An atheist cannot by definition be moral, because moral law emanates from God.
It’s been said that if the only way you can conduct yourself in a moral manner is to believe that there’s a Divine presence above you judging you, you have no morals. You’re a sociopath. While one could argue the details, the idea that atheist by definition can’t be moral is as thoroughly offensive as it is incorrect. I believe a convincing argument could be made that, if anything, atheists are more likely to conduct themselves in a morally acceptable manner because it’s a matter of personal conviction, not the fear of Divine retribution.
Corrigan’s arrogant and ridiculous statement smacks of the hyper-religious arrogance characteristic of members of the American Taliban. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry once famously said, “Freedom OF religion doesn’t mean freedom FROM religion.” Right; you’re free to choose…but you have to choose, as if the failure to have what one might consider an Imaginary Friend renders one “less than” and a failure as a moral being. It’s not a stretch to believe that narrow-minded bigotry directed at those who don’t acknowledge the existence of God is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination. Though the Constitution proscribes religious litmus tests as a qualification for public office, just try running for office as an open atheist. Before long, your fitness to serve will be questioned and your moral standards parsed to the nth degree.
Fmr Man in Extremist Christian Group Unloads on How Fundamentalism Turns Men Into 'A**holes' http://t.co/F8CCNyEO2S pic.twitter.com/vK1rP4OzHy
— AlterNet (@AlterNet) June 5, 2015
Call me silly, but I grew up believing that the purpose of religion was to help provide meaning and purpose to life. It was supposed to be a framework for helping make the world a better, kinder, more equitable place. Somewhere along the way, it was hijacked by zealots. These amoral megalomaniacs use religion as a means to seize and maintain power and dominion over those willing to subject themselves to the dictates of those so corrupt and venal that they’d attempt to control others.
Religion isn’t about following the dictates of those who declare themselves to be holy and divinely blessed. It’s not about controlling those willing to cede control over their lives to an unseen force…a force constantly in need of money- lots and lots of money (Take a bow, Creflo Dollar).
Religion isn’t even about morality, though the teachings of most faiths lend themselves well to living a moral life. Morality is about doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. It’s about recognizing that we have a responsibility to one another to play well and get along. If you need to believe in a Supreme Being in order to behave in a moral manner, you’re a pretty sorry excuse for a human being.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with believing in God- in whatever form you happen to believe- IF you honestly follow the teachings of that belief system. If your morality and ability to play well with others is dependent on belief in that Higher Power, you have far bigger problems then you realize.
