Can there be a standard of morality without God? The religious would vehemently declare no! According to conventional thinking, the absence of God would leave a vacuum in moral standards, which, in turn, would lead to utter and complete chaos and violence throughout society. That would beg the question. Without God, would it be alright to murder?
The common denominator of all religions is the belief in a supreme being and a belief in an afterlife. In accordance with those beliefs is the belief that if you follow God's rules, you will be rewarded in the afterlife; and if you disobey God's rules, you will be punished in the afterlife. In the christian religion, the fifth of the ten commandments clearly states, "Thou shalt not kill." Murder someone and you will spend an eternity in Hell without the possibility of parole.
In discussing morality, let us examine the crime of murder. The overwhelming majority of human beings do not murder.Why not? There are 3 reasons: 1) It is against God's law. 2) Society has laws against murder. 3) The vast majority of human beings understand that it is innately wrong to take another human life.
Believers would tell us that in a world without God, the murder rate would explode. True? I contend it would not. Tens of thousands of years ago, when early homo sapiens emerged from their caves, they formed cohesive social groups for the purpose of security and survival. They had no concept of a supreme being to guide them. They did, however, understand that certain behaviors, like murder and thievery, were detrimental to their welfare. Therefore, the survival of the group became the measure of morality for early man.
Therein lies the governing principle. Yes, there can be morality without a belief in God. Human kind, not a supreme being, becomes the standard of morality.That which aides and promotes the security, prosperity and fulfillment of humankind is moral. That which endangers the security and fulfillment of humankind is immoral.
One final note. Believers claim there can be no moral standards if God does not exist. But God cannot be held as a standard of morality. Why Not? Because by his very nature, God is incapable of immoral action. If he had the capacity to engage in immoral action, he wouldn't be God. Therefore, he cannot be a standard of morality because he is amoral, just as animals are amoral. Are dogs, cats, elephants, fruit flies capable of immoral acts? Of course not, because they are not volitional beings. They are driven and directed by pure instinct.hardwired into their brains.As a result, animals cannot be held up as a standard of morality; nor can a supreme being whose very nature--just like animals--precludes him from acting immorally.
The innate nature of human beings ultimately demands order over chaos, security over terror, and a code of conduct that protects the people we love and cherish. That is the basis for morality.
