Do they feel the sum total of their actions amounts to ZERO?
2007-06-10 00:30:53 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
AFTER ALL EVERYTHING IS JUST A RANDOM COLLECTION OF MATTER. iT'S ILLOGICAL TO SEE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
2007-06-10 00:42:35 · update #1
yes, I am sure there are atheists who believe so
2007-06-10 00:34:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 11⤋
I have to admit that I have met atheists who think that. But I think that these sort of atheists are in error. I am an atheist myself and I think that everything I do has consequences, even if these consequences are only in my personality first. For example, if I do bad things when nobody looks, I develop a bad character and personality on the whole, and at some point this bad character will show, other people will recognize it as such and react accordingly.
And I even think it works the other way round: If I for example do good things without regard for being noticed for that, I will improve my character and at some point this will be rewarded. In this life.
2007-06-10 00:39:41 · answer #2 · answered by NaturalBornKieler 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
They do believe in consequences, just not after death. (Except for Buddhists who might be atheists but believe their actions influence their next life's incarnation).
Atheists' upbringing produces a "conscience" just like anyone else, and they know that they can go to jail for committing a crime, or get punched in the mouth for insulting the wrong person. On the other hand, some of the worst criminals, like Mafiosi, can be very religious.
2007-06-10 00:43:50 · answer #3 · answered by Apocalypse Cow 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not this atheist, but because I am a human, living in a human society, I act as I do because it is the right thing to do, not because someone may be watching. If I do something "bad" or unwise, then it is not unlikely that there will be human consequences in any case. I certainly wouldn't rudely and randomly type words in all caps for effect.
2007-06-10 00:35:48 · answer #4 · answered by Nodality 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
It does have consequences - at the very least to the people around us and unless you happen to be sociopathic that means something to some people
OTOH christians believe that all their bad behaviour is cleared by asking their god for forgiveness - hows that for no consequences
2007-06-10 01:22:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't know. I'm not an atheist. Only they would truly know if they *think* their actions have no consequences.
However, seeing as atheism can promote no moral standards aside from "do whatever it takes to reproduce" (and then not even that), i could see how if i were an atheist i could believe this.
Just looking at our society at large, however, i would think that many of them would not believe that. Firstly, because people need to have meaning in our lives, it's part of our nature, so like everyone else they would think their actions amount to something, whether or not in the atheist worldview they really do. Second, because our society still has lingering Judeo-Christian ideals permeating it, they would possibly be listening to those and believing their actions have meaning, too, because it was taught to them by their parents and society at large (of course, if they had been raised in a different society, they might believe differently).
But hey, i'm not an atheist. Let them answer the question: its a question about what *they* believe.
2007-06-10 00:44:23 · answer #6 · answered by Oogglebooggle 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
it doesn't stop the religious doing wrong. Atheists do believe that our actions have bad consequences, that realistic. What is unrealistic is doing wrong then going to confession to be absolved of your wrong doing how does that make it OK, remember the part about judging others?
Hypocrisy is abundant
2007-06-10 00:39:41 · answer #7 · answered by Audio Visual master 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well of course bad behaviour has consequences. We atheists have morals, we don't need a god concept to carry them out though.
I don't like to hurt or upset others and neither do other atheists.
2007-06-10 01:13:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nope, empathy always ruin the party.
"Do they feel the sum total of their actions amounts to ZERO?"
Nope, most of us try to leave something useful to humanity as a whole.
2007-06-10 00:36:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Bad consequnces in this life? Sure, there are consequences - for example, if I kill someone, I go to prison. But in an 'eternal life'? Doubt it.
2007-06-10 06:04:31 · answer #10 · answered by Devolution 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of us don't NEED the threat of consequences to do the right thing or avoid doing the wrong thing, ya know.
2007-06-10 00:49:15 · answer #11 · answered by . 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋