Morality is often considered synonymous with religiosity, although scholars argue that there is no difference between the moral qualities of believers and atheists.
Prejudice against atheists is found in people all over the world. That’s the conclusion reached by psychologist Will Gervais in a study. Residents of all continents suggest that immoral acts (including even serial murders) are more likely to be committed by non-believers. Polls show that Americans trust atheists less than any other social group. So for most politicians, going to church is a great way to secure popular support in elections, and saying you are a non-believer can ruin your career. And, of course, it is no coincidence that there are no open atheists in the U.S. Congress.
To be sure, the world’s major religions place considerable emphasis on morality. Hence many conclude that religious belief is a sign of virtue. Others argue that without religion there is no morality at all. However, both of these claims can be questioned.
First, one current’s ethical beliefs may be unacceptable from another’s perspective. For example, in the nineteenth century Mormons considered polygamy a moral obligation, whereas for Catholics it was a mortal sin. Moreover, the moral behavior of members of a particular group often included aggression toward others. For example, in 1543, Martin Luther, one of the founders of Protestantism, published his treatise On the Jews and Their Lies, which outlined anti-Semitic ideas popular among various currents over the centuries. These examples also prove that religious morality must change over time. For example, relatively recently the Church of England allowed contraception and marriage for same-sex couples, and female bishops have appeared.
In any case, religiosity is only remotely related to theology. That is, the beliefs and behaviors of people of faith do not always correspond fully with official religious doctrine. For example, Buddhism is officially a religion without God, but most of its practitioners treat Buddha as a deity. The Catholic Church actively opposes contraception, but most Catholics still do. And such deviations from doctrine are the norm rather than the exception.
Researchers conducted a study in which participants were asked to evaluate their own character and behavior. The results showed that religious respondents perceived themselves to be more selfless, compassionate, honest and charitable than atheists. This dynamic persisted even in the case of twins, one of whom is more religious than the other. But if we look at actual behavior, it turns out that there are no differences.
This is evidenced, for example, by the classic “Good Samaritan” experiment, in which researchers tracked which passersby would stop to help an injured person on the street. Researchers concluded that religiosity played no role in the behavior of the participants. Interestingly, some of them were just on their way to speak on the topic of this parable, but this also had no effect on their actions.
On the other hand, various traditions and cues related to religion can influence a person’s behavior. For example, studies of American Christians have shown that on Sundays they donate more money to charity and watch less porn. However, on the other days of the week they offset the situation on both counts, so there is no difference in the average results of religious people and atheists.
In addition, different religions affect those who follow them differently. For example, if people believe that their God gives them some moral guidance and punishes them for not following the rules, they tend to be more fair and are even less likely to cheat at deals. These are the results of an international study. That is, if a person believes that all his thoughts are known to God, who punishes sinners, he tries to behave better.
But it should be noted that it is not only religion that can lead to better moral behavior, but also faith in the power of the law, an honest trial, and a reliable police force. And, as a rule, if the laws are strictly enforced, religion no longer has as much effect on people and distrust toward atheists is also reduced.