Where would we be without morals? As far as I'm concerned, morality is the glue that holds civilized society together. I also believe that morality can exist independent of religion, though I believe that any source of morality is inherently a good thing. I used to be a straight-up atheist, but even when I was I still considered myself moral. I don't pretend to know exactly where morals really come from but I do know that they somewhat stem from a sense of personal responsibility. Or maybe it's the other way around.
To be a functioning member of society you must grasp the fact that you are an independent cog in a giant machine we call "civilization". How we all act towards our fellow cogs determines how smoothly the machine functions or if it functions at all. Everybody must play their part or the whole system starts to break down. That's your responsibility. It's a responsibility not only to yourself, but to others as well.
Call it your "moral responsibility" if you will.
It is mostly because of morals that we can live safely (for the most part) in this country under the rule of law. It's not simply the fear of getting caught and punished that deters people from committing crimes. It certainly plays it's part but it's not the main reason to not commit a crime. You don't steal, murder and rob because deep down you would know that it's wrong. Not illegal, but wrong.
Is the fact that it's illegal the only reason you wouldn't murder your neighbor in his sleep because his dog barks at all hours of the night? If you're a sane member of society at large, chances are you would answer "no" to that question. You wouldn't do it because you know it's immoral to take a life the same way you know it's immoral to steal and rob. You just know (as long as your moral compass isn't broken) the general rules that govern society. You know how to abide by these rules but most importantly you know why you must abide by these rules.
Most importantly, it's morality that keeps you honest when nobody is looking. It's not the fear that there may be some unknown witness that saw you ding an unoccupied car when you were trying to park that makes you leave a note on the windshield. It's the instinct to do the right thing that does. And that instinct is driven by your morality. You know what must be done even though it will bring unwanted consequences upon you. You still know that you were in the wrong and with every action there is an appropriate responsibility that goes with it.
I firmly believe that the reason so many people smoke marijuana despite the fact that it's illegal is because they don't feel that it's morally wrong. The fact that it's illegal has little no no bearing on a person's decision to do it or not. It'll make them more careful about when and where they do it, but I seriously doubt it dissuades any significant number of potential smokers.
Without morals there would be a complete breakdown of law and order. Would an immoral officer of the peace be able to protect and serve the citizenry? Would he serve with societies best interest in mind? Of course not. He'd be no different than the criminals he's tasked to protect us from.
So I guess my point is this: When it comes down to it, morality is just about the most important thing in the world. Everything else stems from it. Without morality there is no responsibility, no order, no society. Without morality there is only anarchy.
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