Secularism and American Morality

In which I assert American morality is based on Christian and Jewish teachings and expecting a secular government or society to use morality as a reason to act is a contradiction.

I commented yesterday in an impromptu video I posted on Facebook that one can’t have a secular government – or society for that matter - and use morality as excuses or reasons for their actions or inactions, and I stated the basis for American morality are the teachings of Christianity and Judaism.

A couple of Facebook friends challenged that assertion, one claiming that:

“Morality is not exclusive to Christianity. Or in other words, morality is not derived from the Bible. Morality is derived from the requirements of men to live a prosperous and virtuous life here on Earth. There are many atheists that are more moral than most Christians.”

I disagreed with this comment and thought it appropriate to state why.

First, it is important to understand that my video specifically addressed morality in America and the claims of an individual who desired a secular government driven by moral obligation and why that was an irreconcilable contradiction.

Morality is both individual (personal conscience) and collective (shared ethics). It’s debated whether it’s objective (universal truths) or subjective (context-dependent). Critics of objective morality, like Nietzsche, argue it’s a construct of power dynamics, while others, like Plato, sought absolute moral forms. In practice, morality governs actions (e.g., honesty vs. deception) and is tested in dilemmas - like whether lying to protect someone is “right.” No single definition exists due to its complexity and cultural variance.

I can agree that morality is not exclusive to Christianity, but just because other variants exist from other sources does not mean Christian morality doesn’t exist – or could be replaced by other forms without consequence.

Moral codes existed long before Christianity was founded – but American morality was grown in the churches and the religious traditions of Christianity (much of which comes from Judaism) from the first settlements of English and European settlers, the first act of whom was to offer prayers of thanks to God for safe passage to the New World. That is fact based on history recorded in the first person.

Next, it is true that while some morality is not derived from the Bible, I – as well as legitimate historians – can persuasively make the case that American morality is. It is true that morality has been derived from several sources, among which are:

• Philosophy: Moral theories like utilitarianism (maximizing overall good), deontology (duty-based ethics), or virtue ethics (character-focused) provide frameworks. For example, Kant argued morality stems from rational principles, like treating others as ends, not means.

• Culture/Society: Norms vary across time and place—e.g., ancient Greeks saw honor in vengeance, while modern societies often prioritize forgiveness.

• Biology: Evolutionary psychology suggests instincts like empathy or fairness underpin moral impulses, seen in studies of cooperative behavior in primates.

• Reason/Intuition: Moral decisions often blend gut feelings with rational deliberation, as Haidt’s social intuitionism shows.

It seems to me that religion or religious tenets influence all of these. Most of these aspects of morality are efforts to explain things we currently can’t explain. With Christianity and with faith, we put those things in the hands of our God.

Many years ago, I was asked what I saw as the difference between religion and philosophy and after thinking about that question, I noted that it seemed to me that the only difference is that philosophy was just different religions looking for a god. Religion already has one.

I suppose it is possible to define a “prosperous and virtuous life” without religion, but it seems to me that these have spiritual dimensions as well as physical ones – both are concerned with “doing good” (traits such as honesty, kindness, integrity) in some way. In America, we have a tradition of seeing these through a Christian lens.

I completely reject the argument that “many atheists that are more moral than most Christians” because it is non sequitur and therefore meaningless. I take issue with the assertion that “most Christians” are immoral - simply because Christians fail to live up to God’s Laws does nothing to invalidate those laws or diminish those who try – but fail – to live up to them. There are many atheists who are far less moral than Christians, too.

Hope that makes sense.

I wasn’t just speaking off the cuff yesterday; I have actually spent a fair amount of time thinking about this over the years.