Ethical atheists and supernaturalism
If supernaturalism is true, how can atheists behave in a consistently moral way?
If religion is the only basis of ethics, it would seem that people who have no faith can have no basis for their moral judgements, and nowhere to turn for guidance on how to live.
But atheists do behave in a consistent moral way, so where do such people get their morality from?
And since atheists and believers totally disagree on the foundations underpinning moral rules, it's surely strange that they so often agree on matters of right and wrong - since they have no common basis for moral judgements, any agreement on moral rules must be coincidence.
One response the supernaturalist might offer is that the atheist does derive his or her ethics from God, even though they are unaware of it. The supernaturalist might say that not believing in God does not mean the atheist would have no awareness of a God-based ethics, and hence their agreement can be explained despite the atheist's different beliefs.
Constructionism devalues God-based ethics
Some who are observant followers of a religion accept that God is a human construction and not a supernatural being.
If this is so, then God-based ethics are no different from humanly constructed ethics based on cultural traditions and rituals.
Different Gods leads to moral disagreement
Since there are many different religions, with different understandings of God and different moral codes, God-based ethics is bound to produce moral disagreement.
God-based ethics provides no way of dealing with ethical conflicts between different religions.
Fearing God as a basis for good behaviour
People may follow the rules of God-based ethics because they are fearful of being punished by God in this life or in some afterlife.
Many theologians teach that a fear- and power-based relationship with God is an inappropriate relationship to have with a loving God and leads to a bad spiritual life.
Many theologians and ethicists argue that such a relationship with God provides a bad model for human power and family relationships.
People may follow the rules of God-based ethics simply because they wish to behave in a way that pleases God.
This is a more helpful model for human power and family relationships.
If supernaturalism is true, how can atheists behave in a consistently moral way?
If religion is the only basis of ethics, it would seem that people who have no faith can have no basis for their moral judgements, and nowhere to turn for guidance on how to live.
But atheists do behave in a consistent moral way, so where do such people get their morality from?
And since atheists and believers totally disagree on the foundations underpinning moral rules, it's surely strange that they so often agree on matters of right and wrong - since they have no common basis for moral judgements, any agreement on moral rules must be coincidence.
One response the supernaturalist might offer is that the atheist does derive his or her ethics from God, even though they are unaware of it. The supernaturalist might say that not believing in God does not mean the atheist would have no awareness of a God-based ethics, and hence their agreement can be explained despite the atheist's different beliefs.
Constructionism devalues God-based ethics
Some who are observant followers of a religion accept that God is a human construction and not a supernatural being.
If this is so, then God-based ethics are no different from humanly constructed ethics based on cultural traditions and rituals.
Different Gods leads to moral disagreement
Since there are many different religions, with different understandings of God and different moral codes, God-based ethics is bound to produce moral disagreement.
God-based ethics provides no way of dealing with ethical conflicts between different religions.
Fearing God as a basis for good behaviour
People may follow the rules of God-based ethics because they are fearful of being punished by God in this life or in some afterlife.
Many theologians teach that a fear- and power-based relationship with God is an inappropriate relationship to have with a loving God and leads to a bad spiritual life.
Many theologians and ethicists argue that such a relationship with God provides a bad model for human power and family relationships.
People may follow the rules of God-based ethics simply because they wish to behave in a way that pleases God.
This is a more helpful model for human power and family relationships.