On my way to work I drive past this huge billboard that used to advertise a costume shop, but since recently says: “join the unashamedly ethical community” and the website www.unashameldyethical.com So in my childish naivety I thought - firstly, wow, nice, and a helluva lot better than the SA turn 2 God billboards up all over town. I can support an organization that promotes ethical behaviour without the god-stuff. Then I thought - wow, I wonder where such an organization would get the money from to be able to advertise on such a huge billboard. Turns out - the founder and chairman of the organization is a guy called Graham Power, the ‘global day of prayer’ dude. His company’s website is also full of bible verses. Bleh. Reminds me of the place I work. Is there really no organization / community / whatever that promotes honesty, integrity and generally good manners without shoving the god-stuff down your throat? Do people really believe that if you don’t believe the god-stuff you are incapable of leading a good life and being a nice person? Reading through the ‘unashamedly ethical’ website, they promote good stuff: anti-corruption, community building etc. But then when you go look at the ‘commitments’ you would make by filling out their silly little forms, it becomes very clear that it is not enough to just be a pleasant person, you are expected to pray and honour your parents and shit. (wtf!!) I am now, again, thoroughly annoyed. And disappointed.
Evidently yes, but only because religion is consistently (and often quite erroneously) conflated with doing “good works.” Apparently, there can never be sufficient counterexamples that would persuade the believer otherwise because any such counterexample is simply swept aside with a convenient, “Oh, but that’s not in the spirit and/or teachings of my religion.” There’s also in many believers’ mind the myth that Jesus was the first to preach peace, love and charity, and that the Old Testament/New Testament divide marks a radical rethink about humanity on their god’s part. Suspiciously, good works alone are not enough to secure yourself a place in heaven.
'Luthon64
Seems that religion and morality are still being marketed as inseparable. The salient implication being that those who don’t share your faith are of dodgy character. Nice.
Mintaka
The Urban Dictionary defines “ethics” as “morality with loopholes”. I guess by that definition I have no problem with the religious nuts claiming to be ‘ethical’ :
The Urban Dictionary is somewhat tongue in the cheek. I prefer to think of morals as a combination of ethics and continence. These two do not walk hand in hand, as so many people presume. Skeptics emphasize ethics, whereas the religious set tends to get obsessed with continence at the expense of ethics.
Really?! You don’t say… 
I still find the distinction between ‘morals’ ‘ethics’ ‘continence’ ‘virtuous’ etc etc unnecessarily confusing. I don’t care what you call it - if you treat other people with respect (where deserved, of course 
) then I will regard that as good. Whether or not you go to church and give your tenth and all that crap is entirely up to the individual in my opinion, and in no way related to the kind of person he/she truly is.