Morality cannot exist without religion

Hello. What is your opinion on why morality cannot exist without religion

Hello, and thank you in advance for the opportunity to have a discussion and mutually expand our knowledge and experience :3

To begin, I must first clarify how I interpret the thesis presented in the topic. I believe that a person can be considered moral even if they do not believe in religion itself (for example, a nihilist who, based on rational analysis, decides not to kill). 

However, if we interpret the thesis to mean that morality itself (i.e., a moral code) must inherently stem from religion, then this assumption misses the mark slightly.

I think that morality as such can be a natural outcome of conscious analysis. Most of the behaviors that Christianity, among others, is based on simply work well in the long term and allow us to function within a society. The moral principles we believe in do not necessarily have to be rooted in religion.

The third interpretation (which I believe is the most likely) concerns the genesis of the moral principles upheld by our society. It cannot be denied that the direct root of moral values and principles in European culture is Christianity—for this reason, for instance, morality truly could not have existed without religion. However, it is worth realizing *why* morality had to stem from religion. It was necessary not only because it simply works, but because values and standards of behavior had to be legitimized in some way - namely, by the authority of a higher being (God). If we were to reject Christianity as our standard of values (which essentially means rejecting the entirety of European behavioral models and norms), we would be left with principles that are impossible to justify.

I’ll add one more point that I forgot to mention earlier. Nietzsche proposed a bold course of action that involved rejecting Christian morality ('slave morality'), but I believe he was wrong. A world devoid of the heritage of the Christian faith would be, at best, bleak, and at worst—catastrophic. While Christianity may not have invented most of its principles, it skillfully curated and consolidated the best fruits of other Eastern cultures.