I am an atheist and doing pretty well in life. So, I feel that one can do good without God but here I am thinking of the situation in terms of the conventional definition of God which usually lies in a figure or an idol for people. For me, God has always been an energy that guides me, directs me and helps me to come out of terrible situations. I have never believed in idol worship or finding God in any form. God is everywhere. For me, it is an energy and not someone I can impress through my prayers. I truly believe in the idea that 'God helps those who help themselves' which means you will get success only when you work hard for it, when you believe that you are worthy of getting the success not when you pray from God to give you all the happiness in life. Moreover, I feel that these days it's a trend to do anything in the name of God. People are becoming religious fanatics and superstition is increasing day by day. This is not a very soothing scenario especially when in the 21st century. God is in you and it depends on you whether you want to identify the God within you or you want to spend your life praying and worshiping idols. I chose the first option.
Dear User, First of all, we would like to thank you for posting your query on our website. And secondly, you have asked a pretty significant question! Considering the present scenario, the answer might seem really obvious. People find in God some sort of strength that allows them to live a life that is deserving, happy and successful. However, on the other side it will be very much arrogant as well as ignorant to say that people who do not believe in God do not live a healthy and/ or prosperous life. So, on one side, a few people feel they can absolutely do good without the concept of God while the others feel it is absolutely untrue to be good without the supreme power. They feel that without God is like not having morality. They assume that there is no good without God. While the others feel that one does not need God in order to be selfless, do good things and be considerate of others. Each and every one of us is capable of displaying a moral character and charity towards other while not expecting anything in return. People who assume that they can do good without God are accused to be assuming themselves above the supreme power. And such an act is filthy before the God.
But, all in all, every one of us has our own practical and basic reasons to believe in what seems obvious for us. Arguments are several and so are the answers. Theism is simply the morally advantageous belief that's developed without any theoretical arguments that in turn establishes atheism. One of it provides practical grounds to believe in God and believe that we cannot do good without him. The other accepts only theoretical arguments and says that we do not need God to be good and that the goodness can be achieved any which way! And in conclusion, it absolutely depends on your person vision of how you observe the case. And it depends on your personal experiences to develop a sense of belonging with the divine power or work your ways through your own hands!
We hope you will find the answer to what you have been looking for. Thank you for your query. We will be looking forward to more such interesting questions from your end. Thanking You, Team AskOpinion (Image Courtesy: 1.Catholic Television, 2. Ask Bible)
Can an atheist still be a person who lives their life with morals? What I am trying to think here is whether not believing in God make your life standards immoral. Is it possible that you still walk the correct path doing all the right things when you are not scared of some eternal power punishing you for doing the wrong? Many people often believe that atheism is synonyms with nihilism - rejection in the existence of God means rejection of morality in life. A person who does not pray to God must be devoid of right and wrong, if not totally evil. First, we need to see if morality still exists without God. Let us look at some scenarios and judge what we feel. Is it wrong to kill someone to steal their money? Is it wrong to witness a murder or rape and not act to stop it? Is it wrong to torture people to derive satisfaction?
If you say that morality cannot exist without God, you are trying to put pressure on the fact that above-stated acts would not be wrong if there was no God. It would be fair to inflict pain and torture on another human being without it being morally incorrect. But that is in fact far from being true. Now let us go deeper and have a look at your love for the people who are close to you. Your parents, children, partner, friends all will not have any moral value to you had there been an absence of God in your world. If their worth depended whether or not there is a God, these relationships would mean nothing to an atheist. But is that the case you think? A person's worth cannot be defined by the presence of an eternal power. If we say that without a divine being to review right and wrong, any amount of crimes are permissible and could go unpunished. But why do we need the judicial system if God is giving out all the punishments? But we have a well-defined system and crime would still be punishable even if there was no God. The sole purpose you act morally is that you dread a great spy camera in the air, observing your every movement and studying your every thought? You will not start walking around with a knife in your hand to threaten people if I told you today that there is no such camera keeping a track of your activities. But contrary to this fact for many people, including many atheists, the answer to Dostoevsky’s question ‘Without God ... It means everything is permitted now, one can do anything?’ is ‘Yes,’ in as much as ‘everything’ refers to acts of extreme immorality.” But that opinion is not based on what atheists actually believe. It only defines what people think of atheists. For atheists, the reason for being good is not to gain some profit out of it in the after-life. For them doing good is its own reason. When there is no afterlife, there are no do-overs or heavens to make things right. So why not make the best of this life itself.
I believe there is certain divine power without which this life has no meaning. Things did not start on their own. There must have been a certain source from where everything emanated. That source is a major evidence that lets me believe that God exists in this world. Though it is not visible, it is definitely present. I cannot be good about God, frankly speaking. I don’t know whether I will be able to do anything without God but I know that there is some power that turns me spiritually on. The divine spirit plays an important role in my life and will perhaps always do. Yes, there is no testimony to the existence of God yet I trust some external power that has been ruling this world ever since life was created. I am a believer in God and I have always been under his grace and never had any terrible instances in my life. Yes, some things have really changes the course of my life but He has also granted me the will power and integrity and courage to deal with the issues of my life. I cannot be good without God, I will ultimately need him within me or near me in some form of guidance.
God is a belief that keeps you from doing what's wrong. God is an intangible power that rules the world. One can be good without God if they can keep reminding themselves of the rights and wrongs of life.
I am an atheist and doing pretty well in life. So, I feel that one can do good without God but here I am thinking of the situation in terms of the conventional definition of God which usually lies in a figure or an idol for people. For me, God has always been an energy that guides me, directs me and helps me to come out of terrible situations. I have never believed in idol worship or finding God in any form. God is everywhere. For me, it is an energy and not someone I can impress through my prayers. I truly believe in the idea that 'God helps those who help themselves' which means you will get success only when you work hard for it, when you believe that you are worthy of getting the success not when you pray from God to give you all the happiness in life. Moreover, I feel that these days it's a trend to do anything in the name of God. People are becoming religious fanatics and superstition is increasing day by day. This is not a very soothing scenario especially when in the 21st century. God is in you and it depends on you whether you want to identify the God within you or you want to spend your life praying and worshiping idols. I chose the first option.
Dear User,
First of all, we would like to thank you for posting your query on our website. And secondly, you have asked a pretty significant question! Considering the present scenario, the answer might seem really obvious. People find in God some sort of strength that allows them to live a life that is deserving, happy and successful. However, on the other side it will be very much arrogant as well as ignorant to say that people who do not believe in God do not live a healthy and/ or prosperous life. So, on one side, a few people feel they can absolutely do good without the concept of God while the others feel it is absolutely untrue to be good without the supreme power. They feel that without God is like not having morality. They assume that there is no good without God. While the others feel that one does not need God in order to be selfless, do good things and be considerate of others. Each and every one of us is capable of displaying a moral character and charity towards other while not expecting anything in return. People who assume that they can do good without God are accused to be assuming themselves above the supreme power. And such an act is filthy before the God.
But, all in all, every one of us has our own practical and basic reasons to believe in what seems obvious for us. Arguments are several and so are the answers. Theism is simply the morally advantageous belief that's developed without any theoretical arguments that in turn establishes atheism. One of it provides practical grounds to believe in God and believe that we cannot do good without him. The other accepts only theoretical arguments and says that we do not need God to be good and that the goodness can be achieved any which way!
And in conclusion, it absolutely depends on your person vision of how you observe the case. And it depends on your personal experiences to develop a sense of belonging with the divine power or work your ways through your own hands!
We hope you will find the answer to what you have been looking for. Thank you for your query. We will be looking forward to more such interesting questions from your end.
Thanking You,
Team AskOpinion
(Image Courtesy: 1.Catholic Television, 2. Ask Bible)
Can an atheist still be a person who lives their life with morals?
What I am trying to think here is whether not believing in God make your life standards immoral. Is it possible that you still walk the correct path doing all the right things when you are not scared of some eternal power punishing you for doing the wrong? Many people often believe that atheism is synonyms with nihilism - rejection in the existence of God means rejection of morality in life. A person who does not pray to God must be devoid of right and wrong, if not totally evil. First, we need to see if morality still exists without God. Let us look at some scenarios and judge what we feel.
Is it wrong to kill someone to steal their money?
Is it wrong to witness a murder or rape and not act to stop it?
Is it wrong to torture people to derive satisfaction?
If you say that morality cannot exist without God, you are trying to put pressure on the fact that above-stated acts would not be wrong if there was no God. It would be fair to inflict pain and torture on another human being without it being morally incorrect. But that is in fact far from being true.
Now let us go deeper and have a look at your love for the people who are close to you. Your parents, children, partner, friends all will not have any moral value to you had there been an absence of God in your world. If their worth depended whether or not there is a God, these relationships would mean nothing to an atheist. But is that the case you think? A person's worth cannot be defined by the presence of an eternal power.
If we say that without a divine being to review right and wrong, any amount of crimes are permissible and could go unpunished. But why do we need the judicial system if God is giving out all the punishments? But we have a well-defined system and crime would still be punishable even if there was no God.
The sole purpose you act morally is that you dread a great spy camera in the air, observing your every movement and studying your every thought? You will not start walking around with a knife in your hand to threaten people if I told you today that there is no such camera keeping a track of your activities.
But contrary to this fact for many people, including many atheists, the answer to Dostoevsky’s question ‘Without God ... It means everything is permitted now, one can do anything?’ is ‘Yes,’ in as much as ‘everything’ refers to acts of extreme immorality.” But that opinion is not based on what atheists actually believe. It only defines what people think of atheists.
For atheists, the reason for being good is not to gain some profit out of it in the after-life. For them doing good is its own reason. When there is no afterlife, there are no do-overs or heavens to make things right. So why not make the best of this life itself.
I believe there is certain divine power without which this life has no meaning. Things did not start on
their own. There must have been a certain source from where everything emanated. That source is a
major evidence that lets me believe that God exists in this world. Though it is not visible, it is definitely
present. I cannot be good about God, frankly speaking. I don’t know whether I will be able to do
anything without God but I know that there is some power that turns me spiritually on. The divine spirit
plays an important role in my life and will perhaps always do. Yes, there is no testimony to the existence
of God yet I trust some external power that has been ruling this world ever since life was created. I am a
believer in God and I have always been under his grace and never had any terrible instances in my life.
Yes, some things have really changes the course of my life but He has also granted me the will power and
integrity and courage to deal with the issues of my life. I cannot be good without God, I will ultimately
need him within me or near me in some form of guidance.
God is a belief that keeps you from doing what's wrong. God is an intangible power that rules the world. One can be good without God if they can keep reminding themselves of the rights and wrongs of life.