnostic once and used it as a guideline for morals. This question fails. Horribly.
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- gwLv 79 years ago
I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF DEPRESSED
PEOPLE WALKING AROUND...............//
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