Understanding morality

Many theists tend to be critical of those who have beliefs different from their own. The most common form of this criticism centers around the idea that atheists are inherently immoral. Sects of fundamental Christians claim that because atheists lack moral guidance in the form of a deity, they are destined to be bad human beings. In other cases this criticism is directed at members of a different religion, such as Islam or Buddhism. Now don't get me wrong, I am sure that members of other religions share similarly negative views about Christians and non-theists, but, living in the United States, specifically the Bible Belt, this trend is most observable in Christian theists.

I have heard countless times: "How can Atheists do good if they don't have to worry about going to Hell?" Observation of this sentiment is disturbing. It implies that the only reason the good is done is to avoid punishment. It also implies that doing bad is naturally more desirable.

The simple refutation is that morality precedes religion. The difference between good and bad is tied to survival and how advanced our society is. As primitive creatures, if killing your neighbor meant feeding your family, there probably wasn't much thought put into it. Only once we became smart enough to work together did the rule of law come into play. We had to first understand our environment and create a culture before we were able to judge moral dilemmas.

People do good things because it makes them feel good about themselves. People do bad things when they choose not to care about the world around them. These decisions are made by individuals in any given moment. Linking this decision making to religious guidance is ill-founded and dangerous. The reality is that our actions and thoughts are determined by the scientific compositions of our brains and our life experiences. Understanding the root of morality is essential to living a moral life.