Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 29, 2024, 7:45 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
From where come your morals?
#1
From where come your morals?
So, this is kind of a big topic amongst theists and atheists alike since it is paramount to each of our identities, worldview, and how we live our daily lives. I take a firm stance in the grounds of subjective morality which is why we have such a diversely opinionated people.
What I want to know is what values do you personally hold as a baseline for your own morality? Theists are welcome to join in the discussion but if you propose your holy scriptures as your foundation, please offer some specific pieces instead of the entirety so this doesn't turn into another "this-is-why-your-book-isn't-a-valid-source-of-morality" thread.

My personal baseline values are: human existence, individual enjoyment of said existence, truth, and knowledge.
I suppose these values make me something of an intellectual humanist... if my understanding of what a humanist is is correct.
Reply
#2
RE: From where come your morals?
My morality can be summed up as trying to maximise the standard of life for all humans and animals. This would cover such things as happiness, healthiness, removal of stress and threats, and having as much freedom as possible.

Of course that is a very general mission statement and there are always going to be conflicts and compromises.

Truth and knowledge certainly are very important factors in achieving my goal.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
Reply
#3
RE: From where come your morals?
I don't propose to speak for anyone else, but I get my morals from the Moral of The Month Club (headquarters Gdansk).  I send them money and they send me back a wee motivational moral message.

Haven't steered me wrong so far.

Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
Reply
#4
RE: From where come your morals?
Mommy, Daddy, the Mailman....our dog......they all had a hand in it.  I remember there were some ants, and also a nesting bird.  True story.
-Try not to hurt things too much.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
#5
RE: From where come your morals?
Truth and knowledge come into play because the closer everyone's internal model of reality is to actual reality, the better placed they are to act morally.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
Reply
#6
RE: From where come your morals?
@Rhythm:
The mail man and your dog huh?... there must be some conflicting values at that juncture.
Reply
#7
RE: From where come your morals?
There is a book...
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition

Reply
#8
RE: From where come your morals?
(April 11, 2015 at 9:26 am)Rhythm Wrote: Mommy, Daddy, the Mailman....our dog......they all had a hand in it.  I remember there were some ants, and also a nesting bird.  True story.  
-Try not to hurt things too much.

Yeah I still wince when I remember the baby frogs a friend of mine and I dissected on a lark as very young kids.  I'm pretty sure it hurt them too, but it still bothers me.

I've pretty much been making my morals up as I go.  I don't tend to look for morals which will give me my marching orders everyday. Nor do I expect them to be comprehensive so that every choice becomes a simple decision procedure where no new thinking is required.  My moral motto is: we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  
Reply
#9
RE: From where come your morals?
I seem to have hardwiring anyhow, which often overrules rational thought. I can decide the best thing to do is to step on an insect, because it is suffering and I know it will die. But I literally can't bring myself to do it. My internal morality is overriding my conscious morality or something. I seem to be programmed against causing harm.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
Reply
#10
RE: From where come your morals?
My family was the blue print, experience is the building.

(April 11, 2015 at 1:30 pm)robvalue Wrote: I seem to have hardwiring anyhow, which often overrules rational thought. I can decide the best thing to do is to step on an insect, because it is suffering and I know it will die. But I literally can't bring myself to do it. My internal morality is overriding my conscious morality or something. I seem to be programmed against causing harm.

Omg. Rob. I totally know what you are talking about, I have done that since I was a child. Mostly I just close my eyes, and think to myself, "I'm sorry little guy." I do the deed. I do it because I want to end it's suffering. I know they don't think and feel like we do, but I have always done that. I could never do it to an animal though, even though it is the right thing to do, I could not bring myself to do it. Only bugs. I'm a hypocrite. Sad
[Image: dc52deee8e6b07186c04ff66a45fd204.jpg]
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  The argument against "evil", theists please come to the defense. Mystic 158 67828 December 29, 2017 at 7:21 pm
Last Post: Minimalist
  Morals Panatheist 19 2415 August 30, 2016 at 2:09 pm
Last Post: Whateverist
  What is the source for our morals? Mechaghostman2 67 9081 December 12, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Last Post: bennyboy
  Where are the Morals? Harris 124 28040 December 8, 2014 at 4:07 pm
Last Post: popeyespappy
  Why do we need morals? dazzn 68 21406 November 14, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Last Post: Cyberman
  Objective vs Subjective Morals FallentoReason 36 8958 May 5, 2014 at 11:58 am
Last Post: MindForgedManacle
  The following is not a question: Can something come from nothing? Alex K 204 29651 April 16, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Last Post: ManMachine
  Individualism, the worst thing to come from religion. I and I 21 5415 December 26, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Last Post: TaraJo
  Morals of Executions IAmNotHere 20 4383 November 1, 2013 at 3:20 am
Last Post: Sejanus
  How did the Universe Come to be? (my beliefs) BrumelyKris 24 6725 October 10, 2013 at 6:28 pm
Last Post: bennyboy



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)