6 Richard Dawkins Quotes on Morality

Richard Dawkins quotes on morality

7. It would be deeply depressing if the only way children could get moral values was from religion. Either from scripture, and God knows we don't want them to get it from scripture, I mean, just look at scripture. Or, from being afraid of God, being intimidated by God. Anybody who is good for only those two reasons is not really being good at all. Why not teach children things like the Golden Rule, do as you would be done by, how would you like it if other children did that to you, so why do you do it to them... I think it's depressing that anybody should suggest that you actually need God in order to be moral. I would hope that our morals come from a better source than that, and therefore they are genuinely moral rather than based on outmoded scripture, or based on fear.

14. I am not advocating a morality based on evolution. I am saying how things have evolved. I am not saying how we humans morally ought to behave.

59. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.

77. You've just said a very revealing thing. Are you telling me that the only reason you don't steal and rape and murder is that you're frightened of God?

80. Without religion you have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion. (Quoting Steven Weinberg)

82. The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.