To atheists who say they're trying their best to be good?

Question

How can you really say that you're trying your best to be good when you have nothing to fear, when you have only one chance in this life?

Isn't it a logical idea that a person who is given only one opportunity in life would make the most of it - morals or not? That he would do his best to be as successful as he can be in this life - even if it means stepping on other people?

I'm not here to judge you or go against you. I'm just really curious. I mean no offense.

The answers were most intriguing, and the occasional 'dumb' name calls at me are acceptable, but pointless.

To the first guy who answered:

Being good because of the mere fear of hell is a very pathetic thing, and I am not like that. People who follow God just for the fear of going to hell do not deserve the term "Christian". True Christians follow God out of love and obedience.

I am not judging anyone - believing that oneself has the right to judge others is very shallow and proud, and only God must do that.

Anyway, I just personally think that my polite inquiries are more "moral" than calling fellow human beings "God, what a stupid person" and "What a disgusting person".

But of course, it may just be me, after all. :)

Thank you for the short five minutes you pardoned me.

I didn't mean to be offensive, but of course you won't believe me. My question as I see it is free from judgment of humanity, and if you see something other than plain curiosity in it, pardon please.

Answer 1

Well its human nature to be the best. All kinds of people "Step" on each other to get ahead or get a promotion or a different job ect. But that doesn't mean we are just going to go out and kill someone else to do it. I mean Atheists know that we only get once chance but that doesn't mean going out and causing chaos. On the Contrary we would really like the Fighting in the world to stop.

Answer 2

Theists who sign off with something like "I'm not trying to offend" usually end up being astonishingly offensive all the same - and this is no exception.

Let me reply like this. What you're saying is, the if YOU didn't fear the judgment of God, YOU would behave in an immoral manner, taking other people for granted, stealing, lying, cheating and worse. But fortunately God will judge you and you have the threat hanging over you of the denial of God's love if he finds you wanting. So you'll behave yourself, as a toddler does, from threat of punishment if you don't.

And if you're Christian, you've always got your comfort zone of "I am forgiven because I embrace Jesus" to fall back into. Very convenient.

Do you not think your question says more about your own morals than those of atheists? We are good because being good is the right thing to do. You should try it.

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EDIT

Your claim that it is not hell, but a love of God, that motivates you to do good, is not really convincing either - because you are still acting in pursuit of some extreme reward. Your moral sense is in some way self-motivated. Atheists would say that theirs was too, but that the pay-off for being a moral person was that it was less likely that someone would try to injure you back. Ulimately, we do good because we can empathize with the concerns of another and know that we would not wish others to do harm to us. To some extent you must do the same. Crediting everything to God is redundant.

There is no heaven or hell. You should be moral because civilization needs moral beings - here, while we are all alive.
_

Answer 3

You've already answered your own question and you don't even know it.
I'll give you a hint, the answer lies here; "How can you really say that you're trying your best to be good when you have nothing to fear, when you have only one chance in this life?"

I'll give you another hint, it's here; " when you have only one chance in this life?"

Understand now? We only have ONE chance in life, as there is NO afterlife. We don't sit around waiting for death so that heaven or Oz or Narnia or whatever made-up fairy land you think you'll go to after you die, will be better than this life.
We have one shot at it, and we make the best of it. And sitting in jail is a pretty poor way of making the best of things.
That's why 75% of the prison population is christian while only 2% is Atheist.
Understand now?

Answer 4

”How can you really say that you're trying your best to be good when you have nothing to fear, when you have only one chance in this life?”

Response:
1. One may fear to be a bad person.
2. Morality arising out of fear is a bad practice. People should act moral because of their principles.

Answer 5

God, you're dumb.

Well having one life is all the more reason to treat is as precious and act decently during it.

We're morally and ethically superor to you ignorant theists because we don't believe in being good just to suck up to some mythical sky-fairy but for its own sake.

How can you call the bible a moral guide when it condones mass murder, child sacrifice, rape and all sorts of horrors?

Obviously you have no understanding morality. I guess you're someone who if they didnt believe in God would steal and murder. You're saying its 'fear' of hell that stops you being a totally selfish, vile, immoral person who would do anything to get what she wants.

What a disgusting person. Do you really feel qualified to judge people who are morally better than you'll ever be?

*Now you've got ME really curious. You're honestly saying you're like a dog who, without the constant threat of a rolled up newspaper, will pee on the rug and bite the children?*

**You say only God can judge you, well if you believed you could be forgiven and went out and murdered someone to stop over them and get more success or money for yourself wouldn't a Judge and jury basically judge your action? I think they would. If someone tells me if not for the threat of punishment they would be immoral selfish criminals I can't really help but using words like disgusting, can I? Its inevitable. You say you're question is free from judging humanity but thats not true either. If anything you said was true I would be deeply ashamed to be a human being. I think the truth is you're a good person because you, too have an independent sense of right and wrong. Why do you credit God with what you've got right?**

Answer 6

Quite simple really. It's because there are plenty of earthbound consequences for bad behavior. If I were to walk into my neighbor's house and try to stroll out the door with his brand new TV he most likely is going to be a little upset. He may just decide to introduce me to the business end of a Smith & Wesson or he may decide to call the cops inwhich case if caught I'll be cooling my heels in the slammer. In my value system Atheist it may be a TV set is not really worth getting shot or sent to jail for.

Answer 7

That's a pretty cynical view of the world. You've certainly noticed that the atheists here do behave better than do the believers. I think it's obviously because for the reasons you gave, we value life more than do believers. But that doesn't mean we only value our OWN lives. The lives of others are valuable as well, and atheists tend to respect that fact.

Answer 8

I wonder why people judge others

If other people don't follow your Religion or belief patterns they are not out to rule the world or without morals.

Humanity.. isn't ruled by a God
its a human trait

Answer 9

If you are being good because you fear some punishment, are you really good?

Everyone decides for themself what it means to be good. There are beleivers who think that God wants them to care for their family and use that to justify "stepping on other people". Look at Ken Lay. There are believers who do wonderful things and are inspired and strengthened by their faith.

Atheists can do good or evil things too. They just don't use God as an excuse for thier actions.

People who fear the wrath of God aren't being good for a noble reason. They are good because they are afraid not to be good.

While Atheists are good for nothing!

Answer 10

Easy, to start with, we don't subconsciously dehumanise those outside of our cult.

Then secondly, rather than being trained from a young age, before our natural empathy can fully develop, to think only of what's in every situation for ourselves (to do the right thing for selfish reasons), our natural empathy for others, more often, fully develops.

And then of course, having only one life means that everyone else - everyone who we have the ability to fully empathise with - has only one life too.

No offence.