Altruism–noun 1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).
2. Animal Behavior. behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/altruism
Many theists claim that without a belief in God, humans would not know right from wrong. Why then, do my dogs stop playing when one accidentally hurts the other? Surly we humans have more altruistic tendencies than dogs.
2006-10-04 05:14:07 · 30 answers · asked by Kathryn™ 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
fci - My dogs are wimps; you can hurt them just by looking at them wrong - kids and adults frequently get hurt when they play too.
2006-10-04 05:26:56 · update #1
Sandy - read the answers to many of the other questions on this board. You will find that atheists have a huge amount of concern and love for others, without a belief in God or a creator. We also find purpose in our lives. Please open up your mind to the fact that these things are present for us, even without God.
2006-10-04 05:31:22 · update #2
That's not a bad question.
There are many kind-hearted people who do not practice Christianity. There are many altruistic people who practice Crhistianity, and many who don't. It's a choice everyone makes in their own way.
2006-10-04 05:17:26 · answer #1 · answered by Char 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Why are you comparing your children to your dogs? You are one of the angriest athiests I have come across on yahoo answers. Why don't you just let people believe what they want to believe, pehaps then you won't be bombarded with the truth to seek Jesus. Although you seem concerned and keep bringing it up. Perhaps you are seeking Jesus after all. To you really think your life and the life of your children are meaningless?? That there is no purpose?? No more purpose than your dog? I think people know right from wrong... what Christians are saying is that accepting Jesus imprints the 10 comandments on your soul so to speak. Not following the 10 commandments give a person a sense of guilt. Until they repent, they will feel guilty. Do you feel guilty by thrashing people continually on this site? I think not. I would if I were you. I will thank you, though, more people like you on the site make athiests look terrible and Jesus more desirable. Peace be with you.
2006-10-04 17:50:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whether altruism is expressed in dogs or humans, one has to ask, where do these things come from? Are natural processes enough to explain why dogs and humans express altruisitc tendencies? If these things are left to naturalistic causes alone, then altruism is nothing more than a chemical process in the brain. I could have unselfish concern or devotion to others, and it wouldn't make a difference to me or the recieving the devotion. It only seems reasonable to believe that altruism has some intrinsic value outside the chemical processes. This would be analgous to gold. Gold is made from the same fundamental building blocks (protons, neutrons, and electrons) as belly button lint, yet for some we value gold over belly button lint.
Christians would argue that it is God that gives altruism its value. Jesus being God preached altruism as the guiding principle, he himself as the author of that principle, and his work on earth as the ultimate demonstration of that principle. For a Christian, Jesus and altruism are in essence the same thing. When a Christian says he or she follows Jesus, then that person is saying they are letting Jesus' altruism be the model for his or her life. Without God, altruism would be a chemical process, with no intrinsic value beyond the chemical process in the brain.
2006-10-04 12:38:41 · answer #3 · answered by The1andOnlyMule 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Altruism is fine, but one who believes that there is no creator believes that we are something on our own, and so "unselfish concern" flies out the window. How can one unselfishly care for another when one thinks the be-all and end-all is the self? If there is no higher purpose, what is the purpose? If we're looking at "the greater good," what does that mean? That everyone on earth be happy and healthy...for what? So that when they're ready to go into the grave we can think the thought, "Well, they used to be happy and healthy."
People can have an idea of right and wrong if they don't have faith in God. They just don't ultimately care--because there is nothing to care about. If you believe that right and wrong is created by human beings--which you do if you don't believe in God--then eventually you ask yourself the question, "Hey, wait, if I create right and wrong, and you create right and wrong, who's to say that (a) we've got it right or (b) my right is anymore right than your right?" That is, inevitably one must face what is known as "relativism," and realize that there is no inherent right or wrong if people are the ones making it up. More people may agree to a certain code of conduct, but that will just be many people agreeing to something. Lots of people could just as easily turn tide and agree to another code. If right and wrong lies in majority rule, and the majority decides that something very wrong is actually very right, where will you be then? This happens a lot throughout history. Currently one could glean much public support and applause if one asserted that Muslims should be killed. A houndish majority has thrown the sense of what is right out the window, and now something entirely opposite is acceptable by American society. (Not everyone in America, but many--and what we're talking about here is human beings creating a sense of right and wrong, remember.) If there is no absolute right and no absolute wrong, then there is only relative right and relative wrong--which is a shaky, vacillating, unreliable structure, susceptible to human whim and fancy. If that is stable enough for you, hoorah. But wait until the tide turns against YOU, and it becomes socially acceptable--"right"--for the majority to slay people who have a certain thing in common with you. How, then, will you persuade people that what they are thinking and doing is wrong? If they are in the majority, to what will you make your appeal? Relativism cannot make sense when one is its victim.
2006-10-04 12:25:59 · answer #4 · answered by Gestalt 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
What people forget or deny is that even what the religions tell you to do was not informed by a deity, but decided by humans. Most of those ideas are founded in altruism (not what God said), which is why atheists hold many of the same moral standards as any religion does.
In the end, you are on your own to figure out morality. Some people use a book supposedly written by a deity to excuse their immoral behavior (hating homosexuality, protesting at a funeral, believing women are inferior, human sacrifice, etc.) Clearly, I am now promoting my own brand of morality, so I could be wrong about these specific examples. However, I think it gets the point across.
2006-10-04 12:26:27 · answer #5 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Sure people have been doing that for hundreds of thousands of years. People are pack animals, the only problem with us is that most tend to only show this self sacrificing trait to the ones close to us, if we could all treat others as if everyone was a loved one then this world would be much better place. It would take a lot cultural and social re-engineering.
2006-10-04 12:22:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Where do you think we get these altruistic tendencies? The altruism fairy in the sky? LOL j/k not trying to be a smart a**...but God gave us the ability to know right from wrong...so even if one does not believe in Him, the fact still remains that God created us all, and He created us in His image. Therefore you can be morally right without being a follower of Christ. Too bad our right morals won't get us to heaven. Only faith in Jesus Christ will get us to heaven. Maybe this sounds like a simplistic answer to you, but the truth doesn't have to be a conundrum. And it isn't. :-)
2006-10-04 12:22:45 · answer #7 · answered by peachy78 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
From you comments, altruism sounds like nothing more than a bit of do-gooder atheism.
If you want to understand why we must follow Jesus, it is because of His promise of eternal, immortal life for all of us in heaven. Jesus did not come down here to just give us good advise and then wish us the best. He died for us and rose again to defeat death so that we can live forever.
Altruism, from what I gather, makes Jesus unnecessary, as long as we live good lives and be nice to each other. But the point of the whole thing is about what happens AFTER WE DIE. Jesus' mission had nothing to do with this life. He was trying to get us ready for the life AFTER this one. Altruism confines us to this earth, and when we die, that's it. Worm food. A pointless existence.
Jesus gave us hope that we will not die, that our lives are not pointless. We have the joy of looking forward to an eternity of happiness and peace because of Him. So, just remember this key point: altruism imprisons us to this life with no hope afterward; Jesus sets us free with eternal life with Him.
God bless.
2006-10-04 12:33:44 · answer #8 · answered by Danny H 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
God is God no matter what you think about Him. He loves you and He wants to be with you in eternity. But what is the great thing about the free will, that you do not have to be with Him if you do not want to.
We are not really saying that without belief in God, humans would not know right from wrong...we are saying that God is real and He made us to His likeness, meaning that we know right from wrong. We are saying that without recognizing the Moral Law Giver, what is your standard for morals?
But what I really love about Christ, He died for all of my sins...every single one of them. I will try to give it my best shot to live up to His standards, but I would never make it without Him. I accept I need Him. I accept His standards even I know I will fail. We can only try to be like Jesus. But just to learn to love one another like Jesus does...that is a lot. We can still keep trying. And I want to be with my Lord after this life here is over for me.
2006-10-04 12:24:54 · answer #9 · answered by SeeTheLight 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tendencies don't seem to be doing much for the world right now. But, that's just my observation. Actions would probably do much more good. I'm not saying that most Christians are doing any better, but they are supposed to be.
2006-10-04 12:24:09 · answer #10 · answered by luvwinz 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It should be, and it can be.
Perhaps some people think there isn't enough promise in altruism? Most religions offer *some* sort of a reward for good behavior; maybe folks don't want to be selfless unless they know eventually they will get something out of it.
Not throwing stones here, just ideas.
: )
2006-10-04 12:19:06 · answer #11 · answered by Chickyn in a Handbasket 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋