The Morality of an Atheist

The world is full of people who do good and bad deeds.  There are those who terrorize and kill.  There are those who make it their life mission to cure world hunger.  Most of us are somewhere in between, trying to make ends meet so that our family can live more comfortably.  Morality is frequently esteemed as a religious convention.  Yet, there are morally good atheists and some of the most religious are also killers.  What many people don't see is that morality is independent of religious creed.

An introduction to philosophy class would tell us that morality is a fluid concept and that goodness and badness are dependent on cultural and societal norms, and can change over time.  There are any number of philosophies people conform to like consequentialism, utilitarianism, Marxism, Communism, Buddhism, Christianity, the Socratic method, humanism, absurdism, and social contract theory; each with their own moral questions.  There is not just one moral structure in use today.  Many religions like to tell us that morality is absolute with no areas of grey.  For instance, Christianity is proud of its commandments against killing, stealing, and lying of any kind.  The severity of the crime is not distinguished.  Killing lands you a spot in eternal damnation.  There are strict rules to follow in order to gain admittance into a paradise afterlife.  Second chances are given if one converts.

Atheism doesn't have a moral philosophy.  There isn't a book to tell atheists what to do during moral dilemmas. Having said that, many atheists tend to have a humanistic or utilitarian attitude.  Many atheists think that even though it is generally wrong to kill, steal, or lie, there are some instances where it is ethically acceptable to do so.  Little white lies to protect a friend's or family member's happiness isn't seen as a high crime.  In a secular society, such as the United States, there are laws, including Castle and Stand Your Ground, that say it's okay to use deadly force in order to protect oneself from the same fate.  We don't live in a world of absolutes.  It would be strange to witness one that equally punishes all of those who kill another, regardless of a reasonable explanation, like self defense.

Not only are there different moral structures, but morals change over time.  The evolution of American slavery is an example since it was once thought to be ethically sound to own slaves and kill them if they dissented.  Women are slowly gaining equal status to men across the world.  The Vatican is even considering a change in contraception acceptance and how Catholics should treat gay people.  Prominent atheists change how they speak about atheism; from a militant Richard Dawkins to a friendly Hemant Mehta.  Societies change.

There are many who think atheists are bad people.  Some think atheists eat babies.  Yet, just like Christians, Muslims, and Jews, a majority of atheists don't commit crimes.  Theists don't like that atheists commit religious sins since atheists don't follow religious etiquette and moral philosophy.  Nevertheless, atheists pay taxes, go to work, give to charities, marry, have kids, and help others.  Yet, they also get speeding tickets, lie, cheat, steal, and some kill.  Atheists are human too.

What is a Scientific Theory?

A scientific theory is an explanation of facts.  It explains why and how a set of facts work.  Often there is confusion on the use of the word, theory, because the word by itself can also mean an idea or opinion, and therefore can be up for debate.  A scientific theory, on the other hand, deals with real information that is not debatable.  For example, the theory of gravity explains why objects attract to each other.  If a person lets go of a ball, it will fall.  The theory of evolution explains how organisms adapt in a changing environment over time.  Fossils show this record of change.  Other theories include the big bang theory, climate change theory, and the theory of relativity.