Atheists, what is your explanation for good overcoming evil?

Question

why is that religious institutions last thousands of years whereas something like soviet ism only decades?You are familiar with the David and Goliath story ?Do you believe that evil attacks good?

Skepsis I thumbed you up.

Kilmede what part of my argument is flimsy?I don't think you know what you are talking about :you say that good and evil are not about being religious? The Bible is a book about moral science fyi.

Answer 1

Sovietism was evil. Communism was not. It was just badly applied. The Soviet Union collapsed because it overspent itself, terrified by the threat posed by its cold war enemies. But its opponents can hardly be called the good guys. Their own paranoia, and military-industrial greed, keep them busy casting around for new "enemies".

The reason good eventually triumphs over evil, despite evil's advantageous lack of conscience, is that evil overreaches itself. It is tolerated as long as only the "inconsequential" people are molested. But evil is by its nature insecure and never knows when to stop. At some point, even the most cooperative stooges of evil realize it can't be sustained and the whole thing collapses.

Good doesn't attack evil directly. It merely defies it, reminding people of what they've cast aside in their search for advantage and security in a dangerous world. Good acts are risky acts, and not very popular. But by keeping hope alive, good acts make the downfall of evil more likely.

The age of an institution, including a religious one, is no guarantee of its "goodness". Often once a religion is established, it is soon co-opted by the rich and powerful, who use it as a mask to hide business as usual. Good is usually on the outside of whatever is running things, demanding justice for those who get a raw deal from business as usual. Evil can often crush it but but not if people are watching. So evil's first task is to turn out the lights and good's first task is to turn them on.

Answer 2

Religious institutions are very good at programming children to believe, that's how they survive.

Also, define evil. What's evil to one person is often a desperate act of survival to another. Or the the actions of the brain damaged or mentally ill. A lot of wars have been triggered by religious leaders trying to gain more power for themselves. 'Soviet-ism' was fraught with problems that had nothing to do with atheism. You see corrupt regimes in religious states just as often.

What is happening in recent times is the victory of rationalism over superstition, not good over evil. It's science, not religion that has improved our lifespan, and massively improved the standard of living for many of us. Religion has not invented cures for illnesses, or developed the Internet. It won't solve any of the worlds problems. Rational thinking and the application of science has though.

Atheists do not need some bogeyman threatening them with eternal damnation to be selfless. We do it neither from fear, or seeking favour. Do you have such a low opinion of other people that you think they can't be good without being threatened or bribed?

Answer 3

you do know your assuming their was something called sovietism (you made that up) it is called marxism or its perverted form is more commonly known as communism.
and if you look at history religions as they are today were very different thousands of years ago, and the soviet block fell not communism which is still going strong in some countries or don't you do any sort of research befor making statements. religion has just been the more powerful force and atheism is and never has had a political cohesion to it unlike religion which developed it over time.
if you look through out history religion fought itself moreoften than not and forced people to follow them and most religions if faced with a superiour force would fall if faced with the same barbarism religion has used in the past.
the story of david and golieth isn't as it appears, david for starters had a tactical advantage which golieth didnt, a superiour weapon in the sling shot (yes military hardwear of the day) which didn't rely on brute force as what golieth used, also the sling shot is very accurate and can fire rounds quite quickly unlike golieths spear which would need time to perpare to fire and can only be thrown once where as the sling shot can use any stone/s in the area, if it was hand to hand combat would the victore be the same ???? no.

Answer 4

Good and evil are relative to the civilizations that are experiencing them

The definition of both changes over time. What we think is "good" now may not always remain so.

For example, at one time it was customary, and even accepted as a good thing, for (can't remember if it was greeks or romans) some to take children lovers to "teach them the proper ways of men and women". We now think thats disgusting and hate people that behave in such a manner.

However, it was also considered, at one time, that women were lower than men and were like animals to be traded at a mans pleasure, we now find such a thing to be despicable.

So... which definition of good and evil are you talking about?

Surely you realize that the biblical definition of good and evil is often wrong. Don't believe me? The bible promoted selling your daughters into slavery but we now accept this practice as wrong.

Is that not a change in the way people think about the bible?

Good and evil are relative and not based in any way upon the bible.

Answer 5

Evil by its definition is anti-good. Besides that, one man's evil can be another's good and visa versa. The Arab-Israeli conflict is a good example, both Palestinian and Israeli's think their sides are in the right, so who is wrong or evil is a matter of point of view. Good and evil are grey areas in the real world unless you live in a story book.
As for religious institutions, they are not governments and so don't have the immediate pressures that governments have. The Soviet Union was based on a Communist system of government, so when it failed Communism failed.

Answer 6

religious institutions last thousands of years because they scare the most by blackmailing you that if you don't obey, you will go to hell and be tortured and burned til the end of time - what's more evil than that - good has never triumphed over evil - David and Goliath is a story in a book, try going up to a nine foot guy and tell him your gonna floor him because you don't agree with his ways and you have God's backing - The Bible, ficticious stories with good modern day moral values, that's as good as it gets - try thinking for yourself - I was part of an organized religeon fo 20 years then I started asking questions, questions that weren't being answered - DON'T DENY YOURSELF THE LIFE YOU HAVE NOW, ENJOY IT

Answer 7

Religious institutions last thousands of years because they are more powerful. In their ignorance people believe them because they offer an afterlife, and I think many theists are afraid of the idea of dying and it being all over. There is no overall forces of good and evil. People can be good or evil but there is no God or Devil.

Answer 8

Religion is a social institution that has existed since humans formed organized groups and could think in abstract terms. You can compare it against Government (“social organization”), but you cannot compare it against a specific government. That is like comparing “government” to evangelical Christianity and asking which has a longer history.

As for the generally positive aspects of human behavior and organization, that has been described and explained countless times within the framework of evolutionary theory and does not require other-worldly or imaginary supreme beings to be understood.

Atheists are under-represented (relative to Christians) in jails and prisons and they are over-represented (relative to Christians) in science and higher education. Atheists have lower rates of divorce, teen pregnancy, and STDs than do Christians. This suggests that Atheists are better adjusted and make a more positive contribution to society than theists.

Instead of questioning our success, maybe you should focus more on an examination of religion’s failings.

Answer 9

Good/Evil, Right/Wrong. These concepts arnt soley religious at all. Maybe I'm a pessimist but I dont really believe good wins often enough anyways.


I cant help but wonder if you know how flimsy your arguments are but get off on confounding people with their inanity.

I'd hope for your sake thats true, Asking these questions knowingly with firm belief would just be too pathetic to take.

Answer 10

Man is good or evil or both depending on his point of view.
Religion and bible does not enter into the equation.
My gods are not your god.
Does that make me evil because I do not believe some crud that passed from mouth to mouth 2000 years ago and was written down by clerics in the 14c and preached to the heathen hordes that were your ancesters?
No it does not.
Where do non-believers come into your equation?
Atheists, Agnostics, Believers of other Religions and Faiths have their own demons to deal with and good and evil are NOT two of them.