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IMO, this is a selfish reason to do good. because if you do things out of fear, you are not doing good for the sake of doing good. you are doing good so that you are better off in "the end".
This made me think. If you do good out of fear, and not because it's heart-felt, are you really doing good? Does it count. I mean, if you do "bad" for a good reason (say shoot a man to save the life of a kid he was going to kill) it counts as good, right? So, if you do good for a bad reason, does it count as bad?
Imagine all the religious people who think they're going to heaven for doing good when, in fact, their good deeds don't count because they did them solely for the purpose of getting into heaven and not to help their fellow humans. That, my friends, is irony.
FYI: People that think they are going to heaven because they are afraid of hell... probably won't be going to heaven. If that's your motivation for being a christian, than you aren't one.
FYI: People that think they are going to heaven because they are afraid of hell... probably won't be going to heaven. If that's your motivation for being a christian, than you aren't one.
Can you explain this?
I think what you're trying to say is that people who are afraid of hell and this fear makes them be good, are not going to heaven because they do not have the right intentions.
Is this what you're saying? If it is, it's exactly what I was trying to say before about the paradox of goodness. Also, those who do what is "right" just because it's what they've been told would be in the same boat. I think you'd have to determine what's right on your own and do it because you believe that it's the best course of action and what's most beneficial for humanity and not just because you've been told that it's what would please Jesus the most.
The film though was about..religion as a whole. Everyone has their own beliefs and that you should not impose on others. When we mix religion with government we have troube. "25% of the American electorate are Evangelical Christians and 75% of them voted for George Bush in the last presidential election."
Dawkins belief:
"there is no reason to believe in fairies or dragons so we don’t so why should god get special attention? It’s not rational, there are no ways to figure out if god exists or if he does, which one is right… its more probable that they are all non-existent than that any specific one does."
I like the qoute from one athiest:
"But it is the religious people that have an answer for everything. The whole point of science is that you build towards explanation as you accumulate evidence; and the religious people have an explanation for everything, that is exactly what is wrong with religion"
"No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God."
-George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States
The film though was about..religion as a whole. Everyone has their own beliefs and that you should not impose on others. When we mix religion with government we have troube. "25% of the American electorate are Evangelical Christians and 75% of them voted for George Bush in the last presidential election."
Dawkins belief:
"there is no reason to believe in fairies or dragons so we don’t so why should god get special attention? It’s not rational, there are no ways to figure out if god exists or if he does, which one is right… its more probable that they are all non-existent than that any specific one does."
I like the qoute from one athiest:
"But it is the religious people that have an answer for everything. The whole point of science is that you build towards explanation as you accumulate evidence; and the religious people have an explanation for everything, that is exactly what is wrong with religion"
That happens to be how I think, but if people want to believe in fairies, dragons, God, Zeus, Thor, or Baccus, then that's their prerogative. So long as they don't try to impose it on me or incorporate it in the government.
Governments are supposed to be for all the people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pbfoot
this is an interesting quote too...
"No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God."
-George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States
That's scary. I consider myself an agnostic, not an atheist, but I'd hate to have given my life for my country and then not be considered a patriot just because of my religious beliefs.
