Christians are taught at church and home from a very young age what their morals are. They are told to live by these morals or bear eternal punishment in hell.
Atheists are taught by their parents about morals with no worry about hell or afterlife punishment. Why do they choose to obey these morals when they get nothing in return?
Why don't Atheists need the threat of eternal damnation to keep them in line, but Christians do?
I'm curious to hear the Christian point of view, but all opinions welcome
2007-04-12 03:03:04 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
to Norie: what are you talking about? i didn't post this to upset anyone, i just wanted to know the answers, so please climb down off of your high horse. report me if you like, i've not posted anything offensive. i love you too : )
2007-04-13 05:25:57 · update #1
You're right. While I DO believe in God & a love for God always helps, as long as you are a good person it doesn't matter what you believe in, even if you don't believe in God. How about many of the good people of the third world countries who don't know religion? Are they seriously going to be "damned" because they don't share the beliefs of a certain group? I don't know an all-loving God who would ever do that to his children. He forgives and never hates in my opinion, so all the "salvation" b.s. is just another way for people to be hateful and feel as though they are "chosen ones".
2007-04-12 03:10:25 · answer #1 · answered by Dusk 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
OK I'm catholic and my kids are taught there morals at home not in Church. We don't worry about hell, because this life is a learning experience. We all do good things and bad, everyone. Some churches do believe in enforcing hell and brimstone. But don't put that label on all Christians. Atheist say were not well informed. Get your facts before posting stupid and untrue questions. Oh stupid me, you wanted me to get upset. Didn't work, that's consider what, a troll. Posting to get reactions. I love you I won't report you.
2007-04-12 03:20:21 · answer #2 · answered by norielorie 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you don't. I wasn't raised worrying about the fires of eternal damnation, lol. My parents NEVER went to church unless there was a wedding, and we didn't really go all that often except for vacation bible school.
Our morals weren't taught via the bible, but the belt, lol.
We didn't have to worry about GOD we just prayed he was there to keep my parents from beating me to death for doing something stupid. lol
Most modern day Christians are the same way. There are very few of the "fire and brimstone" families anymore.
2007-04-12 12:12:16 · answer #3 · answered by Chrissy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a Xian, but i was educated in the ways of one of their sects. Catholics have an easy answer to that: God has writtern His moral code upon each of our souls. This view happens to be compatible with the evolutionary model of morality, even if the details differ. (Of course, it takes communion with the One True Church™ to bring (nurture) one's native moral code (nature) into the fullness of perfection. Come to think of it, this may be why the Church spends an inordinate amount of energy on sex to the exclusion of other issues. We are not born thinking that sex is immoral.)
I cannot speak for non-Catholics.
@Gui - Ha! I think it's so funny that our answers came right next to each other, re: sex. :-D
> It makes me laugh when atheists say their own morals is good
> enough for God.
Whoa! When did you ever hear an atheist say THAT? By definition, we don't believe that God exists. How could we say whether or not something is good enough for a figment of your imagination???
2007-04-12 03:45:04 · answer #4 · answered by RickySTT, EAC 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi Riegan,
It does not require a fear of God for an atheist to be good people. Anyone can do good just as anyone can do evil.
An atheist (or pagan for that matter) can be one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. They can do good, they can raise money for sick puppies and save drowning kittens and give all their lives helping children missing arms and legs. It is very admirable and honorable, and some people do it out of the goodness of God within them whether they believe in him or not.
Even the morals of atheists ultimately come from the traditional values that were first given to us by God. They may not want to acknowledge that, but ultimately it is true.
But no matter how good we are, we will not be able to stand in the presence of God. That is because God is Holy and His purity does not tolerate the presence of sin. We will be driven from His presence because of the sin on our souls. It doesn't matter how good we were in life if even the smallest of sins (like fibbing to a telemarketer on the phone) in upon us.
Christianity is not like a balancing scale where the amount of good is measured against the amount of evil. It is a washing machine where the sin upon your soul is washed clean by the sacrifice and blood of Christ. As a result of following his teachings, Christians are (or perhaps I should say "should") be good and honest, not out of fear of damnation to Hell, because once saved, that is no longer a threat, but out of love for our Lord.
I do the things that I do for Him and in His name. I do not want praise or glory for myself.
So you see, we are not taught to live by a certian moral or burn in Hell. We are taught that all of mankind has sinned and we are all doomed to Hell, and that only the sacrifice of Christ can save us. We do good out of love and gratitude and obediance. Not because of a threat.
2007-04-12 05:15:52 · answer #5 · answered by sparc77 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Atheists believe that their good deeds will bring more happiness and harmony to the society. That is quite an enormous incentive. Atheists cannot bear to go against their conscience to believe in something that is not true. Ignorance is bad but it is not unbearable. When our children are growing up, they have not as much knowledge and experience, that's why we tolerate and educate them.
2007-04-12 03:12:55 · answer #6 · answered by ShanShui 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is very EASY to follow your own morals. It is very HARD to follow God's.
Men's morals are twisted. Sex before marriage is accepted, you don't have to love your annoying neighbor, homosexuality is OK, being mad at someone for a good reason is OK, divorce is accepted, etc.
What is hard about that? It makes me laugh when atheists say their own morals is good enough for God.
2007-04-12 03:23:38 · answer #7 · answered by Gui 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Being good doesn't come out of fear.
Being good comes out of placing value on life. Christians seem to place more value on the afterlife(death)
according to the bible, they dont even have to be good and they can still get to heaven. They can just repent on their death bed
2007-04-12 03:08:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
It is because most people are inherently good.
2007-04-12 03:07:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
That's puzzling... Could it be that they are just good people ?
2007-04-12 03:08:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋