Zonie63
Posts: 2826
Joined: 4/25/2011 From: The Old Pueblo Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: FunCouple5280 Because of their certitude that their is an afterlife, they can convince themselves and other to commit some of the most heinous acts to please a deity and ensure a better life in the next. If you believe there isn't an afterlife or aren't sure, you have to value your present life both in its quality and duration. If there is nothing on the other side, you must make the most of what you have now. I'm not sure that I agree with this. I'm not religious myself, and I have no information or evidence of any Afterlife. However, some might argue that the belief in an Afterlife would actually compel moral behavior and discourage people from committing heinous acts, mainly because of the belief that there will be consequences for one's actions after death. For those who don't believe in an Afterlife, that doesn't automatically mean that they're going to value their present life or that they care about any consequences for their actions. Indeed, if my death leads to the same result no matter what I do in this life, then what difference does it make if I die today or 30 years from now? What difference does it make what kind of life I lead, since we'll all be in the same place 100 years from now? Also, some would argue that those who commit heinous acts in the name of religion or God are actually demonstrating their lack of faith and non-belief. Some religionists might even consider it the height of arrogant blasphemy and heresy for a human being to set himself up as "God's instrument." Any human who kills an "unbeliever" in the name of God is essentially saying, "My God is a quadriplegic who is incapable, weak, and helpless. He is unable to kill the unbelievers himself, so He needs me to do it." quote:
Now I know many religious argue that without an afterlife why would one care about being moral. I feel that it is central that one acts morally, not as religion defines it, but as reason defines. That being that you ultimately respect and care for your fellow man in the effort that they do the same for you. I suppose the same argument can be made in regard to secular laws. People are probably kept in line that way as well, since the thought of arrest and imprisonment might keep some people from harming their fellow human. But it obviously doesn't work for everybody. quote:
Meanwhile you care for your own well-being and health, so that you can spend as much time as pleasantly as possible while you are alive. Really without the promise of paradise in the here after, you have to be worried that negative would endanger your chances of having a better life. How many suicide bombers could you recruit without the promise of the future? While I have no personal experience in recruiting suicide bombers, I don't see how it would be out of the question to recruit them without the promise of a future. Humans have been asked to make the ultimate sacrifice countless times "for king and country," even if the promised "future" may only amount to a plaque or a monument somewhere (which the dead person won't be around to enjoy). Some people may not know or care if there's an Afterlife, but they still might want to be remembered and honored after they're gone. That can be a powerful inducement for some people to commit heroic acts as well as despicable acts. quote:
How can you systematically hate someone without the support large group of haters? Anybody can hate, and everybody hates something. I don't see that religion has any monopoly on hate. quote:
Any thoughts on religions and morality in general not specific to one religion or another? I think that any organization of humans eventually gets to a point where protecting the institution becomes more important than the beliefs/principles they claim to uphold. As I said, I'm not religious myself, but I view religion as just one aspect of society. I don't generally question individuals' belief systems, since that's a private matter, but when it comes to organizing, forming lobbies and political blocs which impact on a given jurisdiction, nation, or group of nations, then I view religions more as I would view political parties or factions. I don't think it means that the religious or non-religious are any more or less "moral" than the other.
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