Morality Apart From God?

I’ve been thinking about an argument christians often use when attempting to discredit atheism. The argument is that of morality—specifically, that it cannot exist apart from god.   

This argument brings up several interesting issues regarding christians and their morality.   

~Are they simply being moral for god’s sake, to garner his acceptance and approval? 

~Are they being moral to avoid god’s wrath, and ultimately the hell they often delight in talking about?

Apparently, some believe that apart from god, we would all be mass murderers, serial rapists, and otherwise just downright degenerates. (how pathetic!)

I wonder if some of them have some sort of dark, depraved secrets that they are covering up or are in denial about with their claim that only through god can one be moral. As if they’re saying, “Yes, I do have evil tendencies, but those are not me; I am pure and good through god. It is my morality (from god) which separates me from anything “evil.”    

Those last two issues bring up a situation which, in my opinion, destroys the argument that morality cannot exist apart from god, or conversely, that being a christian is required to be moral. My former boss, an avid Baptist, is a member of a christian (Baptist) organization that sends missionaries to other countries, and then supports and oversees them. Another member of that same organization was a pediatrician, and was sent to a third world country to treat children.        

After years (possibly decades) of that pediatrician being in that country, it was discovered that he had been molesting young girls. They have no idea the exact number of girls, but it is safe to assume it is in the hundreds. And what makes it even more appalling is the fact that because he committed his atrocities in that country, he was never prosecuted.

And here is why (besides the obvious reasons) this destroys their argument. When my former boss told me about this incident, he stated that he believes wholeheartedly that this man is indeed a christian, in spite of his horrific crimes. In his defending (his status a christian, not what he did – my former boss was appalled at his actions) this monster, he quoted the perpetrator’s own words regarding his sin. “This is something I never surrendered to Jesus.” (This also means that my former boss believes this man is going to heaven, while believing that I am going to hell, because of my non-belief.)      

So, there you have it—someone who would argue vehemently that morality cannot exist apart from god defended the man (the fact that he was still a christian, not the molestation itself) who for years committed unspeakable, immoral acts, all while being “not apart from” god! While a “man of god” would commit such horrific acts, how many atheists (apart from god) would be absolutely appalled by those very acts?    

Can one simultaneously say that morality apart from god is impossible and that someone “not apart from” god who committed such horrific acts is moral and that their morality comes from god? If this were to come up in a debate with a christian over this topic, it would be the undoing of that argument; there is no good answer.

Is he (the christian perpetrator) moral?  

If yes, the obvious hypocrisies would come into play. If yes, wouldn’t it stand to reason that he would never have committed such horrific acts? Or (if yes), what does that say about morality that comes from god? What good is it? How is it, as christians claim it to be, any different or any better than an atheist’s morality, or lack thereof?      

If no, that would destroy their stance that morality is possible only through/with god. How could someone “not apart” from god (their source of morality) have done what he did? If no, what damage does that do to their claim that only christians are moral? It certainly ruins their belief that says, “I’m a christian; therefore, I’m moral. You’re an atheist; therefore, you’re immoral.”      

And finally, why would atheists who are “apart from god” be so appalled over this man’s actions? If it is impossible to be moral apart from god, why would atheists even care? What is the source of their (our) indignation?