Morality is a very broad and also (IMO) a very complex issue. It can be looked at from a what I call a "deep structure" and from a "surface structure" point of view.
On the one hand, a lot of things that we know to be moral or immoral are already a part of our ingrained conscience. But at the same time, this is also partially influenced by and in many ways interrelated to the external sources of learning such as our parents, religion, society, culture, etc. If we focus on the latter aspect only, the problem with this is that it causes people to have a strong bias to think that they are good or moral, just because they follow all the rules. However, I think that the deeper aspects of morality are actually hidden from us and they are more ambiguous than we might think they are. It is quite easy to rationalize your actions to yourself and others, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you did the right thing, based on the situation, the person, and so on.
I think that morality is also a moment-to-moment thing. It encompasses every second of our lives and how we deal with our own selves as well, not just with others. It's not just about actions but also possessing a certain state of mind, intention, etc. Many people including theists tend to develop a superficial sense of morality because they (in some degree) become desensitized to the more intrinsic, spontaneous nature of wanting to do what's good.
As far religion goes, I don't think it really changes a person's basic nature. Rather, religions just seem to magnify how people already are. In other words, people who are good, religion makes them better. People who are bad, religion makes them worse.
I thought I'd put in my 2 cents on this topic (granted, not the OP in particular) since you guys were discussing this.
On the one hand, a lot of things that we know to be moral or immoral are already a part of our ingrained conscience. But at the same time, this is also partially influenced by and in many ways interrelated to the external sources of learning such as our parents, religion, society, culture, etc. If we focus on the latter aspect only, the problem with this is that it causes people to have a strong bias to think that they are good or moral, just because they follow all the rules. However, I think that the deeper aspects of morality are actually hidden from us and they are more ambiguous than we might think they are. It is quite easy to rationalize your actions to yourself and others, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you did the right thing, based on the situation, the person, and so on.
I think that morality is also a moment-to-moment thing. It encompasses every second of our lives and how we deal with our own selves as well, not just with others. It's not just about actions but also possessing a certain state of mind, intention, etc. Many people including theists tend to develop a superficial sense of morality because they (in some degree) become desensitized to the more intrinsic, spontaneous nature of wanting to do what's good.
As far religion goes, I don't think it really changes a person's basic nature. Rather, religions just seem to magnify how people already are. In other words, people who are good, religion makes them better. People who are bad, religion makes them worse.
I thought I'd put in my 2 cents on this topic (granted, not the OP in particular) since you guys were discussing this.
