Is it for religious reasons or do you just have a conscience? From most of the questions on here I'm getting the idea that most people just act good so they can get into the good bit of the afterlife.
2006-11-13 02:15:04 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ethics and the "Social Contract", not morals imposed by a make-believe god who squashes you for eternity.
2006-11-13 02:47:58 · answer #1 · answered by iknowtruthismine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm not such a good girl, really. i mean, i swear, i lie, i hide things from a lot of people, i'm not so perfect at keeping secrets, and a lot of other things. i just try to get away from the big mistakes coz i don't wanna be punished later. i know i should be better, but in this world these days i don't think it's possible. a child is born so pure but once he gets out on the streets, forget it, he's not gonna make it. and i just started reading the bible, and with every sentence i read i realize even more how much the world has changed i mean: a part in it said that if anyone looks at a woman and wants to possess her then he's comitted adultry with her in his heart. and i don't think anyone hasn't done that!!! we just can't tell what's bad or good these days. i feel so lost and confused. i think all we gotta do now is pray and hope things will get better.
2006-11-13 10:49:37 · answer #2 · answered by ALlr 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Striving to be a good person makes me feel better about myself. I'm not trying to rack up afterlife points - which I don't believe will solely do the trick anyway.
I think most people who strive to be good people do so for more earthly reasons, in that their motivation for doing so is pure, not to get some kind of reward.
2006-11-13 10:23:35 · answer #3 · answered by loveblue 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of people do. I don't believe in religion, but I still try to be a good person. I do it because I feel it's the right thing to do. I care about people, animals and the earth. Many religious people claim that if you don't believe in God (or are not religious) that you MUST be a bad person. I think those who claim that are really bad people themselves, they just act good because they are afriad of God. That, to me, does not make you a good person, that makes you a scared person who would do horrible things if they didn't fear God's wrath.
2006-11-13 10:19:45 · answer #4 · answered by Rwebgirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason that I try to be a good person is because I would like to be treated with dignity and respect. In other words I treat others the way I expect to be treated. I believe in Karma, and that if I do good then I will recieve good, and if I do bad, I will recieve bad. And of course, if I do good things in this life then I will be rewarded in the next life when I am reincarnated. Punishment for doing bad things in one's life is that the next life will mean one will be reincarnated into a lower life form.
2006-11-13 10:20:38 · answer #5 · answered by sangheilizim 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. I couldn't care less about the afterlife and whether my actions affect this. Anyone that considers themselves "moral" but behaves a certain way because Sky-Daddy is watching has no concept of what it truly is to be a good person.
2006-11-13 10:19:02 · answer #6 · answered by Elphaba 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For me because I've experiencedd hardship in my life I empathise with others and I feel obligated to help anyone who needs it. The afterlife doesn't come into it and I do have a genuine desire to help others but given that I'm not religious it isn't grounded in any theological beliefs.
2006-11-13 10:30:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was put here by the Grace of all of God and predestined to be raised to care about my circumstances and the like creatures around me. I think our afterlife is a given. So that is not my reason. I relish the reverence of creation that was given me. And good is what I was taught.
2006-11-13 10:22:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like to present myself in a certain way. I recognize that I'm not working alone here and how I present myself affects how people deal with me. That is called "character".
The purpose of morality is to allow people to live in close proximity to each other. I have my own morals and what I think would help me live my life better. Other people have theirs. When people meet, they have to agree, to a certain extent, on the rules of interaction. If you're dealing with a clerk, that doesn't have to correspond as closely as with a spouse.
There are some shortcuts to this. Society has developed rules which are enforced in social taboos, traditions, and laws. This means when I meet a clerk, I can assume some things about the rules of interacting with him or her. Those laws change over time, but generally make such interactions more efficient and representative of individual morality. It makes life easier.
On a personal level, when having more intimate dealings with other people, one's character comes into play. What people think about you, honest or dishonest, generous or petty, outgoing or shy, all play into how you interact with other people.
2006-11-13 10:17:02 · answer #9 · answered by nondescript 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just because that's how I am. Conscience. I have my religion, but the reason I try to be a good person does'nt depend on my religion.
2006-11-13 10:18:12 · answer #10 · answered by Angela 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I was always told that being a good person is a very important part of life. It dertermines how your life and relationships on this earth will be. I think as long as you are a good person and treat others well that you will go to where ever it is that good people go to in their next life.
2006-11-13 10:31:34 · answer #11 · answered by Chipper33 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋