Do godless morals and values exist? Are they superior to godly, religious values?

It’s common for religious theists to claim that their religious morality is far superior to secular, atheistic, and godless morality. Of course, everyone prefers their own religious morality and the commands of their own god, but when push comes to shove, the general attitude is that any religious morality based upon the commands of any god is vastly preferable to a secular morality that doesn’t take any gods into account. Godless atheists are treated as the scourge of the earth and their “morality,” if it is even recognized as such, is often treated as the cause of all of society’s ills.

Rejecting the Presumption of Religious Morality

Can there be a godless morality? Can we assert a superiority for a godless morality over traditional, theistic, and religious morality? Yes, I think that this is possible. Unfortunately, few people even acknowledge the existence of godless moral values, much less their significance. When people talk about moral values, they almost always presume that they have to be talking about religious morality and religious values. The very possibility of godless, irreligious morality is ignored. Rejecting the Presumption of Religious Morality...

Moral Values Without Gods and Religion

A popular claim among religious theists is that atheists have no basis for morality — that religion and gods are needed for moral values. Usually, they mean their religion and god, but sometimes they seem willing to accept any religion and any god. The truth is that neither religions nor gods are necessary for morality, ethics, or values. They can exist in a godless, secular context just fine, as demonstrated by all the godless atheists who lead moral lives every day. Moral Values Without Gods, Religion...

Preferring the Intellect Over Faith

When people in America talk about “values,” they are usually talking about moral values — and moral values concentrated around controlling people’s sexuality, to boot. Neither moral values nor sexual morality are the only sorts of values that exist, however, and they certainly aren’t the only sort which should be emphasized. There also exist very important intellectual values which are necessary for human society. If religious theists won’t promote them, then irreligious, godless atheists must. Godless Intellectual Values...

Modern Science Does Not Need Religions or Gods

Calling science a religion should be instantly recognized as an ideological attack rather than a neutral observation of facts. Sadly this is not the case, and it has become far too common for critics of modern, godless science to claim that it’s inherently a religion, thus hoping to discredit scientific research when it contradicts genuine religious ideology. Examining the characteristics which define religions as distinct from other types of belief systems reveals how wrong such claims are. Modern Science Does Not Need Religions or Gods...

Godless, Secular Values in Liberal Democracy

Politics in a liberal, democratic democracy cannot long proceed or survive simply by inertia; instead they must be constantly fed by people who are engaged in the political process and who share some of the basic values necessary for such a democracy to thrive. None of these values depend in any way upon religion or theism; this means that they necessarily “godless” — that they exist independently of people’s religions and gods. Godless, Secular Values in Liberal Democracy...

Flaws in Theistic and Religious Morality

Moral values can differ not only from religion to religion, but also between traditions and groups within a religion. There are, however, common themes in religious moral systems which can be identified and criticized. The values outlined here aren’t part of every religious moral system, and may be part of some non-religious moral systems. They are, however, flaws in most religious systems of morality and thus a basis for rejecting the idea that religion is necessary for moral values. Flaws in Theistic and Religious Morality...