Accountability?

Question

This is part of an answer to a previous question regarding the 'proof' of the bible that the Christian god exists:

"if people don't believe God exists, then they don't have to be accountable to anyone for their actions"

Are most Christians in agreement with that statement?

Are no Christians accountable to themselves or their family or their community? How about to humanity? No? Just God?

What about if you believe in a different God? Does that make you not accountable still? It's the 'wrong' god and therefore doesn't count?

Can humans only be accountable to the Christian god??

Answer 1

Accountability, yes this is a good question. I am Buddhist and would like the opportunity to answer this very intuitive question if I may from a Theravada Buddhist's perspective. I understand that the question was aimed at Christians but I may be able to use Buddhist Dharma or Teaching to provide some insight for useful and perhaps interesting comparison if I may be so permitted.

The Lord Buddha had some insight into our personal accountability for ourselves and each other in his Teachings on Karma and the inevitability of Rebirth as a consequence of our Actions in each Life. I understand that others reading this may not understand or even want to hear about Rebirth or Karma and I will only therefore concentrate on Consequence of Action and I'll only touch briefly on those other more controversial subjects for reference as I don't wish to cause offence.

From a Buddhist perspective then our Actions in Life are those things we do in our everyday interactions with other Life Forms including Human Beings as well as other Beings. These Actions include but are not limited to thoughts, words, deeds and include inaction as inaction can itself have negative consequence for example if we see that a car will hit another person and we do nothing then that person will be hurt.

Actions then are what we do in each moment of our lives. These actions can have negative, positive and sometimes neutral consequence. An example would be for example if we abuse a person in a queue. That person would suffer immediate embarrassment, that could translate to counter abuse which could escalate to physical abuse or even assault, physical harm. These counter actions then could be thought of as having consequence for us or even involve innocents. This only being an example it can be seen that negative Action has negative consequence, further those negative consequences can include others who are innocent of the initial Acion and suffering results.

This is the basis of the Buddhist concept of Karma, the term is simply a name for a phenomenon....a noun...often misunderstood and very much misquoted. Positive consequence then is the result of Positive Action and again can involve other 'innocents', a concept which Buddhists embrace, that being to allow other beings to enjoy the positive consequence of our positive Karma which our positive Actions are sure to cause. Our accountability for other's to put it simply is a right for other's to enjoy...to be happy, or as the Lord Buddha put it, to be free of suffering and we can and do affect that.

I must disagree with the statement made above, forgive me if I quote incorrectly.."If people don't believe God exists, then they don't have to be accountable to anyone for their actions". As a Buddhist and a human being I am directly responsible to others with whom I come into contact for their well being before, during and after that interaction and it is up to me to ensure that therefore the contact is a postive one regardless of their atitude to me because other beings are also involved we are never so isolated as to have no outflowing influence.

We are an interactive and fluid being. We have a great capacity for good if we only decide to do so, for by doing so and acting so we will be causing such good consequence and interacting with such purposeful and insightful conscious effort that with practise it will be a delight to just be rather than an effort to just try to be.

Are we accountable..? Not only is the answer obviously yes but we must acknowledge that we are all accountable to each other and to my mind we are accountable for each other in our capacity to effect each other so profoundly.

I hope you find this small insight of interest for comparison. I'm sure you have similar if not more profound insight than my poor example. Please forgive my poor expression if it has caused offence it was not intended.

Peace my friends in the recent and to me active season of joy.

From a Buddhist

Answer 2

You are asking a very intelligent and important question. There is so much confusion and division created for the sake of accountability.

It is a mundane philosophy that teaches no accountability. Even on this earth, we can see that one man is not punished for another man's crime. We are all held accountable for our own actions. Christian philosophy teaches that Christ is accountable only. This philosophy is abominable, because people believe that whatever they do, Christ will pay the price. If they murder someone, that is Ok, if they believe Christ died "for their sins". Even if Christ paid the price of their sins, in the form of death, should he keep paying? Christians also go to jail, and they also must pay for their own crimes. If a man has a son who is constantly breaking the law, should the father go to jail in place of the son? Even if the father does make that sacrifice one time for his son, will the son allow him to keep doing that? Will the state allow this?

Even if one does not believe in God, that is ok, because the laws of God, which include the laws of nature, are enforced with or without our belief or consent. You may not believe in a tornado, but the tornado will act nonetheless. Someone may not believe that selling heroine is against the law, but if the law takes them to jail, what was the value of that belief? Similarly, death takes everyone, even if you say, "Oh, I don't want to die, I don't believe in death".

There is no "Christian" God. If there is God, then He is one without a second. Some Christians call Him Jehovah, others call Him Allah, and still others call Him Krsna, but they are referring to the self-same Supreme Personality of Godhead. All humans are accountable to God, whatever you choose to call Him. It is silliness to suggest that there is a different God for Christians. People can understand that God has unlimited qualities, and some people are attracted to different qualities than others. For instance, some people are attracted to God's warlike qualities, and so they worship those qualities only. Some people are attracted to God's loving qualities, and so they worship those qualities. In this way, they think that God has ONLY the qualities that they worship, and those who do not worship those qualities cannot be worshipping "their" God. Factually, God has unlimited qualities, and one can worship God according to the qualites he is personally attracted to. God is never divided, so He can accept all kinds of worship. In any case, we are accountable for our actions, whether we worship His loving qualities, or His war-like qualities.

Answer 3

I think regardless of whether or not one believes in the existence of Gods, one should take responsibility for one's actions. Personally, I'm of the opinion that there is no sin and no forgiveness, if you've wronged someone you must apologize to that person and make amends...take action to fix the problem, not just ask a God for forgiveness.

Answer 4

The main thing that I see is, there can only be one God. One truth.

There can't be two truths. That would lead to the idea that no matter what you believe, if there IS a God, whether the Christian God or not...There would only be one God, and you would be accountable to him.

I hope that makes sense, it did in my head while I typed it.

But we are all also accountable to each other, at least in a Christian view point that what we do to a least of them you do to God himself.

Answer 5

ah, the old 'how can there be morals without god' question. Gets asked here once every 35 minutes or so.

Makes you wonder what christians are wont to do should they ever have a bad faith day or lose it altogether.

Answer 6

There is only one God over all.

Answer 7

people need to be held more accountable for themselves in everything that they do to others and for others as well as to and for themselves and in society as a whole if we don't look out for one another then how could we look at ourselves in the mirror day in and day out

Answer 8

we will all be accountable to God wether we fear him or not there is only one God so be ready for the final judgement.

Answer 9

they aren't even accountable to God--Jesus forgives them of anything and everything

Answer 10

I don't know.