Good without God: Atheists Facing Moral Questions and the Question of Morality

Religious books and stories are a compendium of rules and parables that cause people to consider ethics and behavior, even when many of the rules are questioned in a modern and diverse society. These guidelines remain the major source of morality for many believers; while some consider only their own religion legitimate, others accept all varieties of religion. But to reject a higher power altogether is perceived to be without an ethical basis, and thus immoral.

Based on a research project incorporating over 70 qualitative interviews with both believers and atheists in the U.S, this lecture will examine the concepts behind this accusation, how atheists react to it, what kind of morality they bring into play, and what they in turn think about religious morality.

In what ways do questions of ethics and equality matter to atheists, and what kind of topics do atheists choose for their social and political charity and activism? How is this related to both their status as a social minority and to non-religion itself?

Social inequality is a key focus of many of these moral debates. While many believers associate atheism, directly or implicitly, with communism, there are in fact a variety of approaches atheists take in facing the issue of inequality. What these approaches share is a common pattern for nonreligious ways of dealing with social change.

These different points will be laid out and illustrated with interview material in order to create a theoretical framework regarding atheist and nonreligious morality and ethics.