Why don´t you do bad things? For fear or for love?
2006-10-31 01:43:41 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't believe in God and I continue to respect my fellow human beings. I don't understand why you would have to have someone tell you to be good. Don't you just feel the need to be a good person? Why would you want to be a bad person? What true satisfaction is there in that?
2006-10-31 01:46:14 · answer #1 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
That's a very good question. Many believers falsely claim that there can be no morals except those coming from their gods. That's a very shallow notion of morality - a kind of "goodness" that only runs skin deep. As you suggest, for those people, if god did not exist, there would no longer be any reason to be good.
Atheists manage to have an ethic that runs deeper than that mere fear of punishment and expectation of reward, and to ground that ethic in something far deeper than rules enforced by some powerful being. In a very real sense, atheism is a moral accomplishment. Sadly it's an accomplishment that is far beyond most people's capacity.
2006-10-31 09:51:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your question has a lot of assumptions in it. What do you mean by "good"? How does one become good? Do you mean that a person who believes in God is inherently good?
I think that even without a belief in God, most people believe in cause and effect - if I do this, then that might happen. Most "sins" have a negative effect attached to them, even without considering outside punishment (i.e. the justice system). For example, if you lie to your friend, you may ruin a friendship.
Essentially, a lot of behavior is based on selfishness. In fact, if people behaved entirely selfishly, while considering long-term consequences, we'd have a pretty good world. The best (most prosperous, happiest) life one can live will come from living a "good" (blameless) life.
2006-10-31 09:51:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Have you not heard that good intentions pave the road to hell. Good deeds will not get you into heaven if you are not doing what out of Love for God he doesn't want you doing it it doesn't want people doing things out of fear that's not God if it does not come from a cheerful will heart it will not be recognized all things must be done out of Love remember when ever we are helping the week the homeless the poor the least of these is HIM
God Bless You Always
2006-10-31 10:00:33 · answer #4 · answered by jamnjims 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are no totally good or totally bad people. There are people who believe in God who do many good things, and people who believe in God who do many bad things. There are people who don't believe in God who do many good things, and people who don't believe in God who do many bad things.
People have learned that doing good things helps the person acting good and the people who are the beneficiaries. It feels good. People have their own code of ethics and feelings of right and wrong that comes from within them. Some folks had religious parents and were raised to do good, then rejected religion and God but still do good.
There are people who do what's right because they want to--they would do the right thing even if no one knew. Some people do good because society expects them to. Some people do good because they want to appear good. Some people do good to avoid punishment. Most people who do good jump around between these levels all their lives.
2006-10-31 09:53:20 · answer #5 · answered by sixgun 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe in organized religion and I am still good. I don't do bad things because I love those around me and I do not want to hurt them. I guess the answer is for love. It's not really about earning their love though. It is about not wanting to hurt the people I already love and who already love me.
2006-10-31 09:46:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why do so many self described Christians do bad things and then blame their evil deeds on "the devil made me do it"
After reading the other answers, it appears that non-believers are good because they think it's the right thing to do while believers are good only because they want to go to heaven.
2006-10-31 09:54:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
You don't have to believe in a god to be a good person. Religion and the idea of god aren't a must-have to be good.
I'm good but I'm not religious at all.
2006-10-31 09:49:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Of course, I am a good person, and I don't believe in God. I am not an athiest either, I just believe that I control my own destiny, and fate.
2006-10-31 09:48:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, i guess, but i wouldn't care if i hurt someones feelings. I would probably be brutally honest with everyone and no one would like me much. I am not saying you have to be a liar to be a believer i am saying that in the course of sparing peoples feeling and trying not to be rude we often do not say what we truly feel.
2006-10-31 09:52:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋