No one can ever tell me that people are basically bad or evil. We are born with the capacity to sin (err/go astray), but in reality, its society and the material world that leads us to sin more than our own natures.
Although I love God as my Father and Jesus Christ as my Saviour, I also know that good can come without knowing God or Jesus Christ. No one will ever be able to convince me that just because someone is an athiest, they are not a good, moral, loving or upstanding person, everything in reality that Christianity calls us to be, minus Jesus Christ and God. My brother is not religious at all, in fact he finds religion and God boring at this time in his life. However, he risked his own life pulling a cabbie to safety who was unconscious and car was in danger of exploding after a crash. Most individuals instinctively will risk their life for another human being. "The greatest love is to lay down one's life for another" -- Jesus never appended Christianity to that quote.
2007-07-20 15:47:09 · 10 answers · asked by Christine S 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Everyone has the capacity to be good and bad. You certainly don't need religion to have good morals.
2007-07-20 15:53:44 · answer #1 · answered by Maricel S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christine, I'd agree with what you said. I think that society and government, for its own purposes, want people to believe that other people are generally bad. Towards this end the powers that be try to isolate and keep people from interacting, and plant all kinds of news to make people fear each other.
In fact when you get to know even a little about other people you find, and are often pleasantly surprised by finding that people are generally good and are interested in helping where they can, whatever they happen to believe on the religious level. Seldom does that mean risking one's life for someone else, but the little acts of kindess that happen between people every day are proof that people are basically decent.
2007-07-20 15:59:12 · answer #2 · answered by GCB-TO 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think people are basically good, or at least neutral.
You can definately be moral without religion. Some of the most moral and accepting people I know are atheists. I'm an atheist, and I'm greatly concerned with making the world a better place.
2007-07-20 15:52:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People are basically good. Children may do wrong things, but it's ignorance that causes it. That's the point of child-rearing. One can be a perfectly good person without being a Christian. I have known some atheists that were more Christ-like in behavior than many "Christians".
2007-07-20 15:54:54 · answer #4 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I will not disagree with you that athiest are kind loving individuals. Your brother acted on human instinct ( instilled by Jesus himself). The only thing I have to say here, is that unlike you and I, our bretheren that do not believe, will not have a peaceful eternity. How would it be possible for them to believe that if they don't believe in God? I enjoy the company of my agnostic friends. They do bring goodness and happiness to situations. But in my heart of hearts, I cry for them, because I can't tell them that I will wait in heaven for them. That hurts me most of all.
2007-07-20 16:24:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
OOOOH, I'll take preaching in the form of a question for $500 Alex.
That said, people are inherently neutral. Once you get your mitts on them, and tell them that they will burn in Hell, they give up all hope and live a sinful indulgent life. Then, on their deathbed, they say they are sorry, and expect an express ticket to Heaven.
2007-07-20 15:54:20 · answer #6 · answered by mikalina 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is the only one that is 100% good
christians have their sin debt paid by Jesus shed blood and salvation to someday be with Him.
Isaiah 64:6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
7And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Without Jesus all would be bound for the lake of fire.
Rev 18-22
Matt 24-25
Ask a prayer question and see what the atheists and anti-christians reaction is.
2007-07-20 16:04:17 · answer #7 · answered by robert p 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists are more apt to be good people than religious people. They are more concerned with living an ethical life than being forgiven for not.
2007-07-20 15:53:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i agree. people are innately good. they may LEARN otherwise. and yes they can be good without knowing a god.
2007-07-20 15:51:52 · answer #9 · answered by dali333 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
good and evil both embrace and disavow god it works both ways
2007-07-20 15:51:59 · answer #10 · answered by dogpatch USA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋