Can you have morality without religion? Are the two inherently linked? In composing your response, please craft an answer with 7-10 thoughtful and well-written sentences. Thank you.
I don’t think morality and religion are inherently linked because religion varies greatly for different people. There is no specific set of beliefs that can claim to be the basis of morality. Even if there were, religious beliefs are flexible even inside a religious community. To say "I'm religious" can mean anything. If morality were based on religion, there would be very few people who could be considered moral, because very few people share the exact same values and religious beliefs.
In my opinion, religion and morality are related in that religion can be used to guide moral actions. Often people can connect their religious beliefs to their personal moral viewpoint, but one is not dependent on the other. There are many people who follow strong moral values without religion playing a role in their lives, and conversely, nobody can assume that a religious lifestyle means that someone is a good or moral person.
I think there can definitely be morality without religion. To quote Bill Maher, "Really? We need God to decide not to kill each other?" Everyone develops some understanding of morality; I view religion more as a function of a society's moral code than a source of it. Religion does, however, often motivate people to act in a way that's consistent with their morals. I think it's helpful to be told concretely which rewards or consequences correspond to certain actions (e.g. an eternity in Heaven or Hell). Perhaps those who aren't motivated to be good just for the sake of doing so can't have morality without religion. For this group, religion functions as a path to a moral lifestyle.
It seems as though religion is inherently linked to morality, but that morality isn't inherently linked to religion. I view religion as a well of answers to a spectrum of existential questions, one of the most prominent being, "Why should I be kind to others?" Morality, however, can exist without religion, as I said before. It's come to be linked with all institutions that provide guidelines for behavior, such as religions or governments, but I wouldn't say that morality is inherently related to those institutions since it has exited longer than any of them.
I think that there can definitely be morality without religion. I think that one of the main parts of many religions is to uphold certain moral standards, or at least that's the idea, but as we discussed today, a lot of what one's religion truly is or how they practice it depends on the person. And just because one of your beliefs as a part of your religion is to "be moral," it doesn't necessarily automatically make you normal. And there isn't necessarily a set definition of morality. Anyone who had Ethics or even Making Healthy Life Decisions probably remembers those situations we were given where it asked things like "A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher. Fortunately, you could flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch or do nothing?" In that case, someone has to die. So where is the morality? Which decision should you make? Which one is more moral? Save the lives of five people, or kill one? I don't think this is a question that can be answered by religion, at least not in any sort of clear way, just like it's difficult to answer it as humans. Morality and compassion is something that humans have, and religion was created by humans. So in a way, they are linked, though perhaps not inherently.
I believe that religion and morality are not necessarily linked together but many people based their moral code in their religion. Since most people believe that religion is what keeps the world at peace, using it as a morality code seems proper to them. However, we can act in a moral sense without turning to religion. I believe that many of our social norms can be trace back to ancient text that appear through out both history and the world. Morality can exist without religion but I think that our basic laws come religion through out the ages. I also think that due to the age of religion, it would be near impossible that you can find reference to such but maybe they are not inherently. Many times religion can be a used to justify acts of violence that defied common sense of morality. Maybe religion is not complete moral but it does provide many moral norms.
I would say that is completely possible to have morality without religion. Religion is not the sole provider of morality in the world, seeing as human morals have been around far longer than any organized religion has been. Morals are what we inherently think and do, while we have to ponder religion and then act on it accordingly. While some people might base their decisions off of a religious viewpoint, it does not mean that they do not have morals.
Religion and morality are and aren't linked together. Religion developed off of morals, to help guide us. In this sense they are linked. Morals also have a place in those who are not a part of organized religion. In this sense they are not linked together. I would say that I am a firm believer that you can have morals without religions, but you cannot have religion without whatever those people interpret as morals.
I think religion and morality are inherently linked. That is, if religion can be defined as an unorganized, maybe-just-maybe belief in something that doesn’t match science.
With our survival not in question, it’s easy to say that without religion, we would still act in a moral way. But I have to think about where those instincts come from to begin with: most religions teach them. If it comes down to a life-or-death situation, religion will play a huge part in an individual’s choices. He may not think, “I won’t kill this person for food so that I will go to Heaven,” but he does have some kind of belief that prevents him from committing the murder. Even if it’s just a pinprick of doubt that his parent’s forced on him when he was young, it may change his course. Sometimes it’s hard to be honest about what we truly believe. I’m not saying that all religions teach good morality and only good morality, but I don’t how morality could form without it. Who would honestly not play the free-for-all game on the brink of death if they didn’t believe that death is not death, that they will be judged, that their behavior counts for something? A lot of times it’s fear that shapes us, and without that fear, or even hope (am I getting good citizen points for dying morally correct?), we’re left only with a fear of death and no foreseeable consequence for our actions. I can already hear some atheists disagreeing with me here, but I personally don’t understand how, in this situation, it’s possible to surrender unless your life truly sucks. I’m not so sure unrewarded morals could outweigh the human instinct to live.
I believe that you can have morality without religion. Though I don't believe that religion and morality are inherently linked, I think they play off of each other quite nicely. Religion can add structure to moral beliefs, an example being the ten commandements. They build up a set of quality moral codes for people to follow and advocate. On the downside of the spectrum though, religion can lead to moral blindness. There are some who follow the law of religion strict as can be, leading to choices and acts committed that would otherwise be known as inherently immoral if it was not stated in things such as religious texts as acceptable behaviors. Luckily I believe that the majority of the time, religion positively influences moral decisions and when carefully balanced can bring about benefits for all parties, religious and non-religious.
It is my belief that religion is something that, in theory, is more of an experience on an individualized basis than on a larger, diluted scale. However, because of the complications that arise with the clashing of multiple religions and multiple understandings of the same religions, the main values that those religions are built upon often times seem to get lost within the chaos of fervent discrepancies. I agree with a lot of my classmates when I say that it is possible to have morality without necessarily assigning a specific religion to it. I also believe, though, that the reason many people choose to practice specific religions is because of the prominent understanding of certain moral codes. There’s really nothing wrong with living in a way that preaches peace and kindness. Religion gets messy, confusing, and cleverly evaded at many dinner tables because it’s when the basic moral structures of certain religions are reconfigured, questioned, or misinterpreted that people can offend someone verbally or through their actions. For some individuals, it’s their negative experiences with religion that have shaped them into what some would consider more morally just people. These two topics, religion and morality, are difficult for many people, especially those on the extremes of either side, to separate, mainly because of how their lives have been sculpted by their religious experiences. Ideally, religion is supposed to be centered around a certain sense of morality that is generalized towards all who choose to live by that faith. Unfortunately, just because someone belongs to a certain religious group doesn’t mean that they choose to abide by that set morale. This also means that it’s completely possible for some people to form their own senses of morality (basic or extremely detailed understandings of right and wrong) without the use of a set religion as a vehicle. Some people feel too constricted and confined by defined religious texts, but still exemplify moral behavior. Religion doesn’t necessarily correlate with morality, and it is definitely possible for the two to be separate.
Because religion plays a huge role in my life, I believe in some cases one cannot make moral judgments without religion. Religion can be a base of many actions one could eventually carry out, and because of this one could carry out an action based on what their Torah, bible, Quran…etc. says. Judaism plays a huge role in my life so sometimes I make moral judgments based on my religion. For example, if there were a party going on Friday night, I would not go because of Shabbat. On the other hand, I also believe that there is morality without religion. You cannot always count on a religion to make judgments for yourself. Its up to YOU. I think the two are inherently linked because for some people, religion guides actions. Religion is basically a moral code.
Posting for Irfan: I think morality can be defined without religion. Since there are many types of religions, there will be many points of view on the same situation whereas in morality, the right idea or right thing to do is pretty straight forward. I think they are linked because religion can lead you on the path to morality but every religion has their own path to it. For example, if one person looks at a situation and decides to do one thing, and the other person from another religion tries to do another thing, their views vary. Thus, religion should not be a part of morality. There are certain people that use religion to deny morality. This is why religion should NOT be used to define morality.
Similarly to how all mammals are animals but not all animals are mammals, religion can help shape one’s morals, but not everyone’s morals are strictly determined by a religion. So, religion and morality are related, but not inherently related. One can have morals without religion, but religion tends to come with a set of guidelines for how to be a more moral person attached. It is up to the individual that is a member or influenced by that religion to decide whether or not they want the guidelines suggested by their religion to apply to them.
However, we need to take into account that a lot of the religious guidelines are outdated. It would be really hard for me to steal my neighbor’s cow, and I would never stone a disobedient child even though that’s the punishment prescribed by the Torah. When we take religion into account when making decisions that call into question our morality, it is important to consider whether or not ancient laws are still relevant in modern times.
In order to know the difference between good and evil or right and wrong, religion is not absolutely necessary for morality. A person can have moral behavior and not be religious. That being said, religion is mostly based on a sense of community and moral guidelines. People rely on religion to understand why certain actions may be right or wrong, and I think it is valuable for people to have a compass to guide them to comprehend why they shouldn't hate someone, even though they may have seriously wronged them previously. It is a person's choice to take any religious text LITERALLY, which most people do not. I don't think God intended for people to literally steal his neighbor's cow in 2012. I think it is for the practitioner to interpret as a metaphor for current times. Personally, I believe that religion is important to distinguish the moral code humans need because without a sense of direction, most people would be very lost.
The genesis of morality is commonly attributed to early religious texts and ideals, but said ideals have grown to become societal staples and norms as opposed to specific to certain religions. While morality and religion might have been initially linked and therefore inherently related, the human race has grown to incorporate these principles into basic daily life, so being morally upright with zero connection to religion is now a possibility and a common occurrence. Atheists are not immoral criminals - they simply look to basic human kindnesses (or in some cases, alternative ethical theories such as consequentialism or utilitarianism) for guidelines, not scriptures or sermons.
Morality can exist without religion just as morality is often absent within religion. Seeing as morals are a completely objective set of codes, in theory a person could create their own. The fact that morality often needs to be based upon an antiquated text simply demonstrates the incompetence of man as a whole. Generally there are givens: don't kill, rape, pillage, etc. If these aren't written in the bible, can I still commit them? Similarly the religious teachings humans claim to follow often are not accurate to their lifestyles. In Matthew 19:24 it is said that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God." However, our government is littered with "religious" men who practically bathe in wealth. The moral codes prescribed to us by religion could create a utopia in theory, but who can say that these stories hold any more worth than another? They are stories used to teach a lesson, not fact or law, much like picture books about sharing are read to preschoolers.
I think that you can have morality without religion but it is less common. A person should not need to believe that they are being judged by some higher power to make good moral decisions. But Religion is somewhat linked to morality in that it helps people agree on what is or is not moral. Lots of people seem to be unsure of what decisions to make or how they should judge others'. Religion sets down a solid rule book of what is moral. It simplifies the question of morality for people that are afraid to think for themselves. It makes their difficult life decisions for them. Widespread religion also helps people agree with each other on what they should consider moral.
I believe you can have morality without religion, because both of my two parents, who are not religious have great morals. Religion may help setting up a standard set of morals, but I think you can do it yourself. Morality comes from yourself and who you choose to be, which means that you don't need religion to be moral. It could be more difficult to follow your morals without a religion to help you keep in mind what they are, but it is still possible to be moral. I've grown up in a non-religious family and I've been taught morals through my family, which means that I know what my family expects of me. Knowing what your morals are and why you are doing them is one of the most helpful parts of keeping yourself from doing something immoral, which is why your family, a friend, really anything including religion can help to keep morality. Religion can help many people keep their morality, but it is not necessary to have to obtain morality.
I don’t think morality and religion are inherently linked because religion varies greatly for different people. There is no specific set of beliefs that can claim to be the basis of morality. Even if there were, religious beliefs are flexible even inside a religious community. To say "I'm religious" can mean anything. If morality were based on religion, there would be very few people who could be considered moral, because very few people share the exact same values and religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, religion and morality are related in that religion can be used to guide moral actions. Often people can connect their religious beliefs to their personal moral viewpoint, but one is not dependent on the other. There are many people who follow strong moral values without religion playing a role in their lives, and conversely, nobody can assume that a religious lifestyle means that someone is a good or moral person.
I think there can definitely be morality without religion. To quote Bill Maher, "Really? We need God to decide not to kill each other?" Everyone develops some understanding of morality; I view religion more as a function of a society's moral code than a source of it. Religion does, however, often motivate people to act in a way that's consistent with their morals. I think it's helpful to be told concretely which rewards or consequences correspond to certain actions (e.g. an eternity in Heaven or Hell). Perhaps those who aren't motivated to be good just for the sake of doing so can't have morality without religion. For this group, religion functions as a path to a moral lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though religion is inherently linked to morality, but that morality isn't inherently linked to religion. I view religion as a well of answers to a spectrum of existential questions, one of the most prominent being, "Why should I be kind to others?" Morality, however, can exist without religion, as I said before. It's come to be linked with all institutions that provide guidelines for behavior, such as religions or governments, but I wouldn't say that morality is inherently related to those institutions since it has exited longer than any of them.
I think that there can definitely be morality without religion. I think that one of the main parts of many religions is to uphold certain moral standards, or at least that's the idea, but as we discussed today, a lot of what one's religion truly is or how they practice it depends on the person. And just because one of your beliefs as a part of your religion is to "be moral," it doesn't necessarily automatically make you normal. And there isn't necessarily a set definition of morality. Anyone who had Ethics or even Making Healthy Life Decisions probably remembers those situations we were given where it asked things like "A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher. Fortunately, you could flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch or do nothing?" In that case, someone has to die. So where is the morality? Which decision should you make? Which one is more moral? Save the lives of five people, or kill one? I don't think this is a question that can be answered by religion, at least not in any sort of clear way, just like it's difficult to answer it as humans. Morality and compassion is something that humans have, and religion was created by humans. So in a way, they are linked, though perhaps not inherently.
ReplyDeleteI believe that religion and morality are not necessarily linked together but many people based their moral code in their religion. Since most people believe that religion is what keeps the world at peace, using it as a morality code seems proper to them. However, we can act in a moral sense without turning to religion. I believe that many of our social norms can be trace back to ancient text that appear through out both history and the world. Morality can exist without religion but I think that our basic laws come religion through out the ages. I also think that due to the age of religion, it would be near impossible that you can find reference to such but maybe they are not inherently. Many times religion can be a used to justify acts of violence that defied common sense of morality. Maybe religion is not complete moral but it does provide many moral norms.
ReplyDeleteI would say that is completely possible to have morality without religion. Religion is not the sole provider of morality in the world, seeing as human morals have been around far longer than any organized religion has been. Morals are what we inherently think and do, while we have to ponder religion and then act on it accordingly. While some people might base their decisions off of a religious viewpoint, it does not mean that they do not have morals.
ReplyDeleteReligion and morality are and aren't linked together. Religion developed off of morals, to help guide us. In this sense they are linked. Morals also have a place in those who are not a part of organized religion. In this sense they are not linked together. I would say that I am a firm believer
that you can have morals without religions, but you cannot have religion without whatever those people interpret as morals.
I think religion and morality are inherently linked. That is, if religion can be defined as an unorganized, maybe-just-maybe belief in something that doesn’t match science.
ReplyDeleteWith our survival not in question, it’s easy to say that without religion, we would still act in a moral way. But I have to think about where those instincts come from to begin with: most religions teach them. If it comes down to a life-or-death situation, religion will play a huge part in an individual’s choices. He may not think, “I won’t kill this person for food so that I will go to Heaven,” but he does have some kind of belief that prevents him from committing the murder. Even if it’s just a pinprick of doubt that his parent’s forced on him when he was young, it may change his course. Sometimes it’s hard to be honest about what we truly believe. I’m not saying that all religions teach good morality and only good morality, but I don’t how morality could form without it. Who would honestly not play the free-for-all game on the brink of death if they didn’t believe that death is not death, that they will be judged, that their behavior counts for something? A lot of times it’s fear that shapes us, and without that fear, or even hope (am I getting good citizen points for dying morally correct?), we’re left only with a fear of death and no foreseeable consequence for our actions. I can already hear some atheists disagreeing with me here, but I personally don’t understand how, in this situation, it’s possible to surrender unless your life truly sucks. I’m not so sure unrewarded morals could outweigh the human instinct to live.
I believe that you can have morality without religion. Though I don't believe that religion and morality are inherently linked, I think they play off of each other quite nicely. Religion can add structure to moral beliefs, an example being the ten commandements. They build up a set of quality moral codes for people to follow and advocate. On the downside of the spectrum though, religion can lead to moral blindness. There are some who follow the law of religion strict as can be, leading to choices and acts committed that would otherwise be known as inherently immoral if it was not stated in things such as religious texts as acceptable behaviors. Luckily I believe that the majority of the time, religion positively influences moral decisions and when carefully balanced can bring about benefits for all parties, religious and non-religious.
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that religion is something that, in theory, is more of an experience on an individualized basis than on a larger, diluted scale. However, because of the complications that arise with the clashing of multiple religions and multiple understandings of the same religions, the main values that those religions are built upon often times seem to get lost within the chaos of fervent discrepancies. I agree with a lot of my classmates when I say that it is possible to have morality without necessarily assigning a specific religion to it. I also believe, though, that the reason many people choose to practice specific religions is because of the prominent understanding of certain moral codes. There’s really nothing wrong with living in a way that preaches peace and kindness. Religion gets messy, confusing, and cleverly evaded at many dinner tables because it’s when the basic moral structures of certain religions are reconfigured, questioned, or misinterpreted that people can offend someone verbally or through their actions. For some individuals, it’s their negative experiences with religion that have shaped them into what some would consider more morally just people. These two topics, religion and morality, are difficult for many people, especially those on the extremes of either side, to separate, mainly because of how their lives have been sculpted by their religious experiences.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, religion is supposed to be centered around a certain sense of morality that is generalized towards all who choose to live by that faith. Unfortunately, just because someone belongs to a certain religious group doesn’t mean that they choose to abide by that set morale. This also means that it’s completely possible for some people to form their own senses of morality (basic or extremely detailed understandings of right and wrong) without the use of a set religion as a vehicle. Some people feel too constricted and confined by defined religious texts, but still exemplify moral behavior. Religion doesn’t necessarily correlate with morality, and it is definitely possible for the two to be separate.
Because religion plays a huge role in my life, I believe in some cases one cannot make moral judgments without religion. Religion can be a base of many actions one could eventually carry out, and because of this one could carry out an action based on what their Torah, bible, Quran…etc. says. Judaism plays a huge role in my life so sometimes I make moral judgments based on my religion. For example, if there were a party going on Friday night, I would not go because of Shabbat.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I also believe that there is morality without religion. You cannot always count on a religion to make judgments for yourself. Its up to YOU. I think the two are inherently linked because for some people, religion guides actions. Religion is basically a moral code.
Posting for Irfan:
ReplyDeleteI think morality can be defined without religion. Since there are many types of religions, there will be many points of view on the same situation whereas in morality, the right idea or right thing to do is pretty straight forward. I think they are linked because religion can lead you on the path to morality but every religion has their own path to it. For example, if one person looks at a situation and decides to do one thing, and the other person from another religion tries to do another thing, their views vary. Thus, religion should not be a part of morality. There are certain people that use religion to deny morality. This is why religion should NOT be used to define morality.
Similarly to how all mammals are animals but not all animals are mammals, religion can help shape one’s morals, but not everyone’s morals are strictly determined by a religion. So, religion and morality are related, but not inherently related. One can have morals without religion, but religion tends to come with a set of guidelines for how to be a more moral person attached. It is up to the individual that is a member or influenced by that religion to decide whether or not they want the guidelines suggested by their religion to apply to them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we need to take into account that a lot of the religious guidelines are outdated. It would be really hard for me to steal my neighbor’s cow, and I would never stone a disobedient child even though that’s the punishment prescribed by the Torah. When we take religion into account when making decisions that call into question our morality, it is important to consider whether or not ancient laws are still relevant in modern times.
In order to know the difference between good and evil or right and wrong, religion is not absolutely necessary for morality. A person can have moral behavior and not be religious. That being said, religion is mostly based on a sense of community and moral guidelines. People rely on religion to understand why certain actions may be right or wrong, and I think it is valuable for people to have a compass to guide them to comprehend why they shouldn't hate someone, even though they may have seriously wronged them previously. It is a person's choice to take any religious text LITERALLY, which most people do not. I don't think God intended for people to literally steal his neighbor's cow in 2012. I think it is for the practitioner to interpret as a metaphor for current times. Personally, I believe that religion is important to distinguish the moral code humans need because without a sense of direction, most people would be very lost.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe genesis of morality is commonly attributed to early religious texts
and ideals, but said ideals have grown to become societal staples and
norms as opposed to specific to certain religions. While morality and
religion might have been initially linked and therefore inherently
related, the human race has grown to incorporate these principles into
basic daily life, so being morally upright with zero connection to
religion is now a possibility and a common occurrence. Atheists are not
immoral criminals - they simply look to basic human kindnesses (or in some
cases, alternative ethical theories such as consequentialism or
utilitarianism) for guidelines, not scriptures or sermons.
Morality can exist without religion just as morality is often absent within religion. Seeing as morals are a completely objective set of codes, in theory a person could create their own. The fact that morality often needs to be based upon an antiquated text simply demonstrates the incompetence of man as a whole. Generally there are givens: don't kill, rape, pillage, etc. If these aren't written in the bible, can I still commit them? Similarly the religious teachings humans claim to follow often are not accurate to their lifestyles. In Matthew 19:24 it is said that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God." However, our government is littered with "religious" men who practically bathe in wealth. The moral codes prescribed to us by religion could create a utopia in theory, but who can say that these stories hold any more worth than another? They are stories used to teach a lesson, not fact or law, much like picture books about sharing are read to preschoolers.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that you can have morality without religion but it is less common. A person should not need to believe that they are being judged by some higher power to make good moral decisions. But Religion is somewhat linked to morality in that it helps people agree on what is or is not moral. Lots of people seem to be unsure of what decisions to make or how they should judge others'. Religion sets down a solid rule book of what is moral. It simplifies the question of morality for people that are afraid to think for themselves. It makes their difficult life decisions for them. Widespread religion also helps people agree with each other on what they should consider moral.
ReplyDeleteI believe you can have morality without religion, because both of my two parents, who are not religious have great morals. Religion may help setting up a standard set of morals, but I think you can do it yourself. Morality comes from yourself and who you choose to be, which means that you don't need religion to be moral. It could be more difficult to follow your morals without a religion to help you keep in mind what they are, but it is still possible to be moral. I've grown up in a non-religious family and I've been taught morals through my family, which means that I know what my family expects of me. Knowing what your morals are and why you are doing them is one of the most helpful parts of keeping yourself from doing something immoral, which is why your family, a friend, really anything including religion can help to keep morality. Religion can help many people keep their morality, but it is not necessary to have to obtain morality.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete