Conceptual Ambiguity in Religion-Morality Relationship

Religion and Morality

The relationship between religion and morality has long been hotly debated. Does religion make us more moral? Is it necessary for morality? Do moral inclinations emerge independently of religious intuitions? These debates, which nowadays rumble on in scientific journals as well as in public life, have frequently been marred by a series of conceptual confusions and limitations. Many scientific i...

Religion, morality, evolution.

How did religion evolve? What effect does religion have on our moral beliefs and moral actions? These questions are related, as some scholars propose that religion has evolved to enhance altruistic behavior toward members of one's group. I review here data from survey studies (both within and across countries), priming experiments, and correlational studies of the effects of religion on racial ...

Morality and ethics without religion

The editorial in question repeatedly suggests that morals are derived from religious principles. This is a common misconception. Indeed, amoral and unethical behavior is often supported by religion; historical and contemporary examples are support for slavery and oppression of women and homosexuals. Moreover, numerous secular, nonreligious individuals and organizations (such as Doctors Without ...

Morality, religion, spirituality - the value of saintliness

This article discusses William James’s notion, propounded in his Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), that authentic religious experience should be evidenced in mature moral functioning—“the value of saintliness”. Support for this and his other ideas relevant to the intersection of morality and religion was adduced from a review of current research, which examined the following topics: the...

The Evolution of Morality and Religion