This is a complex question that has been debated for centuries. To properly address it, we must first look at what the Bible says about morality, human nature, and the role of God in moral behavior. While the Bible makes clear that all humans are created in God’s image with an innate moral compass, it also teaches that mankind’s sinful nature often leads us astray from what is good and right.
The Bible on Morality
The Bible provides a moral framework centered around loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-39). God’s laws and commandments in Scripture give guidance on how to live a righteous life, such as refraining from murder, theft, adultery, dishonesty, and greed. According to the Bible, moral virtues like compassion, mercy, justice, and honesty all reflect God’s own character.
In the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) formed the foundation of Jewish ethics and morality. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ summarized the intent behind God’s commands as loving God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40). The apostle Paul wrote extensively about Christian ethics and righteous living in many of his epistles.
The Bible portrays obedience to God’s moral directives as the best way to live. Disobeying God’s commands is portrayed as unwise and harmful. But the Bible also acknowledges humankind’s universal struggle to stay morally upright. Because of mankind’s inherent sinful nature, no one is capable of perfectly adhering to God’s perfect standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23).
Human Nature and Morality
According to the Bible, humans are created in God’s image as moral agents with free will, conscience, and reason (Genesis 1:26-27). This allows people to make moral judgments and choose right from wrong. However, the Bible also teaches that all people inherited a corrupt human nature bent toward evil from the fall of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12).
As a result, human motives and desires are affected by self-interest, pride, greed, hatred, and other vices. People’s sense of morality becomes flawed and tainted by sin. Scripture depicts the human heart as deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Even morally upright individuals sin and make poor choices.
So while humans have a moral compass implanted by God, their moral judgment and impulses have been corrupted. People are capable of good behavior but also gravitate toward evil and wickedness without God’s redemptive influence.
The Role of God in Morality
The Bible emphasizes God as the source and embodiment of perfect righteousness. All that is good and moral comes from God, who is holy, just, and pure. After the fall of man, God revealed his laws and commandments to guide humanity toward moral living that fulfills his purposes.
God also makes provision for the redemption and moral transformation of individuals. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, God graciously offers forgiveness and cleansing from sin (Ephesians 1:7). When someone repents and puts faith in Christ, God sends the Holy Spirit to regenerate that person and produce new spiritual life (Titus 3:5).
The indwelling Holy Spirit then sanctifies believers, renewing their hearts and minds to desire God’s will (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Sanctification is an ongoing process of spiritual growth whereby God enables Christians to have the will and power to live righteously (Philippians 2:12-13). The Christian’s new nature in Christ provides moral direction from within.
So in summary, God establishes the moral law, redeems humans out of their moral corruption, and empowers Christians to pursue moral excellence. Our moral behavior is meant to honor God and reflect his character.
What the Bible Says About Atheists and Morality
Scripture has a number of teachings that give insight on atheists and morality:
- The fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1). Atheism is portrayed as folly.
- Not believing in God leads to a darkened understanding and separation from God’s moral truth (Ephesians 4:18).
- Everyone inherently knows something about God and his moral law but suppresses that knowledge (Romans 1:18-20).
- Without God, people often exchange his truth for a lie and engage in all kinds of sin and immorality (Romans 1:21-32).
- Ethical knowledge requires a source, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of moral wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).
- Biblical commands like loving your neighbor as yourself are only fully understood in light of God’s love for us (1 John 4:7-11).
In summary, the Bible views atheism negatively in relation to morality. Scripture portrays active disbelief in God as foolishness, as it rejects the source of objective moral truth. However, the Bible does not teach that atheists are morally inferior or utterly incapable of good behavior.
Can Atheists be Moral Without Belief in God?
So can someone make morally upright choices without believing in God? Based on the biblical view of human nature, here are a few key insights:
- Atheists can display moral behavior because all people inherently have some awareness of basic moral rights and wrongs.
- Everyone exhibits some virtues like kindness, compassion, or justice at times, not just believers.
- God’s common grace and general revelation exert a restraining influence on human moral conduct, benefiting society in general.
- Civil laws, social pressure, and human conscience can all prompt atheists toward moral actions.
- However, an atheistic worldview lacks an objective basis for moral absolutes.
- Atheists acting morally may do so out of pragmatism, without a foundation for ethical obligations to others.
- Belief in God and Scripture provides a comprehensive framework for consistent moral excellence.
So in summary, atheists have the capacity for moral thoughts and actions like anyone else. But from a Christian perspective, morality makes the most sense within a theistic worldview grounded in the character and revelation of God.
Challenges for Atheists to Live Morally
While atheists can clearly exhibit moral behavior at times, living consistently moral lives without God poses some challenges:
- Naturalistic atheism struggles to account for the existence of objective moral truths.
- Atheism provides no intrinsic reason to act morally when it conflicts with self-interest.
- Materialism and evolution do not offer a compelling basis for moral duties or human dignity.
- Atheism lacks a higher purpose for morality beyond temporary human flourishing.
- There is no ultimate justice or accountability for moral choices in an atheistic worldview.
- Atheism cannot produce inner moral transformation or empowerment to match God’s sanctifying work.
These factors make it more difficult for atheists to rationally justify morality and selflessly adhere to moral virtues that go against human nature. The Bible’s diagnosis of the human heart as morally sick aligns with mankind’s persistent moral failures and need for moral help from God.
What Makes Someone Truly Good?
Biblically speaking, human goodness apart from God and the gospel is limited and imperfect. Scripture defines true moral excellence by these qualities:
- Following all of God’s moral laws (Psalm 119:1-2)
- Loving others as sincerely and sacrificially as oneself (Philippians 2:3-4)
- Having a heart motivated by love for God (Deuteronomy 6:5)
- Displaying the fruits of the Spirit like kindness, patience, generosity (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Serving others, especially the helpless, with sacrificial compassion (James 1:27)
So biblical goodness goes beyond outward obedience to encompass inner motives and priorities. It results from spiritual regeneration by God to reflect his holy character. Apart from Christ, all fall short of God’s perfect standard of moral righteousness (Romans 3:10).
How Should Christians Respond to Moral Atheists?
When atheists exhibit commendable virtue, kindness, self-sacrifice, and other fruits of common grace, Christians can affirm these actions while keeping perspective:
- Appreciate moral atheists’ good works while recognizing that all goodness ultimately stems from God.
- Avoid implying that moral behavior equals salvation, which comes only through repentance and faith in Christ.
- leverage points of ethical agreement for gospel conversations about humanity’s need for redemption.
- Highlight how Christianity makes best sense of morality, human dignity, justice, and human rights.
- Model Jesus’ example of loving enemies, serving the needy, and caring for the vulnerable.
- Season truth with grace, tolerance, and good deeds – combating unchristian misconceptions.
In conclusion, Christianity provides the most consistent moral framework rooted in God’s character and the transformative power of the gospel. While atheists can behave ethically at times, biblical morality centered on loving God and people represents humanity’s ideal design.