Atheists and Accountability

[whatsthestoryinbalamorytoday]

Hi

My MIL is an athetist and I've had atheist friends in the past. They are the most morally corrupt people I've ever met.

People who believe in God or some form of higher being and an ultimate judgement day or reward (even through reincarnation) live by a certain set of rules e.g. 10 commandments. In a way it makes you aware of a higher being or that you will eventually be held accountible for your actions and should (in an ideal world) stop you doing bad things.

People like my MIL sleep around and do whatever they please regardless of who they hurt or how immoral the act is. As long as she's not breaking any laws of the land (and adultery is not one of them) she thinks it's fine to get away with it. Because she doesn't believe in God, she believes that she has in fact "got away with it".

What are your opinions on this? How do atheists enusre they don't do bad things? Whih set of rules/principles do you follow?

the benefit of being 'religious' is that it allows you to be hypocritical and self-serving whilst professing to be a good person

the benefit of not hiding behind a religion is that it ensures you take responsibility for your own actions .. there is no confession that absolves you of your sins, there is no higher power to whom you profess deference, there is no almighty sense of superiority just an awe at our very existence

"With regards to not killing because it's wrong, where does that principle come from? Sounds like it's from the 10 commandments in which case you follow certain Christian values. "

eh?

ok...

just read thread, this is clearly just a "having a go at people who aren't like you" thread

am off

ta-ra

Balamory .. you made a strong inference that atheists are IMMORAL though which infers that only religious people can hold the moral highground

I am also interested in where your sense of superiority comes from, that and your right to sit in judgement of other people

"the benefit of being 'religious' is that it allows you to be hypocritical and self-serving whilst professing to be a good person"

I don't think I've ever read a more idiotic statement. How on earth would an atheist understand the benefit of being "religious". That's like a duck preaching about what it's like to be a fish-utterly ridiculous!!!

I can understand your comment about being an atheist as you are one and it seems like a sensible notion. Again, I'll ask, where do your values come from? How do you know what things are right and wrong? If it's because your parents brought you up right, are they Christians? Where did they did their principles from?

Twiglett

It's actually something called a debate. Obviously never taken part in one before. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen and get over your inferiority complex. No-one's judging you, I'm asking questions. If you don't want to answer, that's fine.

"the benefit of being 'religious' is that it allows you to be hypocritical and self-serving whilst professing to be a good person"

hmmm....who is it that's making judgements on people and thinks they are superior!!!

oh please Balamory don't be cross, really.

Your opinion of me is really valued and valid

Honestly it is.

Judging by your well thought-out posts and intelligent musings I can tell you are a sensitive, moral and intelligent person who's opinion matters highly

christ almighty balamory, how stupid do you have to be

PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG AND WE DON'T DO BAD THINGS

get over it

Why on earth would I be cross????

You've not been able to answer one question sensibly....in fact, you've not been able to answer one question.

In answer to your question balamory - I was taught right from wrong by my parents, they by their parents. And no - they're not Christians. (I don't like the inference that only Christians know right from wrong - perhaps a better question might have been "were they religious". I realise what you meant, it just could have been worded less controversially).

Trinity you obviously believe that people are born with that knowledge-like they have a microchip implanted in their head at birth or something, and that it's not learnt or taught somewhere along the line. How do you know what's right and wrong? How do you know what is bad?

g'wan ask me a question .. g'wan, g'wan, g'wan

If this turns out to be greeny again we're all going to be cross with ourselves)

Iklboo-apologises. Thanks for your honest contribution!!

who's greeny and whats trolling?

right ok, sorry
you are starting to ask some sensible questions
so far you have been rather nasty and insinuated that unless you are religious then you are of loose morals

My parents taught me what was right and wrong. as diud their parents. my children are learning whats right from wrong from me. None of my family are religious and I am sorry but there are a minority of christian people who DO beleive they are better than me and of the ones I know personally they are often the nastiest, least tolerant people of all but always have the attitude that they are christian so it's fine, they are wonderful

(should that not be lose morals, trin?)

Thanks Trinity

Does this mean that you were and will yourself, bring up your children on religious principles but not necessarily beliefs?

If so, which religious principles do you follow? Why do you follow them?

Also - we will not bring up our son with any particular religious beliefs, but will answer whatever questions he might have as best we can (without bias)and let him decide for himself. Whatever he chooses will be his choice.
We will, however, be teaching him right from wrong from the start (including tolerance )

Sorry I forgot to put in that somewhere along the line, the things you were taught must have come from a religion e.g. your grandparents were religious.

If not, where did the theories originate from?

well I guess they will be brought up with religious principles but only because in our warped world the ten commandments have become ONLY a religious thing and not THE WAY WE SHOULD LIVE AS HUMANS

Please explain what is religious and what is merely moral

eg Is a prohibition to commit murder a religious tennent? or is it a humanistic one that has been absorbed within the religious doctrine of your choosing?

Iklboo

Do you celebrate Xmas/diwali/Eid? Do you have any "religious" celebrations throughout the year, bearing in mind you don't follow any religion?

I laos undersdtand what you are saying about 'they have to have started somewhere' but aren't even tiny toddlers disinclined to hurt things. doesn't some of it just come from empathy which is something that humans have which other species don't

DISCLAIMER: I'm not sure if that is right, I prepare to be corrected