HOW DO ATHEISTS/AGNOSTICS/NON-BELIEVERS DETERMINE RIGHT FROM WRONG?????

[arthurfleminger]

All believers, in any creed, have references as to what is right and wrong. For instance, Jews and Christians have the Judeo/Christian values. We get these values from the teaching from Scritpure and the Church.

So, if I'm an atheist/agnostic/non-believer/humanist/secularist, how do I determine my moral code, right from wrong? If life on earth is just a random coincidence, how could there be any right or wrong and what would it matter?

 

[studentoftheword]

We have a conscience -----the Gentiles were never under the God's Laws ------ but they knew right from wrong as their conscience bears witness to that

 

[Dino246]

Great question. I wonder if any atheists will step in and answer for themselves.

 

[arthurfleminger]

We have a conscience -----the Gentiles were never under the God's Laws ------ but they knew right from wrong as their conscience bears witness to that

StudentoftheWord, as a fellow Christian, I fully agree with your point of view. However, atheists/agnostics/secularists/non-believers absolutely reject the notion that 'God's Law' is written on their hearts. They don't believe in God, so how could they believe that God's law is written on their hearts?

So, back to my original question; if I'm atheist.....etc.... how do I determine my 'moral code of ethics'. And without a God, why should there be any moral code at all?

 

[oyster67]

So, if I'm an atheist/agnostic/non-believer/humanist/secularist, how do I determine my moral code, right from wrong? If life on earth is just a random coincidence, how could there be any right or wrong and what would it matter?

It (truth) is written into their members, hard wired into their brain.

Atheist = Liar in denial of what he knows is the truth.

Romans 1
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

 

[oyster67]

atheists/agnostics/secularists/non-believers absolutely reject the notion that 'God's Law' is written on their hearts.

That is correct. One cannot reject something unless they know it is there to reject. They willfully and knowingly reject. They are without excuse. Their rejection of something does not change what they know to be real.

They don't believe in God

They say they don't believe in God. God says they are liars.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

All believers, in any creed, have references as to what is right and wrong. For instance, Jews and Christians have the Judeo/Christian values. We get these values from the teaching from Scritpure and the Church.

So, if I'm an atheist/agnostic/non-believer/humanist/secularist, how do I determine my moral code, right from wrong? If life on earth is just a random coincidence, how could there be any right or wrong and what would it matter?

I don't hold to judeo values. I hold to Biblical values. People ask what box to put me in and I tell them that I'm a Biblicist. Those in Israel generally do not believe the Bible, Old or New Testament. The same is true of American Jews.

As for atheists and other assorted heathens, "they do that which is right in their own eyes."

 

[John146]

As for atheists and other assorted heathens, "they do that which is right in their own eyes."

Bingo! We have a winner.

 

[oyster67]

As for atheists and other assorted heathens, "they do that which is right in their own eyes."

And what is "right in their own eyes" is to live for self and reject the lordship of their Maker.

 

[GRACE_ambassador]

As for atheists and other assorted heathens, "they do that which is right in their own eyes."

Yes, In God's Sight ALL that UNbelievers do is sin!:

Pro_21:4 "An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin."

No wonder, then, that it is SO Great to go from 100% sinful to
100% FORGIVEN, eh?

Grace, Peace, And JOY In Christ, And In His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided(+ I and II)!

 

[Eli1]

Usually there aren’t any atheists in Christian boards because they’re either jerks or trolls or some get banned for asking legitimate questions.
Like with any group , including Christians you gotta take the good with the bad.
Since I do a lot of talks with atheists I can answer some of their thinking.

According to atheists or naturalists, morality is an ever evolving societal consensus.
‘Although I don’t use morality as a talking point with atheists, Its fun talking to them about this because the discussion ends at “we all live in our heads and maybe you don’t know if you exist”.
This conundrum gets them thinking a bit and then they wonder if there’s a higher morality, like God’s morality.

 

[oyster67]

jerks or trolls or some get banned for asking legitimate questions.

It is a crying shame that many members cannot discern the difference.

 

[arthurfleminger]

Usually there aren’t any atheists in Christian boards because they’re either jerks or trolls or some get banned for asking legitimate questions.
Like with any group , including Christians you gotta take the good with the bad.
Since I do a lot of talks with atheists I can answer some of their thinking.

According to atheists or naturalists, morality is an ever evolving societal consensus.
‘Although I don’t use morality as a talking point with atheists, Its fun talking to them about this because the discussion ends at “we all live in our heads and maybe you don’t know if you exist”.
This conundrum gets them thinking a bit and then they wonder if there’s a higher morality, like God’s morality.

Eli1, you say, "According to atheists or naturalists, morality is an ever evolving societal consensus. "

I suspect that is the case. But if it is the case, then the Nazi murders of millions of Jews and others was morally correct as 'societal consensus' deemed it so. Same with slavery, as society accepted it.

There are many societies that condoned mass murders, such as communist China and Russia. Their murders far exceeded Hitler's. And these murders were done with full approval of these country's societal norms.

So, how can 'societal consensus' possibly be seriously looked at as a source of morality?

 

[oyster67]

According to atheists or naturalists, morality is an ever evolving societal consensus.
‘Although I don’t use morality as a talking point with atheists, Its fun talking to them about this because the discussion ends at “we all live in our heads and maybe you don’t know if you exist”.
This conundrum gets them thinking a bit and then they wonder if there’s a higher morality, like God’s morality.

I am so glad that we have God's Written Word for an anchor of absolute truth.

 

[oyster67]

So, how can 'societal consensus' possibly be seriously looked at as a source of morality?

There was an undercurrent of fear that formed some social consensuses. Other's were underpinned by bigotry, selfishness, and pride. These negative SCs did not form in a vacuum. Without God's aid, men cannot see the forest for the trees. I do, however, believe that God has given all men enough sight to see that something is wrong.

 

[Eli1]

Eli1, you say, "According to atheists or naturalists, morality is an ever evolving societal consensus. "

I suspect that is the case. But if it is the case, then the Nazi murders of millions of Jews and others was morally correct as 'societal consensus' deemed it so. Same with slavery, as society accepted it.

There are many societies that condoned mass murders, such as communist China and Russia. Their murders far exceeded Hitler's. And these murders were done with full approval of these country's societal norms.

So, how can 'societal consensus' possibly be seriously looked at as a source of morality?

Yeah so according to atheists this is just fair game. It’s about societal popularity. Hitler, Stalin, nuclear bomb in Japan, all fair game.
‘And on a personal level they say that “I don’t want to hurt anybody but I don’t accept any views other than mine’.
So this means they live in their head detached from reality.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

And what is "right in their own eyes" is to live for self and reject the lordship of their Maker.

I've talked to atheists, most of whom had decided that after years in the atheist's indoctrination centers of so called"higher learning.". Parents think that they are helping their children by letting them take foolish liberal arts classes in philosophy and religion and anthropology. Then they have taken nearly two decades of hard work and love and given it to the devil. It's sad to see. Some of these atheist agreed with my observation after talking with them. Many make themselves into the god of their own image. Others make "science so called" their god. When they rejected the true God of the Bible and His creation, they decided to pick whichever standards they most highly valued. That was usually self, or sometimes liberal academia. If I had them as students, I eventually learned that they were amoral and did as they pleased, while seeing themselves right in their own eyes. One had sociopathic behaviors. If I get back to teaching, Lord willing, I plan to share the gospel with any more of these I learn of. After that, I will send them on their way if they don't trust Christ as Savior. Only the Holy Spirit and His Word can change these types, and I don't plan to waste time casting pearls before swine. There are normal people that need my services more.

 

[john832]

Not too complicated…

Gen 2:9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Deciding right from wrong apart from the revealed standards (God’s Law) given to us by God.

 

[oyster67]

There are normal people that need my services more.

It would be interesting to discuss this "normal".

 

[1ambassador]

All believers, in any creed, have references as to what is right and wrong. For instance, Jews and Christians have the Judeo/Christian values. We get these values from the teaching from Scritpure and the Church.

So, if I'm an atheist/agnostic/non-believer/humanist/secularist, how do I determine my moral code, right from wrong? If life on earth is just a random coincidence, how could there be any right or wrong and what would it matter?

Any non-believer in the Christ of God: Jesus, the Christ (as John 3; John 14:6; John 17; Romans 8; 1 Jn. 5:10-12; etc.) is in darkness toward our Creator-God, and thus will perish in their sinful and worldly state. God says: "ye must be born again". Our Holy Bible as in the Gospel books makes salvation clear; but atheists and such religionists will surely perish when they die, if not found in trusting the Lord Jesus now as their savior and lord of their life!
It will surely "matter" as one queries here, as to their eternal destiny.

- 1ambassador