Morality

[Thor]

For those of us who aren't religious or live in secular societies, it would appear that their is a significant correlation with the decline in morality, and the decline in religion.

Even if this is true (and I don't think it is) correlation does not indicate causation.

In the past In my country, Christianity provided a "moral guideline" if you will for how we should live our lives.

As do all religions. And often times their "moral guideline" is quite barbaric.

And through the fear of hell, or living in religious society or whatever, it kept people in line/ under control through these guidlines.

Yes, because religion preys on superstition, fear and ignorance.

It would appear that as people have lost faith, their moral standards have declined dramatically

Completely disagree. I know atheists who are upstanding people. I also know believers who are louses.

That is to say, "why is it wrong" "why shouldn't I behave like this" "why should you tell me whats right and wrong".

It can be a good thing to question authority. This is how unjust laws get changed.

Which from an atheistic/agnostic viewpoint, it is very difficult to tell them otherwise,

Not at all. Society cannot flourish if people run around harming others at will. Imagine a society with no laws. It would be chaos.

if there is no God and if religion is a farce, then who is to say that the way they are living/behaving is wrong?

Why do we need people who claim to speak for a deity telling us what to do?

At the same time the whole concept of morality and right and wrong comes from religion/religious teachings.

WRONG! Early human societies did not get their laws from religion. I would even go so far as to say that religions got their morality from the societies that spawned them.

So apart from religion, there isn't really any other "guidelines" for us to go off.

Are you kidding? "The golden rule" predates the Bible. How about the "guideline" that you shouldn't harm others without just cause? I think this rule can be found in virtually ANY society from any place or era.

I must also point out the wonderful "guidelines" that religion has provided throughout history. According to religion, it has been acceptable to keep slaves, kill nonbelievers, oppress women, deny basic rights, wage war, commit atrocities, etc, etc... The "moral guidelines" of religion have resulted in untold suffering throughout history.

Even religion itself or even christianity seems to have deviated somewhat from the bible in order to keep its following in modern society. What some sects consider immoral, others would consider to be okay in the modern world.

Which kind of proves that the idea of a singular "lawgiver" is bullshit. Otherwise, all sects would agree on what is moral.

So I guess what im getting at can we have morality within modern secular society?

We do.

Or is religion the only real way to keep us all in line?

If this were true, prisons should be packed with atheists and there shouldn't be any believers locked up. We find it's quite the opposite.

And from an atheist viewpoint, can anything really be considered as immoral?

This is a silly question I have often encountered in debates with believers. Yes, I can consider things to be immoral withouit having an invisible man in the sky tell me so.

Even if we see man made laws, most of it seems to derive from religion, do not kill, do not steal etc.

Do you really think people thought it was okay to kill and steal before religion came along? I'm sure the most primitive societies frowned upon such things.