Ethics without god

May 21, 10:56 AMManchester Atheism ExaminerBarbara L Bell

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I recently read an interesting article on DailyKos, Atheists: Be Good for Goodness Sake. I think the author, Valerie Tarico, has a point about ‘being good’ I’d like to explore a bit.

Many religious persons insist you can’t be good without god. They truly believe the only thing keeping us from killing each other is fear of god’s wrath.

I disagree with that. Maybe it is true for some folks, but not all of us. If nothing else, we agree on a shared moral code if for no other reason than it allows human beings to interact. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that all people want to be treated fairly and justly. The best way to ensure that is a set of basic groundrules. This allows societies to develop – we all agree on certain modes of behavior, we all gain something. Killing each other does not accomplish anything except satisfying the person doing the killing. It is harmful to society. It violates the ethic of reciprocity, therefore, it is wrong.

Now I am simplifying this. I am not a philospher. But then, most of us aren’t. And I find the golden rule (i.e., ethic of reciprocity) to be all encompassing.

Don’t want to be murdered? Don’t kill people. Don’t want to be robbed? Don’t steal. And so on. Granted, we can’t avoid all of life’s problems by living good lives and helping others. But we contribute to the common good when we do. And in doing so, we create a better and safer community for ourselves and our children.

The other part of this is religious charities. They do fill a void by helping those that need it. But it often comes with religious proselytizing. The only way to counteract the superstition is to get involved. Granted, these are tough economic times and not everyone can give money. But maybe they can give the gift of time. I’m currently unemployed, hit by a layoff 2 months ago. And it’s scary not knowing when I’ll have a paycheck again. Living on unemployment does not enable me to give money to worthy charities. And I sometimes have concerns about where my money goes when I gift it away. But I can, and am, giving time. In-between looking for a job, I’m volunteering for two local organizations.

I’m not doing it to be good or ethical, although that is certainly a benefit. I’m doing it because I can. Because I have the time and they need the help. Because it supports the common good. Because of the few things I trust, I trust the golden rule.

So to coin a phrase, atheists, be good for goodness sake! You might be surprised by the benefits.

New Hampshire has a ton of wonderful charities. My favorites are the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Dover, the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Preservation in Portsmouth, and Cocheco Valley Humane Society, also in Dover.

If you’re looking for a more global impact, Kiva.org is a wonderful charitable service I learned about through Valerie’s column.