Current Events > I feel like religious people are generally better human beings than I am

(+) Yeah! (+)

Maybe it is just my personal experience but......

They are into charity and caring for the poor and all that fuzzy shit while I just don't care as much. They feel like someone is guiding them and judging them and I am just stumbling through life.

But I can't get into it. I have tried but I can't believe like they do.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZhpgzIz6Sk
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Yeah because they want their eternal reward and fear an eternal punishment. I'd probably play by a different set of rules if I was convinced of that shit.

*toss TC anti-angstheist shield*
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I am not really religious (Im a deist), but I still volunteer, donate, and help people when I can.
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I know some great atheist people too. Its the person not the belief.
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Mystere posted...

Yeah because they want their eternal reward and fear an eternal punishment. I'd probably play by a different set of rules if I was convinced of that shit.

Nothing wrong with desiring eternal life. Also, there's a desire for others to have that as well.

If any of you guys want to talk about this I'd be happy to chat. No judgment.
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People only think they wanna live forever. Eventually you'd lose all zest for life and want to be done with existence.

Even if we solved aging and any medical ailment, I bet most people would choose to die before even 1,000. Probably well before.

I've never noticed a correlation between religiosity (or lack thereof) and how nice/how much of a dick someone is

in my experience there's a pretty even divide on good people and not-so-good people for both the religious and irreligious
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Mystere posted...

People only think they wanna live forever. Eventually you'd lose all zest for life and want to be done with existence.

Even if we solved aging and any medical ailment, I bet most people would choose to die before even 1,000. Probably well before.

If you think there's a limit to what life is and will be, sure. If you believe in a future without suffering or burden, not so much.

I'm a Christian. I understand evangelicals have perpetuated an undesirable view of eternity for some time, but recently I've come to see things a little more clearly. I don't think it wise to put God in a box. Curious, how has Heaven been presented to you by the Christians you've encountered?
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A place without sin. What stops someone from shouting blasphemy or assaulting someone? Sounds like there's no free will there. Like a beautiful open range that's actually an asylum where everyone has a perpetual happy shot.

Mystere posted...

A place without sin. What stops someone from shouting blasphemy or assaulting someone? Sounds like there's no free will there. Like a beautiful open range that's actually an asylum where everyone has a perpetual happy shot.

Define "free will." Because I hate to break it to you, but your will isn't "free" as it is. If you're honest with yourself, you'll admit you're constantly being kept from doing things you want to do. And if you actually want to partake in cursing the God who made you and committing violence against those made in His image, what does that tell you about the condition of your heart?
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Well I mean there is stuff called false hope. With that said, that is one good thing that religion can bring to some individuals... hope. I've seen some individuals give up their addictions almost instantaneously by turning to religion and it is true that most of the charities around the world are usually religiously motivated. I'm an atheist, but that is why every month I go to the local soup kitchen to help out the Church that is preparing for it, it's a hobby of mines and I like to talk to the individuals there like both the helpers and the people we're feeding (it's also where I met my wife).

Religion can be used for good and evil, and while I prefer it being wiped off the face of the earth I still understand the importance it has in todays world as well. Some people need the false hope to survive this world and religion can provide that.

Though it is funny when I hear religious people say that non-religious people can't be moral. I mean if we're talking about altruism, religious people are far from altruistic if they're only doing good things so they can get into heaven.
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I was raised by a bunch of selfish, hypocritical, do nothing, finger waving, bible thumpers so I strive to volunteer and do acts of charity.
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Maybe I'd read some of the posts in here if it wasn't posted to CE

Lightsasori posted...

Religion can be used for good and evil, and while I prefer it being wiped off the face of the earth I still understand the importance it has in todays world as well. Some people need the false hope to survive this world and religion can provide that.

About where I stand as well. My family never spoke of religion when I was growing up but I did see it around me and came to my own conclusions. I saw that something wasn't quite right. That being said I do try my best to leave things be. I have friends who are Christians, Mormons, etc. I may not do much in regards to charity but people say I am a very generous person. The key thing is you do not need religion to be a good person.
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CE tends to tell me the opposite: that I can't be a good person because I'm religious <_<
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that is why i am a moral virgin, i control my lust, i do not even see females in bad way in real life

ultra modern lifestyle living people are immoral sinners
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^who posted?
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teepan95 posted...

^who posted?

completeboy
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Atralis posted...

Maybe it is just my personal experience but......

They are into charity and caring for the poor and all that fuzzy shit while I just don't care as much. They feel like someone is guiding them and judging them and I am just stumbling through life.

But I can't get into it. I have tried but I can't believe like they do.

I'm an atheist and I volunteer with a church at their food bank, shelter, and thrift store. I enjoy doing it and have met a lot of great people doing it.
If you think belief in God will somehow make you a good or moral person than you're just not a good moral person to begin with.
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Lightsasori posted...

Though it is funny when I hear religious people say that non-religious people can't be moral. I mean if we're talking about altruism, religious people are far from altruistic if they're only doing good things so they can get into heaven.

Totally agree. Purely selfish motives are no reason for religious practice, though it's not unreasonable to want to spend eternity in peace and joy. And I don't mean with a select few people who were just good enough to make it (because no one measures up to the standard required). I believe the vast majority of humanity will be saved in the end. But I'm glad you're working with Churches that are actually doing things to help the community, and I hope you won't shun dialogue with those who are respectful.

MixedMartialArt posted...

I was raised by a bunch of selfish, hypocritical, do nothing, finger waving, bible thumpers so I strive to volunteer and do acts of charity.

Oh, same here. Hell, I was one myself for a while. I had to repent of that and now I'm striving to be consistent with my faith.
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Zurkon posted...

I'll be honest here, pretty much all the Christians I've met irl have been respectful to me and they were nice people. It's only the ones online that will attack me.

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HainoRocks posted...

I hope you won't shun dialogue with those who are respectful.

Oh trust me when I say this, but all of my closets friends ever are religious (most of them being Protestant Christians) and I know that most of them are probably better people than me. Hell, my own wife is Catholic (like I said, I met her at the food bank) and we made a promise to raise our kid Christian up until the age of 18 (my compromise was that he's not getting circumcision when he's a baby unless he wants it when he grows older). I grew up in a very strong religious background myself, so I know the kinks in the religion (though Catholicism has some really strange practices like transubstantiation) it was just series of events that made me lose faith in my religion. I'm still respectful and I'll only share that I'm an atheists if someone directly asks me otherwise.
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To my atheist friends here: I understand that you don't think belief in God is necessary to be kind and generous to others, but don't you see that you don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to your morality? You might like the results of people getting along, but what do you say to the authority figure who prefers to oppress and murder those who refuse to submit to his every whim? What if you're forced to acknowledge him as god? Do you do so and strip away every fiber of your self-identity, or do you die in vain? Because those would be your only choices.
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HainoRocks posted...

Oh, same here. Hell, I was one myself for a while. I had to repent of that and now I'm striving to be consistent with my faith.

Same but I went down a different path. Growing up and realizing all these people guiding me and influencing me were messed up was something else. I started to take note of how my family, pastor, church folk, etc. were just not good people, let alone good Christians and I couldn't be like that. No one is perfect but it's like everyone I was surrounded with reveled in debauchery and sin. I went through a rough period as a teenager because I had an awful case of scrupulosity induced depression and anxiety. It led me to seeking out other religious outlets, texts, etc. Ultimately the only way I could stay sane was just not to believe in anything. Once I freed myself of all of that, I really started to find myself as a person and set out to be everything they failed to be, even in the absence of God.
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Lightsasori posted...

HainoRocks posted...

I hope you won't shun dialogue with those who are respectful.

Oh trust me when I say this, but all of my closets friends ever are religious (most of them being Protestant Christians) and I know that most of them are probably better people than me. Hell, my own wife is Catholic (like I said, I met her at the food bank) and we made a promise to raise our kid Christian up until the age of 18 (my compromise was that he's not getting circumcision when he's a baby unless he wants it when he grows older). I grew up in a very strong religious background myself, so I know the kinks in the religion (though Catholicism has some really strange practices like transubstantiation) it was just series of events that made me lose faith in my religion. I'm still respectful and I'll only share that I'm an atheists if someone directly asks me otherwise.

Would you like to talk about it? I understand if it's too personal, but I've been through some rough things and I really won't condemn or criticize you. We don't have to do it here. You could send me a PM or we could communicate through Facebook, phone, whatever. Just concerned for you, dude.
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MixedMartialArt posted...

HainoRocks posted...

Oh, same here. Hell, I was one myself for a while. I had to repent of that and now I'm striving to be consistent with my faith.

Same but I went down a different path. Growing up and realizing all these people guiding me and influencing me were messed up was something else. I started to take note of how my family, pastor, church folk, etc. were just not good people, let alone good Christians and I couldn't be like that. No one is perfect but it's like everyone I was surrounded with reveled in debauchery and sin. I went through a rough period as a teenager because I had an awful case of scrupulosity induced depression and anxiety. It led me to seeking out other religious outlets, texts, etc. Ultimately the only way I could stay sane was just not to believe in anything. Once I freed myself of all of that, I really started to find myself as a person and set out to be everything they failed to be, even in the absence of God.

This is like looking in a mirror. Would love to share my story with you sometime. I'm not saying I know exactly what you went through, but I feel ya.
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there is no need to discuss moral or culture or religion here, discuss and analyze female backside and frontside here, sinners are gonna sin
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HainoRocks posted...

This is like looking in a mirror. Would love to share my story with you sometime. I'm not saying I know exactly what you went through, but I feel ya.

PM any time man.
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HainoRocks posted...

Just concerned for you, dude.

Don't be. When I said series of events, I meant more in the philosophical ways. I concluded that the Judeo Christian God from the bible couldn't be real, but I am still open to the idea of a higher power.
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MixedMartialArt posted...

HainoRocks posted...

This is like looking in a mirror. Would love to share my story with you sometime. I'm not saying I know exactly what you went through, but I feel ya.

PM any time man.

I'll write up some stuff and see we're we might have some common ground.

Lightsasori posted...

HainoRocks posted...

Just concerned for you, dude.

Don't be. When I said series of events, I meant more in the philosophical ways. I concluded that the Judeo Christian God from the bible couldn't be real, but I am still open to the idea of a higher power.

I don't think Jews and Christians are the only ones who have a claim on God, but I do believe that the God of the Bible is the one true God.
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Mystere posted...

Yeah because they want their eternal reward and fear an eternal punishment. I'd probably play by a different set of rules if I was convinced of that shit.

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HainoRocks posted...

I don't think Jews and Christians are the only ones who have a claim on God

Never stated otherwise.
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Lightsasori posted...

HainoRocks posted...

I don't think Jews and Christians are the only ones who have a claim on God

Never stated otherwise.

Curious, what philosophical reasons made you come to your conclusions?
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Me and my family are all into charity. We are all also atheists, agnostics, or against organized religion in general. My mom is even president of a local charity group.

It's just your experience. I think it's important to help people and make the world a better place. If there is no divine hand guiding things, that means that I have to work towards the sort of world that I want to live in. I feel like if I believed in an interventionalist god, I would care less. If there was some divine force that could instantly correct things, then I wouldn't have to worry about poor people or pollution or war or anything because it could all be corrected overnight if my god decided to.