Where do atheists get their morality from?

[Reforged]

You really make her point for her. You behave like a twerp. You are rude, obnoxious and frankly rather repetitive. I think I'll take up your suggestion and put you on ignore. Think of it as a time out.

Like I give a damn. If you ever make a single response to any of my posts, I'll laugh at you and call you a liar.

Sir Greneknight, Knight of the Round Table

Hey there. Just thought I'd reply to one of your posts like you specifically commanded me not to.
You know because you've got me on ignore and wouldn't be able to respond if I say, suggested you were a squirt of jizzem that dripped from your mothers breasts into her holiest of holes while she was giving her special services to one of her clients.
I mean, you wouldn't even be able to tell if I'd put that and would have no real means of retort if I were to ever type that you're so deep in the closet you're still finding Christmas presents. Its not like you're full of shit and would check to see what I had typed in response to your rather rude post toward whateverist.

... *starts stopwatch*
:-)

[jonb]

.

Your are a disappointment.

[genkaus]

Morality is known by an inner sense, conveyed (negatively) by guilt and (positively) by contentment. We can tell the difference between God's morality and evolution's by the mechanisms in place. If morality is linked directly to survival in every phase, it is compatible with evolution. If, however, some completely non-selfish qualities are revealed, we must appeal to a Creator with more than propagation in mind.

Completely and utterly wrong. Evolution doesn't guarantee that every aspect that ever evolved would be geared towards survival. If it did, there would be no diseases. Also, even if that were false, it doesn't make your appeal to creator true by default. Maybe the ultimate moral authority isn't the creator but something else that he created that has surpassed it.

I don't know if there's a 'morality gene' per se. The human brain remains a mystery to scientists. Everyone has a unique soul not received from parents so it's conceivable morality could also be imparted at conception.

Try asking a fetus its opinions on morality and you'll find out if that is true or not.

The Bible tells us we are not just physical beings but spiritual persons, half of us at home in the body, half yearning for a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ.

A bare-faced lie. Full of me is at home in my body and none of me yearns for any sort of relationship with that imaginary being.

You have to do nothing, only accept Jesus dying for your sins. Be of a repentant heart.

So you do have to do something. And that something is selfish.

[Angrboda]

[greneknight]

[jonb]

I am board with the one trick pony the tin man sits on.

[Reforged]

I am board with the one trick pony the tin man sits on.

Nice ass.

[reverendjeremiah]

"Where do atheists get their morality from? "

Cracker Jacks? I hear the prizes can be excellent!

[liam]

You misunderstood me. Altruism is not impossible for atheists because they are created by God with a moral code like anybody.

Assumptive speculation, you start with an unproved assertion. I am not arguing it is not correct (which is probably also true) but rather that you are professing a theory on an inherently indefinite foundation, which is (1) never prudent, and (2) a terrible argument.

I argued that altruism would be impossible if humans evolved. Perhaps I should ask you: how does altruism fit with evolution? Be careful in your answer, because many scientists believe true altruism does not fit at all. Take Richard Dawkins

Why would it be impossible? This presupposes that evolution provides morality and selflessness, which is not exactly true. Admittedly, it can be given that certain ethical attitudes are conducive to evolution yet this is not a causal relation. What if, perhaps, morality was drawn from rational reflection and not biological-psychological necessity? Then your criticism is irrelevant at best. I don't want to talk about Dawkins, he isn't every atheist's guide to life.

Do you think morals are still morals even if followed for selfish or robotic reasons? If so, your definition of moral is different from a Christian's.

Yes, yes I do, because the action is what is judged, not the motivation. Let me tell you why in short form:
1) You can't know motivation so you can't judge it, that is just ridiculous.
2) The action is what we are judging, not the motivation, somebody who saves someone else from a burning building performed a good act without their motivation being considered. They did it and they deserve approbation regardless of their motivation for doing so.
3) This would imply that such things as a bad motivation are bad, thus a moment of passionate motivation to evil is more immoral than an actual killing with good intentions. This is clearly impermissible.
4) This leads us to judge only the unknowable, not the actual action, which is ridiculous.

[Norfolk And Chance]

How do atheists know what is morally right or morally wrong? Is morality cultural, gut feel, are there any basic principled you can use? Opinions?

Atheists get their morals from the same place you do, from within.

You may think you get your morals from the bible, but let's face it, the bible morally is a bucket of shit and you know it. Therefore you cherry pick the morals that suit you and that you think are right, and disregard the uncomfortable ones. Once you do that though, you are making your own moral code.

Realise that, and you shouldn't need to ask atheists where they get morals.

God doesn't come into it for either of us, if you're honest.