Are atheists immoral?

"Not possessing a religious basis for morality, atheists are fundamentally incapable of having a coherent system of morality." -www.conservapedia.com (source link at bottom of post)

The site also continues to claim that atheists are more likely to view the following behaviors as being "morally acceptable"..

-illegal drug use
-excessive drinking
-sexual relationships outside of marriage
-abortion
-cohabitating with someone of opposite sex outside of marriage
-obscene language
-gambling
-pornography and obscene sexual behavior


While it pains me to admit it, conservapedia is right. Atheists are more likely to view the above behaviors as morally acceptable. The problem is not so much that atheists lack a religiously-based morality, but that our society is/has been too reliant on religious systems of morality. In other words, without God, we don't know why we should act morally (there are other reasons).

Yes, atheists are more likely to believe the listed behaviors as being morally acceptable. The problem is that, as a society, we have not accepted reasons for believing that such behaviors are morally wrong besides "God is watching". There are sociologically-based reasons for seeing that many of the listed behaviors are harmful (i.e. immoral). I address each point below...

Illegal drug use - If a drug is immoral to use only because it is illegal, this reflects a flaw in moral-reasoning, being that it is moral-relativism (which isn't true-morality at all). It can't be denied that certain illegal drug-use can be harmful to society, as well as some legal drugs. To determine if a drug is good for a society vs. harmful what must be looked at is its effects on society as a whole, along with the diversity of the ways people use it (which isn't always an easy task). For example, taking Tylenol can be good, but taking an entire bottle isn't. Many factors exist in this area, and require more than just 'black and white' thinking.

Excessive drinking - Excessive drinking obviously has harmful effects on a society's ability to function, causing it to be immoral.

Sexual relationships outside of marriage - While many atheists will strongly disagree (as should be expected), it is true that such behavior perhaps is immoral (i.e. causes societal harm). The family unit is the foundation of a society, and we can easily observe the high divorce rates as being linked to sexual relationships outside of marriage (at least in part). The problem is that the instant pleasure given by sex outside of marriage (or a relationship in general) blinds people to the long-term harm caused by such behavior (i.e. when someone cheats in a relationship). Marriage equates to committal, and this is a weak force in our society, and perhaps such a moral stance has societal advantages (which would make it a moral stance).

Abortion - I've written many blog posts about this subject. The practice of abortion can be shown to be destructive to society in multiple ways. One issue with abortion that I haven't blogged about is that it eliminates the fear of pregnancy while in a uncommitted relationship (see above point). Fear of pregnancy used to be a good way of pushing people into the right direction (finding long-term/committed relationships, and forming families). If you are curious what my other arguments are against abortion (I have many), just use the search bar at the top, or the 'labels' on the lower right-side.

Cohabitating with someone of opposite sex outside of marriage - It is important for a person to be committed to a relationship before cohabitation. The best way to show committal is through marriage/engagement. Many people end up in bad situations from being stuck with someone that they are not committed to, but have nowhere else to go. This moral issue has a lot of grey area, and I do not believe it is all that clear. Cohabitation is a great way to get to know a person better, but it is also a good way of getting stuck in a bad relationship, and not feeling free to leave (out of fear, etc.).

Obscene language - Certain "language" can cause harm to the functionality of a society (i.e. can be immoral). Words have meaning, and words can/do influence society in a positive or negative way. Speaking vulgarly is not "edgy", and it can be harmful in ways that can be subtle. Hearing obscene language can cause people to think in ways that they ordinarily wouldn't, and can ultimately lead them down immoral paths (i.e. destructive paths). Many atheists will disagree out of personal bias, but things such as musical lyrics do have a big impact on an individual's world-view (many atheists love their vulgar music). Most people are guilty of using offensive language (myself included), but it certainty can be problematic. If anything there is a time and place, and certain things should never be said (like much of the crap in contemporary music).

Gambling - Gambling addiction is very harmful to the functionality of a society (making it immoral). The word 'gamble' is much too broad however—we gamble virtually every day when we get out of bed (not to get hit by a car while crossing the street, etc.)

Pornography and obscene sexual behavior - The difference between pornography and prostitution is if the buyer is in the business of selling the footage. Pornography is prostitution, and prostitution is harmful to the functionality of a society in ways so obvious that I don't feel I need to elaborate. 

Yes, many atheists behave immorally. Not many people are able to claim that all of their behavior is beneficial to themselves and/or society. That said, atheists (and obviously others) need to do a better job, and be more thoughtful when it comes to the subject of morality. Just because religiously-based morality is based in fiction, doesn't mean morality itself is. Morality can be just as logically-based as anything else. Immorality exists on both sides (Christians make up a good majority in the United States), and as Jesus said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

Here is a link to the page on conservapedia (click me). Religion does not have a monopoly on morality. Their pseudo-morality needs to be challenged by atheists with secular, well thought-out morality.