To ask if you are not a Christian, what non Christian values you live by?

[BlossomBlanket]

Just that really!

Why are you ignoring every other posts and just replying with more questions op? What conclusions are you hoping to come to? What exactly are you looking for in this thread?

Blimey, that’s niche!

I live by the values that were passed on to me by my parents. There is a significant overlap between my values and Christian values, but equally, there is a significant overlap between my values and those of religions which predate Christianity, such as Buddhism.

Wow rude ! I wanted to ask the same question

i live by the 10 commandments, as do most people , but not because it was in a tablet held my mosses

most people think lying cheating stealing etc is best avoided

I ignore the bit in the bible that says I can beat my wife and am gay and am sure Jesus would be ok with that

some people interpret the bible to make up very daft rules for themselves like swearing and “ satanic music “ , covering up your bodies should be a personal choice not forced
I don’t think god cares if I have my baps out

I accept that my personal inherent sense of right and wrong is shaped by both my genes and by the society I grew up in. But I am aware of that bias, and challenge it regularly (internally) when my gut feel of what should be differs from my conscious evaluation.

I’m not sure what you mean by external perspective, i”m not sure that there is anyone outside this world to have an opinion? Unless you mean outside me, in which case yes I do regularly evaluate how other people will view my actions.

Have you come across the hawks and doves game op? It is a simple demonstration of how external factors change the equilibrium of aggressive and cooperative behaviours. You might find it interesting if you are curious about the generation of “values” and “morality” in the absence of any external source.

Ah ok so this is about abortion? People with advanced dementia? OP I teach a level RS...I think what you're asking is are there such things as "moral facts" and if so who or what has the authority to pronounce them? The perceived advantage of a religious moral system is that a God with all their omniscience and wisdom would have a better vantage point than any human. There is no single right answer to any of it but there are some broad universal principles that the vast majority of people would agree with..do not murder is one ... But the definition of murder does vary. The question is, how do we decide that a western liberal interpretation of it that would allow abortion is superior to a conservative one? And where do we stop with imposing our views on another group , culture, country etc?

I agree with the values here and with what waitingfordoggo says. I don’t see them as Christian values, just values that everyone should have.

Op, you appear to think/say that the bible is where you get your own values. So presumably you’re fine with slavery, so long as they aren’t of your own tribe? And beating your wife/child/servant, so long as you use a stick no thicker than your thumb? And a woman raked in a city must be stoned to death, since she should have cried out and someone would have saved her. Regardless of threats used or of gags etc.

How do you feel about working on the sabbath? It’s a biggie, unless you’re a servant or slave of course. But Jesus himself broke that one. So does that make it ok? He never spoke out about the others I mentioned though.

And then we have to consider what was lost in translation. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live is a misogynistic and frankly ignorant translation of banning either poisoners or false mediums who claim to contact the dead in order to extort money from grieving relatives. Not laying with men as with women was originally not doing as the Greeks do, meaning using young boys for sex.

Have you considered any of that?

@BlossomBlanket there is so much overlap between the Abrahamic religions how are you defining what is a purely ‘Christian’ belief. Also how do you generalise ‘beliefs’ within Christianity between the vastly differing values bases?

I follow what I will call, tongue in cheek but also semi-seriously, The Way of Pratchett (from whom I learned how to be what I consider to be a decent human being):
Kindness. Sanctity of life. Trying to make the world a better place for having been in it. Help those that need it to the best of my ability / capacity. Using my voice to speak for those that cannot. Not to treat people like things. Not to think of people as things. To accept that nothing is as simple as black and white, but also to recognise that compromise can be a slippery slope to bad choices. Militant decency. As above, so below. Don’t give out what you wouldn’t want to get back. Look ahead and try to make decisions that are positive in the long term, not just the now, even if it is harder / costs more. Do the right thing even when it is hard. Actually think to figure out what the right thing is. Don’t be self sacrificing to the point that you burn out and become a burden in turn. No one is perfect, accept your flaws and those of others, whilst also trying your best.

'Treat others as you'd wish to be treated' always works well for me.

I think it is all pretty meaningless. Christian values means nothing. As an example, you have Christians believing to be good Christians by welcoming everyone and Christians who believe they are good Christians by excluding others (Muslims, gays etc). Everyone lives more or less by their own moral compass whether they admit that or not. I honestly don't think it makes any difference whether you call it Christian values or just values But if someone only behaves like a decent human being because they fear God's wrath, I would worry about them. I treat others the way I would want to be treated. I can put myself into someone else's shoes. I follow values I consider to be good values. Religion doesn't come into it. Question for you OP. If you woke up one day and just knew there was no god, would this change how you behave?

I’m not religious but, like a couple of other posters, I’ve been raised in a broadly Christian society. I went to a C of E school where we had Christian assemblies and I abide by UK laws which are based on Judeo Christian principles. I’m quite happy with all of this but I don’t feel that all religions are pretty much identical, even though the Abrahamic ones definitely have a lot of similarities.

For those posters claiming to be critical of religion across the board, does this include literally all religions or are there any you appreciate a little bit, or conversely dislike more than others?

You have Christian values without believing in God you know.

Unless you define what are uniquely Christian values does this mean anything? What values do you think people might have that are not the same as Christian values ?

take your Ten Commandments, exclude those that assume belief , and find me a society that doesn’t say don’t kill, don’t get jealous of other peoples stuff

I think there someone is saying that sometimes killing peoples isn’t considered murder - war ( except sometimes when it goes too far ) , historically killing a slave because they were not human

although what we have here is the same value - don’t kill people - followed by people of the same faith - still having different interpretations based on society

These are Christian Values!!

I don't know enough about other religions. Anything in tune with nature is alright with me. Think Buddhism is something I could be onboard with. If the thought of a higher being helps you dealing with life, so be it. Where religion becomes problematic, for me, is when people believe their belief trumps all others and the fundamentalism and mistreatment of others that can come with that.

Uh…rape, incest, slaughter of the innocent, destruction of whole cities, turning people into pillars of salt: there is a lot of disturbing stuff in the Bible.

I hate the concept of religion because while I feel there can be good that comes from it, e.g. charity work, the motivation behind the good actions is often a desire to simply convert more people.

this

Heard of the bible? Which kid am I sacrifice to show my belief?

At least 6 of the Ten Commandments

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image (idol) or bow down to them.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet (anything that belongs to your neighbor).

What does wherever possible even mean
Another of my beliefs is non harm unless protecting a vulnerable person who is harming them in which case I would harm the aggressor