Can morality exist without a god?

Yes, but I leave room for another means of bringing down this 'wisdom' other than books and religion. In the end of that, I would say that it is still a theistic God. Also that it is included with what I said earlier.

 

All I can really say is, the idea of a Theistic god is a pretty extraordinary claim, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, of which I see none.

 

Fair enough.

 

well, this moral "God" doesn't exist in the first place. Yet morality apparently does. So yes, it can and does exist. its called "common sense".

 

Common sense doesn't really have too much to do with morality.



It could be common sense for a business executive to embezzle millions of dollars, but that doesn't make it right, does it?

 

Common sense should tell the guy he is probably going to get caught and go to prison. Doing the right thing works better, most of the time. You don't need threats from an angry god. Just use your head.

 

It is my belief that:

Man created curiosity
Curiosity led to the use of drugs
Drugs led to religion
Religion/Spirituality led to morals/belief systems

-Matt

 

and then belief systems led to curiosity?

 

Oh yeah it's been a GREAT political tool for centuries(William Bramley "The Gods of Eden" might interest you all. Atheist and Zealous alike ...

 

I hope your not claiming this as new, google utilitarianism..................... greatest happiness for the greatest numbers. There are a few problems with this theory as well

 

No, morality is exactly what it is, and morality as we know it cannot be separated from God. You'd have to invent a new word to describe good behavior in the absence of God. But God is ever present in our society, and I don't know if there truly is a way to completely ignore it and find out if you're still behaved.

 

I feel that the concept of "God" and religion are both a crutch... outdated, barberic traditions that should have died out long ago with the birth of technology and modern day science.
Morality is relative.

 

but that's all most western religion is, control. why control based on ignorance and stupidity?

 

best explanation I've heard so far. Nice.

 

"Morals" exist on so many levels of yourself. Some of us are wired in ways that make us ignorant to the feeling, of treating people the way you'd probably treat yourself. Morals can belong to a social construct and even an institution. If we detach ourselves from the church we can shed what you see irrelevant to the deepest morals.

You do not need a god, to be simply kind, but it certainly helps.

 

Yeah pretty much, if I wasn't held back by morals, I would be a bad person. All the elected leaders of society are ruthless killing genocide worshiping freaks, and they just pretend the courts and cops and all that are good, they love to lie cheat and steal, so obviously men cant be good without fearing pain after death for doing wrong, society failed. I like the idea of all the really evil people suffering, and all the really great people being given eternal bliss, makes me want to be good and share the good with you guys.

 

Both religious and nonreligious people have morals they act upon not only out of fear for punishment of God or their fellow men. So yes, it can and does exist.