How do *some* atheists define their morality

[Daniel2]

@anon72029883

Like a lot of priests have abused children

I know a pastor that runs a cult school .His name is pastor Marthino he hates jews and he admires Adolf Hitler .His cult use videos for brainwashing .Here is the most common video his cult use.

Germany After WW2 | A Defeated People | Documentary on Germany in the Immediate Aftermath of WW2

Here is pastor Marthino. He is a cult leader his cult worships him they call him “the son of Yahweh”.


They used other videos as well .Note some of the videos were so offensive they were taken of by Youtube including “The slaughter of innocent Germans after ww2” it was hate speech documentary like video that hate speech Jews .

This from their website .

They never told me they had a website .I was heavily socially and love rejected and verbal abused there by young extremists this happened back in 2017 .That was my worst year (2017) ever this quote gives me nightmares .

Here is Charl a spoiled brat that shreds money.

That is my personal story I experienced at a cult .It is very painful for me to recall the cult school I will never forget how bad they treated me .They hate me because I am a peaceful and caring person .

[PaulDavisCooke]

I think boomer47 has given you a comprehensive answer but i will add my own take on morality.

Firstly, morality is subjective. It changes from culture to culture and from time period to time period. Even in the most Christian of countries there was a time when marriages were arranged for girls barely menstruating. This is immoral to us today but was normal at the time.

The religious idea that morals came from God is deeply flawed. It often goes hand in hand with reference to the commandments in the bible but, as has been asked before, how did humans live long enough to reach mount Zion without morals and rules of behaviour?

If our morals come from God, they are handed down by authority.and breaking them brings punishment. In that situation, individuals do not develop a personal morality based on God, they simply develop an awareness of the risk of rule breaking.

In the British sitcom Afterlife, Ricky Gervais is asked, “If you don’t believe in God, why don’t you murder and rape as much as you want to?” He answered, "I do. I murder and rape as much as I want, which is not at all".

It seems clear that morals evolved as a way of helping humans live in larger groups. Any society must have rules to ensure the greatest possible well-being for the greatest number of people. Arbitrary rules from authority may be ignored but if they are backed with religious proscription they are likely to be more acceptable. Add the passage of time and you get the evolution of a moral code as a natural occurrence

[David_Killens]

I have heard some theists propose that we are born with god’s graces and sense of morality. But IMO it is all BS.

Infants are born without any sense of judgement, and in their first few years they are lying, dishonest, stealing, manipulative, immoral monsters. That is the infant in them exploring their boundaries and learning social norms.

[boomer47]

@David_Killens

Infants are born without any sense of judgement, and in their first few years they are lying, dishonest, stealing, manipulative, immoral monsters.

yair.

I have an intense dislike of small children. I think they’re are a bunch of little psychos.—No empathy, no morality, no conscience, how else should they be described?

I can still remember the exact moment I grasped the notion of morality for its own sake and the arrival of my conscience. I was 12*** and royally pissed off I can tell you… Up to then I was a horrible little thief. That fucking conscience stopped me dead in my tracks. Have never stolen anything since.

PS as long as you don’t ask me about intellectual property rights.

***Puberty arrived shortly after and I found a new favourite activity.

[Daniel2]

@anon72029883

I remember my school time and those fucking classes I want to throw up.

Don’t worry I know how it feels so I empathize .The cult school gave hate speeches about Jews, Mulsims and blacks and other belief groups .
Pastor Marthino commonly preached this “Jews are very immoral and their hearts are full of hatred for the Israelites” .Here is a photo of Sunet Coetzee she makes armageddon threats .

@anon72029883

I figured the dean was noticed about my absence and he punished me.

I was commonly yelled at by an extremist here is a photo of him . His name is Louie he is always angry and he yells a lot . He once screamed told me “Whites don’t steal and murder they are not blacks !!!” . He also told me this “It is an absolute lie that whites can be criminals you are not an white person you are a race mixed Jew !” .All I told him was “there are whites who are criminals and there are good black people”.

@anon72029883

That’s so sad to hear that. Unfortunately, children are the most vulnerable people and religions focus on them to continue their lives. In Iran they force us to take religious courses at school. They force us to read Quran. When I remember my school time and those fucking classes I want to throw up.
Once, I escaped school because the next class was a religious course. After I came back for the following course after that religious course, I figured the dean was noticed about my absence and he punished me.

@anon72029883 I feel deep empathy for you I really appreciate your story thank you . Your story is very valuable to me . I was punished a lot by those extremists at the cult school just because I was different so I know how it feels .

[boomer47]

@anon72029883

I believe there is no god and all religions are made by humans for their own benefits

Careful mate. You’ve just made two affirming claims. Each attracts the burden of proof. Not sure if either claim can be proved. IE they’re each unfalsifiable (look up “Russell’s Teapot”)

I don’t believe in god(s) but make no claims because I cannot prove gods do not exist.

In my opinion, religions reflect the societies which invent them and the fears, prejudices, hopes and dreams of those who practice them. I base my opinion in a combination of a lifetime’s observation and study, both formal and informal. I concede that my opinion may be wrong. I look forward to any believer proving their religion has a divine origin.

I agree that morality does not seem to be innate. However, chimps demonstrate compassion and a sense of fairness… That suggests that morality may be innate, at least in part. It does not suggest anything divine.

The clip below demonstrates an understanding of fairness in chimps:

Two Monkeys Were Paid Unequally: Excerpt from Frans de Waal's TED Talk

[Old_man_shouts_at_cl]

@boomer47

The clip below demonstrates an understanding of fairness in chimps:

They are not chimps. Cog will be looking for you now…

[Whitefire13]

Dogs on the other hand…they don’t measure the quality of the “treat”. To them as long as each one has gotten something, it’s fair.

• dogs, testing to see if dogs would become upset if they only got dark bread when other dogs received sausage, they found that dogs did not make that kind of subtle distinction. As long as the dogs got some kind of food payment, even if it wasn’t the yummiest kind, the animals would play along.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97944783

[boomer47]

@Old_man_shouts_at_cl

They are not chimps. Cog will be looking for you now…

OOps. Slip of the pen. Of course they’re monkeys.

[Daniel2]

@anon72029883

Unfortunately extremists makes life harder for others.

The school cultists once exploded into extreme anger just because I talked about other countries they believe South Africa is the “land of milk and honey” and nobody should ever leave South Africa or talk about other countries . Sunet Coetzee laughs when Angus Buchan followers are in a road accident but she whines when her fellow cult members are in a road accident .She usually said “Angus Buchan is a devil with a hat” and this "people doesn’t read the right bible " and she ask questions like this “What would you do if blacks are coming for you ?”.Here is more from their website.

[boomer47]

@anon72029883

when you say " I don’t believe in god(s)" It is a claim, Isn’t it?

No.

To say I don’t believe is simply to state an absence of belief.

To say “I believe there are no god’s” is an affirming statement, a claim.

[boomer47]

@anon72029883

" I don’t believe" is a claim too in my opinion.

Of course you’re entitled to your own opinion. In this case your opinion is wrong. Non belief is a non argument where there is nothing said to be proved.

Hence to state a non belief is not a claim.

[Sheldon]

@anon72029883

I don’t believe" is a claim too in my opinion.

I’m afraid you’re wrong there.

Do you believe invisible mermaids exist.

Can you fulfill your burden of truth if it’s a claim? If you’re going to insist withholding belief is a claim, then that would make every unfalsifiable claim a 50/50 premise.

That’s just absurd sorry.

[Cognostic]

@anon72029883

Different claims make our beliefs and " I don’t believe" is a claim too in my opinion.

Okay, let’s take a look at it.
To the question: “Do you believe a god exists.” An atheist will respond, “No.” I do not believe in God or gods.

“No” Is a response to the question at hand.
“I do not believe in God or gods is an claim about my beliefs.” Not about the existence or non-existence of this God thing you are speaking of.

I have searched my belief system and found “no belief in God or gods.” Are you trying to make the assertion that belief is actually there? How would you demonstrate it?

There is a world of difference between the phrase. “I believe Gods do not exist.” and “I don’t believe in God or gods.” The first sentence is a statement about what I believe to be real in the external world. The second is about my internal system of belief.

A belief in God just isn’t there. Is there any reason at all why a belief in God should be there? I would love to hear it. I can think of no good reason to assume, without facts or evidence that magic, miracles, spirits, ghosts, unicorns, leprechauns, fairies, gods, or things that go bump in the night are in any way, shape. or form “real.”

I have not called any of these things unreal and I have not asserted that they do not exist. My assertion is, “I have no good reason to believe in any of them.” As such, “They are not within my belief system.” My assertion is about my own belief. Not about your supernatural mumbo jumbo about which you can provide no reasonable evidence.

[Sheldon]

@anon72029883

“I do not believe in God or gods is an claim about my beliefs.”

So the lack of belief is a belief?

Sorry, but your thinking is at odds with the dictionary here. That is seldom a good sign in my experience.

[Cognostic]

Correct. And the next question is… Why? What evidence do you have to support such a belief. And then when you give us shit evidence we point it out. When you say there is no evidence, we ask, "Why the fuck believe.: When you call it a “faith” thing, we know you are full of shit and can’t think of anything else to say. In fact, each time you open your mouth you do more to support the Atheist position than you do to support your own. If you are unwilling to discuss why you believe… what the fuck are you doing here?

I would say “No one gives a shit what you believe.” but that isn’t exactly true. Belief in the Christian god harms millions of people through the spread of ignorance and superstition. So there are those of us that would like to see religion get a rectal exam from the throat down.

[Sheldon]

@Cognostic

Belief in the Christian god harms millions of people through the spread of ignorance and superstition

Indeed, and obviously not just the Christian deity. I would also say that a rationale devoid of critical thinking is itself an inherently dangerous thing.

How much critical thinking does one imagine supporters of conspiracy theories like qanon, or those who believe Trump’s lie about a stolen election, submit those claims to?

We’ve seen at least one atheist on here who couldn’t offer anything beyond a bare repetition of the claims Trump has falsely made, and angry rhetoric about how bad things will be now Trump has lost.

[Kersvader]

I do belive morals to be subjective, influenced by the times in which we are alive and the societies we live in.
Religious folk would like to believe that their morals comes from their religion, the contrary would cause cognative dissonance.

You do what is morally acceptable. If it means sacrificing your child in Aztec, Inca, Maya or Moche culture, lets not forget Abrahams willingness to sacrifice Isak, then so be it.

You will try and act in such a way that you do not disrupt the society in which you operate, that is how your morals are defined.

Basically you try not to be an A-hole.

[Sheldon]

@Kersvader

I do belive morals to be subjective,

Indeed, this is axiomatic, unless someone can demonstrate objective evidence for any moral absolute?

[Sheldon]

@electroncapture001

My question to atheists is how do you define your morality.

Wrong question, the correct question is why is something immoral? And this question need not single out those who don’t believe in any deity or deities, as it applies equally to those who do.

Morality is defined as the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour.