A lot of you would say yes. In fact, some of you would make the ridiculous claim that without religion, morality doesn’t, can’t, exist. But really, how can this be the case? A lot of physicists are atheists, but they tend not to go to gaol for murdering people. Conversely the Christian churches in Europe embraces slavery along with the rest of society, but surely a group of people who spend a lot of their time thinking about the divine souls inside each and every human would have strongly opposed such a concept?

Organised religion claim to provide a moral compass, a list of rules to follow. I’ll overlook the fact that organised religions break these rules often enough (how many wars did the popes endorse?). But I will point out that it isn’t from religion that we get these rules, not entirely. After all, we are fairly selective in our choice of rules to follow. Again with the slavery example, but while the Bible says it’s okay, not many people today would agree. And there’s plenty of stuff in there about eugenics that is hardly agreeable.

We get a lot of our rules from the law. Murdering people is frowned upon, and it is also illegal. But there are things that are legal and aren’t addressed in religious texts that fall into a code of behaviour. Cheating on your girlfriend is perfectly legal but, culturally, is unacceptable. Laughing at someone because their brother just died is immoral, but against no law of men or gods.

There’s a sense of right and wrong. “Do unto others…” etc etc. But this sense isn’t defined by religion, and it certainly doesn’t originate from it.

When it comes to questions of morality, science often provides the best and clearest advice. Some people claim that various racial groups are subhuman, but science disagrees. All research confirms that the love between a man and a man is no different than between a man and a woman. People might not be the same, but science does teach us we are all equivalent. This notion is so obvious that to disagree with it defies reason, and yet people do. So if you need a moral compass on the issue of gay marriage or religious freedoms, look to the scientific method.

Of course, science is a broad church. Using science alone, arguments for eugenics can be as persuasive as arguments against. It falls on us as individuals and societies to make the final judgement call, just as it always has. It has this judgement that lets people disregard elements of the Bible as moral guides, something we should all be thankful for. At the end of the day it isn’t religion, or science, or even the legal system that provides the best moral guides. It’s a responsibility we shoulder for ourselves and each other. This is not the easy way out, folks. It’s much simpler to allow yourself to be led by the government or God. But the world is not a simple or easy place. Surrender your responsibilities as a human being with peril.