**For Athiests Only**?

Question

(see I knew that would get the Believers to click... they can't help it)

So fellow athiests, many 'believers' think that since we do not have "god" to guide us, that we have no morals. Hell, I guess I should be going on a killing spree right now since I have no "fear of the conciquences" (ie: 'hell')

So it leads many of us to believe that the only reason "believers" are moral is because they fear Hell and Satan... not because it's wrong to kill someone etc.

Fellow Athiests my question is this: How/Why are you a good person? If you don't have 'god' what defines right from wrong for you? If you don't have a fear of Hell, why are you a good person?

The Weasel - and your point is...? You are very picky aren't you?

God's Kitty - LMFAO!! ~whispers~ I do it to :P ;)

OMG is right Samantha - instead of focusing on my crapping typo of ATHEISTS how about we focus on what I asked? Sorry for the typos people - what do you want me to do about it?

Answer 1

Because I know that my actions have consequences -- in THIS life, not any other made-up mythical one.
Because it's common sense to treat others as I wish to be treated.
Because being accepted by my society as a fair, honest, good person makes it much more likely that I'll thrive and do well in that society.

Because I know the fairy-tale myth about being forgiven for my "sins" is just that -- a myth. I'm responsible for my actions, and there's no magic sky-guy to forgive me when I screw up. I have to deal with the consequences, not rely on "forgiveness."

Pretty simple :)

Peace.

Answer 2

I need no god nor law of man to decide for me right and wrong..

I use a rare mental phenomenon known as common sense.

For one thing, i base my hate and judgement on nothing such as religion or race or gender((though, often, certain followers of certain religions tend to be in need of a reality check with a sledgehammer)) but in how a person acts.

Respect, for yourself, and for others.

Treat people right. Rape, assault, harassmnet- its stupid and unnecessary. Expect others to treat you the same.


if they treat you poorly, return the favor- do not forgive someone who has done wrong on purpose- there is no excuse, and thus they deserve a poor return.

Treat people right, regardless of their profession, dress, or preferences in life..

In other words, i would treat a slumming prostitute the same way i would treat a movie star or profesional businessman, and find no fault upon any of them for thier profession or beliefs.

I have respect for people, regardless.

And, also, I look for truth. This also is how I know I am a good person. No matter where the truth comes from, so long as it is indeed truth,((or a solution to a problem, a gift, anything)) i accept it. i admit when I am wrong, gladly, proudly, and accept the change in my world with no grudge towards the source, nor do i resent myself or others when I find my judgement has been incorrect.

Religious people tend to refuse comon sense or answers or help if it comes from a source that is less that godly... ((i have a feeling a true chrisitan would rather let a schoolfull of children go kaboom than ever take the tip from a demon or witch, should they appear and warn them of the coming disaster- my mother herself, a find old christian fool, said so herself))

Also, I reduce things to their simplest form, which is, of course, truth, and not puritanical brainwashing and influence..

-After all, if you ask a random person, straight up, 'would you sleep with a stranger?' they'd probably flip out, and respond, most likely, with 'no, its wrong' or 'no, its a sin'..

If you remove the 'sin' part, you'll find the answer 'wrong' there, and, if you remove the possibility of pregnancy, and STDs, you find it is still 'wrong'..

Why? Because your choices have been influenced and made for you by puritanical influeunce on you and society? Is it really so filthy, wrong, and self-incriminating to indulge upon sexual pleasure with someone, stranger or not? Is it really a lack of self-respect that you use your body for pleasure and happiness, or is it merely an implementation of religious brainwashing, as always, that makes it so wrong? Think about it, loves..

I think without puritanical influence, and merely find simplicity and common sense.

I have a lot more common sense and far better judgement than most, although quite a lot of people would assume that I'm decadent due to my removing all religious influence upon my life choices..

---and please forgive my typos.. I type nearly dyslexic, and I cant be bothered to fix all errors..

Answer 3

I am a good person because acting the way I do furthers my life and my happiness. Being honest, reliable, judicious, independent, benevolent, etc. help me preserve those things I love, while, at the same time, harming nobody. And when all the things and people you value are taken care of, all the crap that the world throws at you just doesn't feel important or relevant.

What defines right and wrong? Me. I do. The standard is my life and happiness. If people help me, I help them in return. If they ignore me, I'm fine ignoring them. And when they hurt me, I have a right to demand reparations (and, afterwards, I go about what I was doing as if the problem never existed; a grudge is never helpful, and thinking about people who hurt me is never productive).

Answer 4

Birth and death are merely the front and back
ends of a quantum leap. Thus, the impressions
we stamp onto "quarks" today, shape our own
genetic situation, tomorrow. Enuff said ?

Space travel is just around the corner. But, it's
not likely to happen with fueled-based rocket
ships. It's going to be a bit trickier. Maybe like
imprinting bosons onto photons. That would at
least get us up to the speed of light.

My long range guess is that it will take "quantum
mechanics," which is a whole new ball game.
We need to strip time and space from the energy
form in order to move that energy form through
light year distances.

However this plays out is anybody's guess. Much
of it could depend on what we learn from the new
Hadron Collider, mass, time and space.

One thing is as sure as the world being round and not
flat. Quantum mechanics will change the way we
view God, our universe and ourselves.

Answer 5

My parents raised me to respect people and treat them fairly and not take things that weren't mine. They taught me that it's wrong to intentionally hurt someone, either through words or actions.

My parents were not religious people; I was the most religious person in my house -- I would go to Sunday school and church every Sunday, and bible study on Wednesdays. I did this from the time I was 6 years old until I was 16. I read the bible and I prayed every single day.

Then I started paying attention to the larger world and asking questions that no one in church could answer. They couldn't show me the answers in the bible. They couldn't tell me why god apparently helped some people but not others. Why god couldn't help people when that's all they were asking for.

I kept looking and looking and asking and asking and praying for some sign -- and I finally began to see it -- and it wasn't god that ultimately gave it to me.

It was education, pure and simple, away from the constraints of the people in church who said questioning god was "bad" .

Well, I've been "bad" for about 33 years now and I've never felt better.

Answer 6

I just am. I don't know how to quantify this. I don't do drugs. I don't go out of my way to hurt others. I pay taxes, I obey traffic laws, I don't try to tell anyone else how to live or that how they live is wrong. I'm in no position to judge anyone. I try to give as much time as possible to charitable organizations. (Not money - time.) What defines right and wrong for me? If it is something that would hurt me, I wouldn't purposefully do it to someone else. I do my best to be as kind and loving as I would want to be treated by others. And I never assume that I am better than anyone else. We're all on this rock together, and I really feel that we need to do what we can to help whoever we can, however we can. Religion doesn't really enter into it for me.

Answer 7

Everything I do is based on who I believe that I am and who I choose to be. I have a very strong sense of empathy. I have no problems putting myself in the shoes of others. From my observations of others I can feel what they feel, and that helps me to decide what kind of person I chose to be.

I don't want to be responsible for the pain and suffering that I cause others, and I would be responsible if I caused it. That admittance of responsibility allows me to be more aware of my actions and take other people into account.

Do I do what I do out of an obligation external from myself? No, I do it out of obligation to myself specifically and who I consciously choose to be. THAT makes me a good person.

If I were only being good because I believed that some god was going to punish me if I weren't then my being good would have absolutely no meaning whatsoever.

Answer 8

I define right and wrong based on life experiences. I'm a good person because I want to be not out of fear from invisible sky boogeyman god being.

Answer 9

Well, JUST BECAUSE. *shurg*

Probably not something easily explained...it just comes from how a person is raised and the social norms and standards of society. All cultures have various things that are bad, even things that to other cultures seem silly, but to them it's bad. And no matter what any of the people in such a culture believes, they still follow those do's and dont's of their society.

Answer 10

Morality is instilled in our genes via Natural Selection. Being moral because of a fear of Hell is not morality or altruism, etc. - it's selfishness.

And, for the nth time, it's ATHEISTS not athiests.