Friday 3 January 2014

A gentleman, law abiding atheist

A gentleman, law abiding atheist is a strange phenomenon and appears to be either lacking wits or courage to do what pleases him.

Why on God's earth an atheist should be good or do any good? What is his inspiration? Why should he be loyal in his relations? Why? Why? Why not do whatever he likes while evading law of the land? The question is why should he think positive? Why should he do good? Why should he not do whatever her likes? What is his inspiration to do good? Because for an atheist there is no God or a Devil and everything is fair what is necessary for his good provided he can evade law. Why should he be good? What is the source of his morality? 


The appreciation of an atheist who chooses to be a gentleman despite a belief that there is no God is agreed. The obvious derision in the top line is in fact an attempt to find the reason for it. I would now like to rephrase the line and say, 'What makes an atheist to choose being a gentleman and a law abiding citizen despite a belief that he could do whatever he likes except lack of wits to evade law or lack of courage to deal with opponents?'

Who frames the moral grounds for an atheist? In fact the source of all morality is religion. Atheists following moral standards are actually following religion without accepting God. Good for them and appreciated.
There is something deep inside every person which tells him what's right and what's wrong. We need to find the origin of that something. If it's just our parents and society then they can very well be wrong and there is no point following their dictates.


A well developed cerebral cortex might be the reason but this cortex was there for many thousand years as evolution is a damn slow process but still we see totally different morality standards a few thousand years ago. Religion has undoubtedly shaped morality among human beings and has given it a deeper meaning by associating it with the concept of a hereafter and God.

Religion is actually a solution to the problems an individual faces in community living and ensures to secure the interests of the whole community. So it's just that morality originates in religion and an atheist too acts on religion if he is a gentleman even if he does not believe in God!

There is nothing good or bad if you don't believe in God. The rules framed by human being at different times make some acts UNLAWFUL and ILLEGAL. Not everything unlawful is bad and not everything legal is good. For a dog there is nothing bad or good. What if you kill a person in the dead of the night and no one sees you. The law is not there. Is it okay? If not then why? What makes it bad? Law? No! That makes it illegal only. It's a stupidity to waste life following the law and be loyal if one is atheist. Why not evade the law and have fun? Why would one want to do good to others while one can get away with anything? So I really find no reason for the morality of an atheist except cowardice or lack of wits! 

Some people say that Ethics stem from humanitarian values, not from inherited beliefs repeated like a parrot. One wonders what is the origin of these humanitarian values. An atheist having morality actually follows religion in some spheres of life. Honesty, loyalty, caring are all religious dictates and anyone following them will enjoy its fruit. That is why some atheist societies thrive because they have adopted the Divine principles of Justice, Honesty, Loyalty and rule of law. Like tablet paracetamol will lower temperature even if you don't believe in it! 
 
Morality originates in spirit which is Divine! Every human being is blessed with a Divine element and that is the source of his morality. Without that there is no concept of evil and good. Anything good done is actually the expression of the same Divine element at different times of human history.