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ATHEISTS / ATHEISM AND MORALITY
In reading atheist literature or web sites, atheists insist that they are moral people and that
human beings do not need a god to be moral. This site proposes that though they
and others can choose to be relatively decent people, they are far and
distant from the quality of morality fulfilled by "true" Christians.
The key word in
the above question is, “moral.” What is morality? Various sources define it
differently. This should not surprise us. Without a God-given moral code,
all humans have the right to decide for themselves what is right and what is
wrong, and if they, like the arch-atheist Nietzsche, want to propose that
“good is evil and evil is good,” who is to say otherwise.
Are there decent
people among atheists, therefore? Are there atheists who are kind and honest
and respectful of others? Most probably. Are they “always” kind, honest and
respectful? Probably not. If they choose to cheat on their “self-chosen”
ethics who will know? Who will they answer to, when they “deviate”? If they
want to rationalize their unethical actions (and the mind is an expert at
this, as Freud taught us) who will be there to present to them the opposite
viewpoint?
For truly “committed” Christians, deviating from God’s will is unacceptable.
If and when a deviation takes place because of weakness, the conscience will
quickly create “agonizing” guilt, which is often followed by repentance and
a return to the straight path. If an atheist commits adultery, for instance,
how much guilt will he or she feel afterward? How many rationalizations can
one come up with to commit adultery? Quite a few. If atheists choose to
cheat on their income taxes, rationalizing that the government is stealing
from them, will they feel guilt?
Atheists can
choose to be decent people and may succeed in doing so to a significant
extent, but they have human nature fighting against that choice. Carnal,
selfish human nature is at work in them as well as in religious people.
Carnal human nature will tempt them as well as it tempts sincere Christians.
True Christians have to create titanic mental distortions to escape the
mental condemnation-- atheists don’t. Atheists may actually choose to
continue in their actions and not necessarily feel guilty, because they
decide what is right or wrong and they can rationalize their actions
ad nauseam and their minds may go perfectly along.
Thus, atheists can
be “relatively" moral, but only God knows if and when they choose to
deviate from their “flexible” morality. Do they deviate? I have no doubt
that they do. And when they do, no one will be there to castigate them, and
thus it will be easier for them to deviate next time around.
Christians have a
Source to turn to, when temptations becomes too strong : God’s Spirit. They
will pray and they will receive “super-human” strength—if they are
sincerely converted that is. Tele Evangelists, and evil priests who have blackened the name of Christ are
not to be included in this group. Superficial, nominal Christians don’t
belong in it either. Hypocrites are an embarrassment to humanity as well as
the God Almighty.
This then is the
fundamental difference between converted Christians and atheists. The first
have a conscience that is continually instructed, strengthened and nurtured
by the Scriptures, and prayer, the latter do not. The first has a great
Source of power to turn to, to fight and defeat deceitful, selfish,
rationalization-prone human nature, the latter don’t. And this makes a
world of a difference.
The type of morality embraced by “genuine” Christians is not only a morality
of kindness and decency. It demands virtues that atheists do not have to be
subject to, and that most do not care about. Atheists don’t have to love and forgive they
who abuse them. They are not required to pray and wish the best for those
who mistreat them. They are not expected to turn the other cheek, and to
endure persecutions with a forgiving spirit. Atheists may choose to stay
faithful to their mate, but they are not required to never entertain
adulterous thoughts as Christ commanded. They can choose to indulge in
lusting after pornographic material or look lustfully at somebody else’s
wife, but the followers of Christ cannot. They can hate, but Christians are
told that that it is "never" allowed.
The morality of true Christians is a morality that is by far more demanding
and all encompassing. It not only deals with actions but with "thoughts" and
"attitudes." It is “higher-level” morality that requires spiritual help to
fulfill.
Can Atheists,
therefore, be moral? The answer is, "partially and
inconsistently." Higher-level morality is not achievable by atheists or
believers, unless there is "total" commitment to it, and unless it is nurtured
by God’s Word, prayer and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Anything less
than this will lead to temporary and inconsistent morality that will be
undermined by perceived need, outside pressures and carnal human nature.
Kind and decent atheists, therefore, have to be respected, if they choose
to follow such a path. They are to be admired if they are able to maintain
decency on a relatively consistent level. Yet, they are following an
"incomplete" path and they will need to come to the point where they will finally
admit to being weak in their attempts at being moral beings and that they
are in need of help from a Higher Power, if they are desirous to truly
achieve and experience higher-level morality on a consistent basis.
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