Doesn't it really hack you off when religious types hi-jack the moral high ground?

Question

I mean they think they are somehow superior to non believers, and think that they are the ONLY ones who do good and charitable things.
I do voluntary work because it makes a difference to other peoples life, not so i can go to heaven.

Answer 1

I find it a very strange assumption that people who do not follow an organised religion are somehow a lower life form and bound to be self serving, immoral, dishonest etc etc That is absolutely not the case. I would describe myself as an atheist and I am willing to take responsibility in my universe. My aim in life to have as little detrimental impact on the planet as possible, to be of service whenever there is an oppotunity, to always do the right thing, to be kind etc. As an adult I don't need the threat of eternal damnation to make me a decent person and I don't need any glory to be willing to put muself out for other people..

Answer 2

But many many people don't care about whether or not it makes a difference to other people, (although many many people *say* they do). Even people who volunteer can only do so for a limited time - eventually they start asking "what's in it for me?". They can only ignore their self-centredness for so long, before they start getting irritable and miserable.

Look at how much money people give to overseas aid - it's about 0.3%-0.4% of GDP i.e. very little. People regularly choose to buy stuff for themselves which improves their lives only slightly, ignoring the plight of others who would benefit much more from the cash.

A 2006 study shows that 85% of the world's wealth is owned by 10% of the world's population and 50% of the world's wealth is owned by 1% of the world's population.

Basically people are selfish! They don't share and it majorly screws the world up. 50% of the world is in desperate conditions.

Religion says e.g. "love god and hate wealth" "a camel has more chance of going through the eye of needle, than a rich man has of going to heaven" etc. This sort of view is much better than the typical view people have = "I need money to spend on myself because my happiness is much more important than anyone else."

(If they don't think it is more important then why would they spend money on themselves improving their life a little when they could spend it on others and improve their lives a lot?)

Answer 3

Yes, and I'm a Christian.

I don't think being religious automatically entails that one is a better person than those who aren't religious.

However, I don't do charitable things so I can go to heaven, but out of love. Charity means nothing unless it's done in love.

That goes for everyone.

Answer 4

Well, they can say what they want, but that doesn't make it true. I know many who refuse to see that Non-Christians (not just Atheists and Antitheists) do volunteer their time to help others. I know of several who took their vacation time to go down to LA to help out the victims of hurricane Katrina. Officers of Avalon, a Pagan organization, was there and are in California helping those who lost their homes in the fires. Non-Christians aren't trying to get to heaven... even those of us who have a religion don't worry about our afterlives. We are too busy working with the lives we have now.

So they can try hi-jack the moral high ground all they want. We know better than that.

Answer 5

Religion is NOT the source of morality. If anything religion works as a way to supress certain morals while systematically claiming the rest. Not all people may be moral/amoral but from looking at results, ALL societies have a sense of morality, regardless of whether they have a religion that dictates a persons' actions.

Answer 6

As a religious person, I know my works alone will not get me into heaven. So, that is not why I do volunteer work either-- I do it for the same reasons as you, to help others.

Answer 7

I'm sure no "religious type" would ever look down their nose at you, a fine upright righteous person like you. Wont you feel horrible at the day of judgment when the one who did righteous things "in the name of Jesus" will be admitted into Heaven, and you who did it in your own name will be rejected?

Answer 8

Good works are Good works No matter where you stand in the morality tide.

Most of these Holier than thou types have never seen a charitable action. They go around witnessing and shoving their beliefs down your throat and think that counts.

Answer 9

Exactly! And they also have the audacity to say we're immoral!

pilgrim:
So heaven only admits people who suck up out of fear rather than genuinely good people who do it out of righteousness? I know where I'd rather be.

Answer 10

you don't have to be religious to be a good person, what about a priest who has sexually molested a child but have done gods work or someone who doesn't believes in god who is a good person and helps people,