ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author counters the theist claim that morality cannot be justified if there is no God. Sociologist of religion Phil Zuckerman has demonstrated that societies without God not only are possible but are a reality (e.g., Denmark and Sweden). Atheist and secular philosophers argue that (1) religion is at war with rationality, (2) religion veils us from a reality that poses formidable challenges (such as death without the promise of an afterlife), (3) there are secular equivalents to theistic faith such as Utilitarianism and Existentialism, (4) we should, as professors for example, treat the religious beliefs of our students the way we treat belief in ghosts, (5) the Bible, by giving us a God who must be obeyed unconditionally (e.g. Deuteronomy 7:1-2 NRSB), forces us to choose between Christianity and morality, (6) we should opt for a community of equals not one united under a supreme power, and (7) there are non-religious guidelines we can follow for a well-lived life.
