Atheism and morality

[fr0d0]

<snippetty snip>
I do not think morality presupposes a morally good god.

In fact I think morality presupposes a vengeful god and I think vengefulness is not praiseworthy

Well that's confusing. After reading all of your posts this is exactly what I thought you were saying was your issue: that reason pointed to an external moral source.

You want to distance yourself from the Christian God because you find that god to be vengeful. I do not. I find that god to be fully just and morally blameless, and therefore subject to your rationale.

my argument - which I think challenges atheism - also challenges Christianity and a whole host of other religions.

On the grounds that the Xtian God is immoral? You contradict yourself surely?

I think the evidence for the existence of a Christian god just isn't there.

Well that's a separate question. One of knowledge.

I should also note that to account for morality's features I have not had to posit a god who has created us, or the universe or anything lik that. What I have had to posit is a god who has power over our welfare in an afterlife, that is all. The god in question, therefore, bears more resemblance to a Norse or Greek god than any more traditional one.

The Christian concept of God, from Aristotle/ Aquinas etc is that his goodness is rooted in creation/ him as first cause. That's what presupposes a perfect morality found in him. We cannot reason from a God capable of evil, as that model would implode with contradictions.

But at the end of the day, I am not a man of faith. I am not trying to find arguments for a god that I already believe in. I am just trying to understand what morality is, and my best attempt to do this has led me to posit a god. I'm not happy about this and the worldview that starts to emerge is really rather horrible.

I doubt anyone reasons from a God they already believe in. That would be ludicrous. Faith to you is something to derise, but I wonder if you even know what it means in the Christian sense.
Indeed, you are trying to justify atheism from the POV of already being an atheist.
Being honest with yourself is good enough.