The behavioural minimum for morality include A sense of fairness, Empathy (The ability to understand and share feelings), Pro-social behaviour (Cooperativeness, reciprocity, a desire to reconcile conflict) No sacred scriptures are required, nor religions, nor gods required. That is not to say that Religion is not a significant aspect of human culture (as just about every culture incorporates the sacred as well as the profane, and that it satisfies a number of admittedly beneficial and benign human needs, in contrast to the baneful aspects of religion). Morality Without Religion
Unfortunately not everyone is capable of this without following a set of rules. There are people who don’t do bad things because of fear of punishment, societal or spiritual. When the spiritual threat of punishment is gone and the societal threat of punishment breaks down those people become very dangerous.
If you need the threat of burning in hell for all of eternity to be a good person, then you aren't a good person.
You always need some way to both pass on a sense of morality to the next generation and in some coherent manner that all agree to and is accepted by all. That usually requires that it be codified and taught by some grouping beyond the family and be enforced on those that either due to "developmental" faults or mental abilities are unable to conform with the group norms. While I am the first to admit that religion as a basis has a lot of faults and some versions of the reality taught by certain groups is distasteful and downright dangerous. The track records of societies that removed it from religion and reverted to a written law taught by the education system and enforced by law are not performing well either. I think that until we mature more as a society, the jury is out on any system of morality. The present "me" generation has rejected most of our common values and replaced them with a sense of a self center bias that only they and their views count. Most legal systems and those involved in the operation of the system have in the long run been captured by some group in the society. I have met more honest church leaders than lawyers in my life. The real problem is that in fact no one has ever solved the problem of how a group should coexist. Some systems have been reasonably successful for the majority of the individuals, but so far no one has developed a system that is both fair and totally inclusive. We have not up until this point in our existence been able to come up with an all knowing team of fair minded moderators to act as judges in the game of life. In fact much of the conflict in our past has been between the different groups of moderators and their desire to have the ultimate power over how a society operators. Christian, Moslem, Mao, King, any ideology or government in general have killed and enslaved most people thru history in order to maintain or expand their view of morality.
Do you know how many people obey the law because they REALLY don't want to go to jail! Also, lots of folks REALLY don't want to go to HELL! There is an old saying, "I say there ain't no heaven, but I pray there ain't no hell"!
Unfortunately the default setting on most people is not good. I’m not saying its evil either… Most people do what they do out of self interest, true altruism is exceedingly rare.
Humans will instinctively default to the level of behavior that society will allow and will continue that behavioral pattern until corrected. They will emulate their parents or the tribe they wish to be accepted by.
I am optimistic that religion is not strictly needed. But I cannot be a hundred percent sure because there is no human society where religion is totally absent so we really have never tried this experiment. The above copied from link provided. While we may have never seen a culture absent of religion, we do have examples of what happens to societies when one turns their back on Faith in God. Seeing what's happened in Oregon, tells me there are a lot of people walking around in life with blinders on and in denial of the consequences when people are allowed to do as they please. I'm optimistic that things will get worse before they get better, as long as things aren't changed here in Oregon. My opinion is based on other's actions.
Satan's destiny was established after his rebellion. Man's destiny was established after his rebellion. Same sin same destiny. The absence/rejection of God's influence = is sin. Jesus took the punishment for this sin and provided the Holy Spirit to teach God's will in His place, there by having access to His influence.
Morality....Wow....Morality......your kidding me...right???? Ok...let us talk about Morality.... Now..in my pocket ..currently I have residing a 1921 real silver dollar....90% fine silver and ten percent alloy.... I know by olde treasury records in one of the Titles of the US Codes annotated that a half dollar was half the weight of a real silver ...silver dollar...again 90% fine. And a quarter...was one fourth the weight of a real silver dollar.....and four quarters...newly minted weighed what a real silver dollar weighed ..yes??? And ten dimes in silver weighed what a silver dollar weighed....and some time back we had Half 'dimes...wherein 20 Half Dimes weighed what a real silver dollar weighed. What this did was conform to a system of Just weights and measures according to the Bible...not a measure great and a measure small....according to Deut 25....13 through 15. These coins said on them ..." In God We Trust." Now...remember this ...what we had in silver and gold coinage was a Biblical system of Just weights and measures....in silver and also in gold....and also in copper to the penny weight. Now ...think about something further than the Kardashians and or ESPN or whatever drivel they are feeding us next... And that is.......today we have educated ...degreed people...of letters...who have come up with a Susan B. Anthony dollar which is two thirds the size and weight of a 50 cent piece yet claims to be worth twice as much...... Ever seen anything so stupid.....I mean incredibly stupid... This is a system of Unjust weights and measures..and still says on it ..." In God We Trust" The God of the Bible requires Just weights and measures...but we have in our coinage a system of unjust weights and measures. Give me the name or the god of Unjust weights and measures Please???? By name please.. Now give me the name of the god of the United States Government...men of letters...of advanced degrees????? When did they switch gods and why did they not tell the public ???? Remember what I keep trying to say....are we supposed to ever think off script and are we ever supposed to tell others???? Da Tovarich????? Be very very warned these Ishmaelites....and even people of degrees...letters next to their names. It often means that when they lie to us their lies are more believable than the rest of us.... Teach yourself to think outside the box of where and why they want and need to keep us herded like cattle. Control of the money supply is historically one way this is done for control...and herding...power. Now...what about Morality????????? MY non Ishmaelite .02, Orangetom
