Poll - Personal Importance of Ethics and Morality

[The Titanium]

I've just seen a poll regarding the religious views of the community with an interesting population of secular people.

I find ethical behavior and moral harmony to be very important. I find it fascinating that some of the most secular and scientific-minded people I know have some of the more honestly ethical values I've seen, as opposed to the common view of the "Hollywood Atheist". Of course, please don't take it that I mean that religious folks aren't humane---but I definitely assert that certain aspects of religion can definitely reduce the sincerity of moral pursuits. Furthermore, asserting that all in all atheists, agnostics, or secular individuals have an increased fervor of ethical interest is ridiculous. Attributing most any any characteristic to such a broad range of people is like trying to create a generalization about people who don't like baseball.

However, religion itself does have factors that do seem rather counter what we think of as ethical.
For example, which really seems more honest to you, the pursuit of doing good for the sake of doing good, or the pursuit of doing good in fear of burning in unending suffering for the rest of eternity?
I personally think of the prior, but that's just me.
So here I am, curious of the rest of you. From my experience here I honestly do not exactly expect a lot of you to be particularly... well... to be quite frank, a lot of you come off as selfish pricks at times. But I don't know you, I could be wrong. And I can't generalize the entire population like that. But the people in this forum just seem to fit the stereotype of the general population having such an apathy towards compassion so much that I can't help but expect a vast majority picking the poll subject that most veers towards apathy towards altruism towards others.

I'm just curious. I'm likely not to read further posts on this topic as things on this forum as it has a habit of sucking me into a vortex of negative emotion.

Alright, making the poll now. It'll have a religious comparison part of it. I'm curious if there's a perceived connection and what it is.

I apologize if the poll seems rather biased.

[Ad Bot]

[Man 2]

There are, of course, many zealous bigots who would say that without religion, there can be no morality.
I value ethics and morals, yet belong to no religion.

[The Titanium]

Thanks man, I'm very glad to hear I'm not alone on that.

*fistbump*

[TeslaCoil]

I value ethics and morals, and I'm religious. But I do believe that with religion, you can have violence and trouble. The thing about a large percentage of atheists, is to them, that if one religious person is violent and a killer, then ALL people of that religion are killers. Each religion has it's radicals, like Christianity or Islam, but not every one of them is.

[Wesley Williams]

Everyone has their own morals (except maybe terrorists lol).

There is a fine line between morals and ethics, however. Some of the questions should be rephrased to better suit their definitions.

[The Titanium]

I value ethics and morals, and I'm religious. But I do believe that with religion, you can have violence and trouble. The thing about a large percentage of atheists, is to them, that if one religious person is violent and a killer, then ALL people of that religion are killers. Each religion has it's radicals, like Christianity or Islam, but not every one of them is.

Well then, I'd like to clarify that I don't think that all religious folks are violent. In fact, that is only a very small, small minority.

[TeslaCoil]

Well then, I'd like to clarify that I don't think that all religious folks are violent. In fact, that is only a very small, small minority.

IN any case it's growing larger. And will continue to grow so. The Public School system is also helping increase that issue.

[The Titanium]

What's growing larger? The fundamentalist minority?

[Tokthree]

Ethics and moralities have impeded science and our progression as a species, as far as I'm concerned

[TeslaCoil]

What's growing larger? The fundamentalist minority?

Oh sorry, I was talking about something else. Such as students in public schools only coming out with minimal knowledge of religions and basing their small bank of information in stereotyping an entire Religious group. 

[Wesley Williams]

IN any case it's growing larger. And will continue to grow so. The Public School system is also helping increase that issue.

It is? I haven't noticed, and on campus we have three Christian clubs and everything's fine.

[TeslaCoil]

It is? I haven't noticed, and on campus we have three Christian clubs and everything's fine.

You need to look outside of your school.

[*Magick* Mage]

I chose the last one since that seems most fitting. One can find moral guidance outside of religion and ethics can come from anyone with an opinion or from any number of perspectives. I believe very strongly in compassion towards others and can't say I'm invested in such solely because I don't want to go to hell. After all, I don't really even believe in hell. Likewise, moral conduct and an ethical mindset are extremely important, though they very much so hinge upon compassion.

[TeslaCoil]

All I am concerned about it people thinking I'm either going to "shove" my ideas down their throat, or blow them up. Which is something I wouldn't do.

[Nymethus]

What does "nihilistically appealing reality" mean?