Yes. This is an interesting thing. Atheists and those of other religions MAY reject the God of the Bible based on having their "own" moral compass, but... where did that moral compass come from?
AND it's very convenient for US to claim it came from the God of the Bible, but... if not, where did it come from?
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@O'Darby III
Few atheists reject biblical morality in broad terms. They may disagree on specifics, such as LGBTQ rights, but so do Christians. They don't reject the God of the Bible because they have a wildly different morality but because they don't think he exists. And biblical morality overlaps to a large extent with the morality of other religions and belief systems, some of which atheists are quite friendly toward.
The innate sense of right and wrong could come from a creator who is common to all humans but is not, in fact, the God of Christianity. Or much of it could be the product of evolution or simply of human consensus arrived at as humans have adapted to living in social environments.
Christians can't avoid thinking this is all attributable to the God in whom we believe. But, certainly, morality existed before there was any Bible. I don't reject the notion of a creator having instilled some basic moral compass within us, but notions of right and wrong have varied so widely throughout human history that I do think morality is mostly a flexible concept that is arrived at on the basis of human consensus.
The Humanist Manifesto, which is pretty much a statement of atheist morality, really isn't too bad. The Christian objection would be: Human nature being what it is, you will never achieve these aspirations without the transforming effect of religion, as every unsuccessful experiment in communal utopian living has shown.
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
The lifestance of Humanism—guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and informed by experience—encourages us to live life well and fully. It evolved through the ages and continues to develop through the efforts of thoughtful people who recognize that values and ideals, however carefully wrought, are subject to change as our knowledge and understandings advance.
Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis. Humanists find that science is the best method for determining this knowledge as well as for solving problems and developing beneficial technologies. We also recognize the value of new departures in thought, the arts, and inner experience—each subject to analysis by critical intelligence.
Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change. Humanists recognize nature as self-existing. We accept our life as all and enough, distinguishing things as they are from things as we might wish or imagine them to be. We welcome the challenges of the future, and are drawn to and undaunted by the yet to be known.
Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience. Humanists ground values in human welfare shaped by human circumstances, interests, and concerns and extended to the global ecosystem and beyond. We are committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices in a context of freedom consonant with responsibility.
Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals. We aim for our fullest possible development and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies, and even in the inevitability and finality of death. Humanists rely on the rich heritage of human culture and the lifestance of Humanism to provide comfort in times of want and encouragement in times of plenty.
Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships. Humanists long for and strive toward a world of mutual care and concern, free of cruelty and its consequences, where differences are resolved cooperatively without resorting to violence. The joining of individuality with interdependence enriches our lives, encourages us to enrich the lives of others, and inspires hope of attaining peace, justice, and opportunity for all.
Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness. Progressive cultures have worked to free humanity from the brutalities of mere survival and to reduce suffering, improve society, and develop global community. We seek to minimize the inequities of circumstance and ability, and we support a just distribution of nature’s resources and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy a good life.
Humanists are concerned for the well being of all, are committed to diversity, and respect those of differing yet humane views. We work to uphold the equal enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties in an open, secular society and maintain it is a civic duty to participate in the democratic process and a planetary duty to protect nature’s integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner.
Thus engaged in the flow of life, we aspire to this vision with the informed conviction that humanity has the ability to progress toward its highest ideals. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of world in which we live is ours and ours alone.
