Questions for Atheists on Having a Standard of Morality

by Matt Slick

OBJECTIVE STANDARD Do you have an objective standard of morality by which you can judge whether or not something is morally right or wrong?
NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you do not have an objective standard of morality by which you can determine what is right or wrong, then from where do you get your morals?
NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you do not have an objective standard of morality by which you can determine what is right or wrong, then how are your moral values not just based on your subjective opinions?
NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you do not have an objective standard of morality by which you can determine what is right or wrong, then what gives you the right to make moral judgments upon Nazi Germany or the God of the Bible?
NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you do not have an objective standard of morality by which you can determine what is right or wrong, then should anyone adhere to your moral standard of what is right and wrong?
NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you say that people should not adhere to your moral standard of what is right and wrong, then how is your standard of any value to anyone?
NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you say that people should adhere to your subjective moral standard, then who decided that your subjective standard is the one that anyone should follow?
DON’T NEED OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you don’t need an objective standard of morality by which you can judge what is right or wrong, then how do you determine what is right and wrong?
DON’T NEED OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you don’t need an objective standard of morality by which you can determine what is right or wrong, then how do you know that what you think is right and wrong really is right and wrong?
HAS OBJECTIVE STANDARD If you say that you do have an objective standard of morality, then where did you get this objective standard since an objective standard is one that is not based on your opinion or your experience?
SOCIETY STANDARD If you say you got your objective standard of morality from society, then what justifies the idea that society is the proper place to obtain a standard of morality?
SOCIETY STANDARD If you say you got your objective standard of morality from society, then which society has the right moral system when they contradict each other?
SOCIETY STANDARD If you say you got your objective standard of morality from society, then if Nazi Germany was morally wrong to put Jews to death, why was it wrong since its morals were derived from its society?
SOCIETY STANDARD How is having a moral standard based on societal norms not ultimately subjective, since that society is comprised of individuals with subjective moral standards?
SOCIETY STANDARD If you believe that society produces an objective moral standard, then how does an accumulation of individuals with subjective moral standards within that society produce an objective moral standard?
SOCIETY STANDARD If society is what determines moral truth, then how is this not committing the logical fallacy of begging the question by saying that a society determines what is right and wrong because a society determines what is right and wrong?
SOCIETY STANDARD If society determines what is right and wrong, then it is deriving morals from itself. Aside from the issue of whether or not God exists, why then would you reject the rationale that God derives morals from himself and thereby declares what is right and wrong?
SOCIETY STANDARD OBLIGATORY If society determines what is right and wrong, then are the morals derived from society obligatory to all members of society?
SOCIETY STANDARD OBLIGATORY If the morals derived in society are not obligatory then how are they proper morals that should be followed?
SOCIETY STANDARD OBLIGATORY If the morals derived in society are obligatory, then from where do you derive the right to impose them on people?
SOCIETY STANDARD OBLIGATORY If you say that society has the right to impose its morals on its people, then how can you legitimately complain against Nazi Germany or the Jews of the Old Testament since both societies imposed their morals on people?
COMMON SENSE STANDARD If you say your moral standard is based on common sense, then what do you do when what is “common sense” for you contradicts with what is “common sense” for someone else?
COMMON SENSE STANDARD If what you believe is common sense contradicts what someone else considers to be common sense, then are your judgments really “common sense”?
COMMON SENSE STANDARD If, however, you say that your common sense morals should be followed by others because they are right, then how is that not being arrogant since you are elevating your personal, subjective, moral opinions above those of others and saying they should follow what you believe?
EVOLVING STANDARD If you say your moral standard, whether social or personal, is evolving and getting better, then by what non-subjective standard do you judge that it is getting better?
EVOLVING STANDARD If you say your moral standard, whether social or personal, is evolving and getting better, then how do you know it is getting better without committing the logical fallacy of begging the question by saying things are getting better because they are evolving?
EVOLVING STANDARD If you say your standard is evolving and getting better, then can you assert that it won’t evolve into something that contradicts what you believe now, thereby demonstrating that your moral beliefs now were really wrong?
EVOLVING STANDARD If your moral standard is evolving and can contradict itself, can that system of moral determination be true since it can produce self-contradiction?
SELF DETERMINED If you say your morals are self-determined, then are they true for everyone or just for you?
SELF DETERMINED If your self-determined morals are true only for you, then do you have the right to judge the morals of anyone else, such as the God of the Bible, by saying they are wrong?
INSTINCT If you say that your morals are derived from instinct, which is brain-programmed behavior, then how are they morals and not simply brain patterns to which you arbitrarily attach moral values?
INSTINCT If you say that your morals are derived from instinct, which is brain-programmed behavior, then wouldn’t that mean that different people’s brains would produce different moral values?
INSTINCT If you say that your morals are derived from instinct, which is brain-programmed behavior, then how would you really know if anything is right or wrong?
INSTINCT If you say that your morals are derived from instinct, which is brain-programmed behavior, then how does one neuro-chemical state of the brain that leads to another neuro-chemical state produce proper moral truths?
WHATEVER WORKS If you really don’t know what is right or wrong, but just go with “whatever works,” then what gives you the right to complain about anyone’s moral actions anytime or anywhere, since different behaviors work for different people in different situations?
WHATEVER WORKS If you really don’t know what is right or wrong, but just go with “whatever works,” then how is moral stability obtained when “whatever works” can change depending on circumstances and goals?