I keep reading all of these questions asking variations on "if we were all atheists, what would stop us from doing whatever we want, like going on shooting rampages?"
Wait...WHAT? What are you saying? That you WANT to shoot dozens of people, but only your religion is stopping you?
2007-04-18 11:18:04 · 34 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
it definitely keeps structure in our crazy world, that's for sure.
2007-04-18 11:21:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
It may just be the opposite. Religion sometimes is used to be the means to the end of mankind. Some people use it as an excuse to kill as you are seeing right now. It is not Religion that kills people. It is the person allowing the ego self to be influenced by darkness. If you do not believe that then you may want to ask yourself the next time you decide to do what you realize is the wrong thing, why did I do that stupid thing when I knew it was wrong. Primitive man did not have religion but believed the forces of nature that he had no control over or the sun that made him warm were to be feared or wondered at, later to be worshiped. Morality only evolved when man evolved past the point of superstition and believers in luck. Kaos will happen if there is no morality. with morality, came Taboos , then religion.
Rev. TomCat
2007-04-18 11:31:13 · answer #2 · answered by Rev. TomCat 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Definitely not!!!
And, by the way, the VT guy was CHRISTIAN! Where was his religion to stop him????
And, by the way, Koresh (Waco) was a deeply religious cult member. Why didn't his religion stop him??? Oh yeah... because his crazy religion COMMANDED him to do it...
So, I would say that religion or no religion, some people are nutty... and religion or no religion, some people just aren't murderous, suicidal maniacs.
I understand why people want to bring religion - or any other factor for that matter - into the discussion... we're all struggling to understand why, how, under what circumstances anyone would ever do such a thing... and in trying to understand it, people are grasping at reasons. I think that when it comes right down to it, this guy - and others like him - are just people that DESPERATELY need help.
2007-04-18 11:27:15 · answer #3 · answered by a-mac 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My morality (in a secular sense) stops me too.
But Jesus has always had His grace on me.
I have had people do things to me that if I was not a Christian, or a moral person, they would have paid in blood.
I know other people that way too.
My parents, grandparents, and great grandparents went through even more terrible things than I have, especially with racism, and they didn't take any vengeance. They also were reared as Christians and moral people. But certainly more people deserved to die for what they had done.
I find that most serial killers and mass murderers and even many "run of the mill" criminals are not raised in faith.
It does check some of your worst impulses.
The doctor that almost killed me (racism) and the man who molested me would definitely have been dead were it not for the grace of God. The drunk driver that hit my parents I can say the same for. I have learned to forgive them all.
I don't think, at least speaking for myself, that this means that if I were an atheist I would just be killing all the time.
No, atheists are not natural killers, but faith (at least mine) puts a pause in evil plans. You can pray
2007-04-18 11:27:59 · answer #4 · answered by soulflower 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's all horribly complicated. My religion has nothing to do with my morals. That more something to do with my philosophy and the cult I belong to. They all kinda hold hands, but my religion touts personal responsibility over not cutting down scores of enemies. Under the right context, killing could be acceptable, but just barely. It's my sense of philosophy that lets me know killing is wrong. And, I just don't have that desire. My philosophy tells me that desires lead to suffering, and that wasing dozens of people would only cause more suffering and not really accomplish me anything. My cult tells me that it doesn't matter cause they will all just die when the world ends anyhow and I'll be on a Pleasure Saucer laughing at them. I think that people who have the honest desire to kill others, but are only held back by their faith have some kind of personality disorder.
2007-04-18 11:25:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christians generally worsen me. they have an inclination to be boastful, and sense that they have the right to impose their holiday trips on me. they now and lower back attempt to transform me, all the mutually as explaining that they LOVE the precious Jewish human beings. :/ i'm no longer precisely prepared on maximum Christians. And your factor that morality does not consistently count on faith is rather-taken. however the Crusades have been centuries in the past--a millenium in the past. i think of the statute of barriers has run out-- and that i lots choose the smugness of Christians to that different faith, a lot of whose adherents HAVE long previous on murderous rampages--no longer after having LEFT their faith, yet as a skill of practising it.
2016-12-26 13:59:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that my conscience as well as being sick to my stomach getting the guts to hurt some1 all the things that go with (just shooting a bunch of people).I think that u would have to be mentally disturbed in order to do such a thing.I'm an atheist n would never even think about shooting some1 just cuz I couldn't do that to any1 .
2007-04-18 11:36:53 · answer #7 · answered by too4barbie 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
World religions have been the cause of countless wars and millions of people losing their lives through the centuries. Religion only gives people yet another excuse to hate and discriminate against one another. The world would be much more peaceful if religion did not exist.
2007-04-18 11:24:33 · answer #8 · answered by abdiver12 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I can see how you would find this offensive and I would like to add that I have not asked this particular question. I think we all have a moral center that was God given. I know you don't believe God gave it to you, but I believe that. Therefore someone who does this is either mentally ill, under the influence, or completely ignoring that moral center. I don't think that faith is the only thing that can keep someone from behaving in a good way.
2007-04-18 11:24:27 · answer #9 · answered by future dr.t (IM) 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Speaking pf psychopaths, your avatar looks a little like Dr. Lechter.
No, of course, I wouldn't go on a rampage because it is morally wrong as well. There is an innate goodness in people that prevents thoughts of that from even occurring.
I think you're reaching a bit here, pal.
2007-04-18 11:24:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Some days, man. (Just kidding.)
But, really. Not that atheists are all psychos or anything, but the pattern of thinking is that there are no absolutes. So what's wrong or right for you may not be wrong or right for me. And that could be taken to an extreme by saying that murder or what-have-you is acceptable.
It's a bit much, I admit, but it comes down to the lack of absolutes.
2007-04-18 11:24:20 · answer #11 · answered by Melody L 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋