Atheism and Morality

On 19/12/2016, we got an very interesting online discussion on “Atheism and Morality”

We had to read an article on "Atheist also have a definite Moral code” which was taken from 'Speaking Tree' column of The Times of India, pg 12, 19 Dec 2016.

We had to express our views about that.

Here were my views:-

I agree that atheists also have a definite moral code.

If we see the dictionary meaning of the word ‘moral’ or ‘ morality’, it means “derived from personal conscience: based on what somebody's conscience suggests is right or wrong, rather than on what rules or the law says should be done. (Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.)”

Thus we can say morality has nothing to do with religion.

As Christopher Hitchens have stated “Morality comes from humanism and is stolen by religion for its own purposes.”

“Nature has endowed us with free will” as Sumit Paul stated, but religion binds us by rules ad defines what is right and wrong. Morality is a choice and it depends on situation and it differs from person to person, culture to culture.

The writer of this article have proved that atheist have morality with help of many examples.

There many examples of religious acts where morally the acts are wrong but from the religious point of view they are correct.

For example:- The attacks of 9/11 or 26/11 were morally incorrect but for the religious extremists it was a religious act; it doesn’t matter for them whether it is right or wrong.

Morality comes from sense of experience.

We have examples of many Bollywood films like Oh My God! and P.K, which comes with a message that morality and religion are different things.

Morality comes from humanism. Non- believer can be moral or immoral. Similarly, Believer also can be immoral or moral.

Read the article and express your views about this in the comment section.

Comments

"RIP"; Rest in Peace those who are Alive....

Hello Friends, After a long time I am writing here. Hope you all are fine. This time I have come up with a different interpretation of the phrase “RIP”. Mostly this phrase “RIP”; Rest in Peace is used for the people who are no more. We use this phrase to give sympathy towards the departed soul. The soul may get peace wherever it travels. No one exactly knows where the soul travels. Sometimes this phrase is used out of care and sometimes just for show off on social media. While sitting alone near a cemetery, a thought struck in my mind. Why do we use RIP only for dead people????? We can also use it for those who are alive. Many time people use RIP when a person is dead. The same people might have harassed the dead person when he is alive. So what’s the point of “RIP”? Suppose in the day time you behave very badly with someone. Is he/she going to get sound and peaceful sleep at night? The dead person will never come back so we just say “RIP”. Of course ever

“My friend, the things that do attain” - Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey.

Hello friends, I would like to share a poem which I studied during my graduation. The title of the poem is “My friend, the things that do attain”. It is written by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1516/1517 – 19 January 1547), was an English aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry. MY friend, the things that do attain The happy life be these, I find: The riches left, not got with pain; The fruitful ground; the quiet mind; The equal friend; no grudge; no strife; No charge of rule, nor governance; Without disease, the healthy life; The household of continuance; The mean diet, no dainty fare; Wisdom joined with simpleness; The night discharged of all care, Where wine the wit may not oppress: The faithful wife, without debate; Such sleeps as may beguile the night; Content thyself with thine estate, Neither wish death, nor fear his might. In the above mentioned poem, there is a list

" The Winged Word"- David Green

In my Graduation syllabus, I had a book named “ The Winged word”. This anthology is edited by David Green. It is anthology of poems compiled for the students of English literature in the B.A courses of Indian Universities. The chronological order, in which the poets are arranged in this book, helps the students to note the development of English poetry from one age to another. Referring to this book after a long time span, gives me a immense joy. There are many poems in this book. We were given some selected poems to study during three years of graduation. The poems which were in my syllabus are as follow:- 1.) I Find No Peace – Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-42) 2.) My Friend, the Things That Do Attain –Henry Howard (1517- 47) 3.) The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd –Sir Walter Ralegh (1552-1618) 4.) The Nightingale – Sir Philip Sidney (1554- 86) 5.) Since There’s No Help – Michael Drayton (1563- 1613) 6.) Sonnet No.116 – Willi

Vaidehi Hariyani

Search This Blog