Does religion give people better morality?

[deathking]

We're not moral because it says to be in a fuckin' book, or because Jesus said so. We're moral because we've learnt that it's the best way to live harmoniously.

I partially agree with you. Moral conscience is a learning process in which we interact with society in a health relationship. The ethics we obtain are those that benefit us as individuals and that benefit society as a whole.

However, this is not to say religions do not promote morality. People tend to have stronger conviction and commitment when they believe.

As the ancient Maxim goes, Willing discipline always beats forced discipline.

speaking on a societal level, religion help many individuals reconcil with their actions and promote healthier lifestyle and value.

[Vykromond]

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is."
- Albert Camus

This is actually Pascal's Wager, attributing it to Camus is kind of lame.

Even if it were true, you could at most argue that it is a bad thing to be nationless, raceless and be in the process of building a tower to the heavens.

i lold

[MetalHeadz]

The ethics we obtain are those that benefit us as individuals and that benefit society as a whole.

Pre-fucking-cisely. The longevity of an ethical code which helps humanity survive, by it's very nature, is greater than one which is does not. It's social evolution. We've molded our way of life on the lessons learnt in the past by cultures that didn't survive because they did not conform to overall productive, democratic and fair society. See, Nazi Germany.

We've learnt that peace is something to strive for because we know the horrors and back lashes of war - not because Jesus said War was bad. This is true of every ethical stance we have as Western societies in the present, even the basic, 'biblical' ones such as 'Don't kill'. We don't kill people, on the whole, not because religion says not to, that's absurd. We don't kill people even because the law says not to. We don't kill people because deep down we've associated killing someone with a negative feeling; it's not a beneficial notion. The 'gag reflex' is evidential of this.

[Facetious]

Well, how about the declaration of independence? Or the magna carta? It's not just the pledge of allegiance - but the influence this "God" had on western morality is undeniable.

Well in my mind, of course, the Bible didn't just come out of nowhere either, on this one we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Galleleo]

I am not gonna make a lot of fancy quotes and stuff, but here ya go:

mhz: The Big Bang is a theory which is supported by indirect evidence, but it can't be proven as a fact. It's only a conclusion reached by scientist on circumstantial evidence. Taken from wikipedia:

"and its discovery led to general acceptance among physicists that the Big Bang is the best model for the origin and evolution of the universe."

It's the best model, but it can't be proven as a fact that it is a correct model. It's a generally accepted model. You can't prove that God doesn't exist, just because you can prove that the bible is full of shit, doesn't mean God doesn't exist.

You seem to be one of those people that want proof for everything before they believe anything, and I feel sorry that you leave no room at all for the wonderous things of the world, those magical moments and happenings we can't explain (yet) cause it makes life so much better, to know that there is more out there then you can explain. I don't believe in a God, but I see the evolution doing it's work, I see natural things and I wonder where it all comes from, how come it works like this. And that is why I like the nature, I can still see the wonders of nature without going: well, you see it's the sunlight that does this, and then that happens, which has this reaction, so that that comes bla bla bla..

And Bio: Before the bible ever came into existence their were tons of other nations around with their own morals and such. Just because the bible wrote about them, doesn't mean that my values are not my own. I want people to be free to do whatever they want, the bible doesn't. If people are gay, let them be gay, let them get married, let them adopt kids. If someone wants an abortion, let her get an abortion, etc. etc. The bible does not view this as moral, I do. Just because my moral is that I don't hurt other people, doesn't mean the bible inspired me to take up that moral.

[Zerzera]

This is actually Pascal's Wager, attributing it to Camus is kind of lame.

But I quoted Camus. Or at least his translator :S