The Roots of Right and Wrong: Do Concepts of Innate Morality Reduce Intuitive Associations of Immorality With Atheism?

Abstract

Atheists are frequent targets of prejudice and discrimination. Previous research suggests that anti-atheist prejudice may stem in part from perceptions of religion as an ultimate basis for morality: without God, why do good (or not do bad)? We conducted two studies to test whether presenting recent scientific findings regarding the nonreligious bases of morality (e.g., morality in nonhuman primates and preverbal infants) might lead people to view morality as innate, thus reducing intuitive associations of immorality and atheism. Consistent with previous research, participants viewed moral transgressions as more representative of atheists than of Christians. However, learning about the putatively innate nature of morality did not lead participants to view immorality as less representative of atheists. Intuitive moral distrust of atheists appears quite resilient, persisting even in the face of evidence for the nonreligious origins of morality.