Thanks for letting me use your quote, Pascal...and for confusing the sht out of me in Geometry class.
2007-01-10 05:02:48 · 13 answers · asked by gotalife 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Think it was Richard Dawkins (famous scientific atheist and author of books like "The God Delusion"), who said:
"Without religion, good people would still do good things, and evil people would still do evil things. It takes religion to make generally good people do really evil things".
Not sure if he's considered every option there though. I mean...computerised phone systems are evil, but I'm not sure which religion inspired them. That said, I think your man Pascal has a point - if people thought computerised phone systems guaranteed them the favour of the Lord, I'm sure they'd be even more twisted and blood-pressure exploding, just to get those extra salvation points by torture.
2007-01-10 12:50:38 · answer #1 · answered by mdfalco71 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Religious conviction allows no doubt or compassion for they feel that they are "right".
They do not believe they are doing 'evil' but rather 'cleansing' the world or fulfilling the word of God.
It's a weird world.
I don't think any of these men realize that ignorance is not in God's definitions of justice or good or anything close to that.
2007-01-10 10:32:02 · answer #2 · answered by falzalnz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard this question so many times I want to hurl. Do I have to remind you of the miserable things that non-believers have done. Remember Stalin? Pol Pot? Mao? Castro?. And that's just the last century.
Nothing they ever did was in the name of religion. Just miserable evil b*****. And I have no doubt they enjoyed themselves very much
By the way, I am an atheist.
2007-01-11 11:10:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having been raised around a lot of religious people and watched them do evil in the name of the Lord I will have to say yes. It always looked to me as if they thouroughly enjoied their bad behavior. I know I always try to find a Bible verse or 2 that will justify my evil ways.
2007-01-10 05:05:15 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Think of Adolf Hitler along with the others John Truefact mentioned....
that quote is bunk. I have a lot of admiration for Pascal but he miscalculated this one.
2007-01-11 13:45:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anne Teak 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To quote Moses when talking to Jehovah, "Repent of the evil you planned to do unto your people." So conviction can work both ways.
2007-01-10 06:52:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would have to say its untrue.... because I think evil is done cheerfully more so when its by self justification. Sometimes people will use religion to justify their behavior to the rest of the world but, they grab for the religion as an afterthought. All evil works committed by anyone is for gratification of the offender. I don't like to hurt anyone, so my religion will never convince me to do so. If I enjoy hurting people for whatever reason, I can twist my religion into saying its alright. If by chance, God himself came to me and told me to hurt you.... I sure wouldn't believe it was God telling me... if by chance He proved He was God and I felt like maybe I really HAD to hurt you, I would probably just tell God I couldn't and deal with the consequences.
2007-01-10 05:14:18 · answer #7 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
that is an interesting question. For those suicide bombers I don't know they feel cheerful as much they are convinced of righteousness. They are motivated by to do evil by mans manipulation. This could be found in more than religion
2007-01-10 05:46:41 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it's true.
2007-01-10 05:07:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
because of their "conviction" they have set themselves up for the biggest temptation test in their lives. you will be tested. period.
2007-01-10 05:09:14 · answer #10 · answered by ka'iwi 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋