Atheist Morality

Comment

Comment by Geraldo Cienmarcos on November 16, 2011 at 8:58am

Distrust Feeds Anti-Atheist Prejudice - Miller-McCune
Research finds atheists are widely perceived as untrustworthy, which may be a factor in why they're disliked more than other minorities.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/.../distrust-powers-anti-atheist-preju...

"People use cues of religiosity as a signal for trustworthiness," the researchers write in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Given that “trustworthiness is the most valued trait in other people,” this mental equation engenders a decidedly negative attitude toward nonbelievers.

There is no actual evidence backing up the assumption that atheism somehow leads to a decline in morality. In a 2009 study, sociologist Phil Zuckerman argued that "a strong case could be made that atheists and secular people actually possess a stronger or more ethical sense of social justice than their religious peers," adding that they, on average, have "lower levels of prejudice, ethnocentrism, racism and homophobia" than the much larger population of believers.

Comment by Dallas Gaytheist on October 25, 2011 at 12:59pm

Ethics Matter: A Conversation with Peter Singer

Utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer lives up to his beliefs, giving away 25-30 percent of his income to alleviate absolute poverty, and defending animal rights--or as he puts it, "extending equality beyond the species boundary." Here are his thoughts on these topics and more.

Since 1999 he has been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University.

Listen to the podcast here.

Comment by Dallas Gaytheist on September 21, 2011 at 1:03pm

Comment by Dallas Gaytheist on July 10, 2011 at 9:02pm

Book titles I've recently come across as citations in an article. I've not read these, so this is not an endorsement. Just passing the info along.  - Dallas

 

The Myth of Morality

Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong

Whatever Happened to Good and Evil?

Beyond Morality

Foundations of Ethics: An Anthology

Moral Skepticisms

Comment by mike on March 28, 2011 at 10:37am

i always roll my eyes when the morality topic comes up.  atheist have the  moral high ground, by this i mean,,we dont do things or not do things out of fear of punishment .

the other avenue,i school the theist in,is that most of the prison population in the usa,is god believers. with over 17% of americans being atheist agnostic or non religous. we would have more than a 1% prison population,if god belief gave you morals and standards. clearly critical thinking educated people ,are less likely to go to prison.

ill end by saying,,morals are based on culture. what is deamed moral in one culture is not so in another.

Comment by Dallas Gaytheist on March 10, 2011 at 1:06pm

If you are in need of a good laugh, please take the time to check out the entry on Morality on Conservapedia. Bwahahahahaha!

 

http://www.conservapedia.com/Morality

Comment by Geraldo Cienmarcos on November 28, 2010 at 11:50am

Why Religious Believers Are So Desperate for the Atheist Seal of Approval

Many religious believers are intent on getting atheists' approval for their beliefs. If you're hoping for that -- don't hold your breath.

READ MORE

http://www.alternet.org/story/148984/

Comment by Geraldo Cienmarcos on October 29, 2010 at 10:57pm

Frans de Waal and Jeffrey Schloss on empathy in primates and humans

Frans de Waal and Jeffrey Schloss
in discussion.

http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/19818

topics discussed:
Percontations: Humanity's Primate Heritage
Human nature, primate nature, animal nature
What's so special about human empathy?
Why not have sex at every opportunity?
The "altruism is a meme" meme
Can you live a morally good life solely on the basis of religion?
Is morality a self-deception?

Frans de Waal is the of
"Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved"

I have a quote, which is a favorite of mine, from Stephen Jay Gould that fits here:

" History is made by warfare, greed, lust for power, hatred, and zenophobia... . We therefore often assume that these obviously human traits define our essential nature. How often have we been told that 'man' is, by nature, aggressive and selfishly acquisitive? " ... What do we see on any ordinary day on the streets or in the homes of any American City -- even in the subways of New York? Thousands of tiny and insignificant acts of kindness and consideration. We step aside to let someone pass, smile at a child, chat aimlessly with an acquaintance or even with a stranger. At most moments, on most days, in most places, what do you ever see of the dark side -- perhaps a parent slapping a child or a teenager on a skateboard cutting off an old lady? ... I'm only trying to make a statistical point."
Stephen Jay Gould. (essay collection) Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History. "Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness," p. 280

Comment by Geraldo Cienmarcos on October 20, 2010 at 10:08pm

Christian Right Insiders Reveal Racism, Virulent Anti-Immigrant Attitudes and Homophobia in Prominent Religious Right Group

"I'd much rather be working in the secular world than for a ministry," said the founder's former secretary, still a conservative and devout Christian. "The secular world is nicer."

READ MORE
http://www.alternet.org/belief/148488/

Comment by Alex McCullie on August 25, 2010 at 8:51pm

I read three huffingtonpost articles by Matt Rossano: Understanding Religion Through the Lens of Relationships, Why Religion Is Not Delusion, and Augustine of Hippo: A Role Model for Intelligent Faith. I like his psychological take on religious belief and why 'rational' arguments will not dissuade believers. I made a similar point during a public lecture I made on Naturalism to a local atheist group.

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