Good person that doesn't believe in God?

[WmJackP]

I have noticed that atheists tend to say they are good people, that they haven’t murdered or robbed anyone. (that’s up for debate since the pill has been used widely) Funny how they never compare themselves with the likes of Mother Teresa. If one must earn their way into heaven by being good, you’d think they would compare themselves with Mother Teresa and ‘work harder’. But if there’s no heaven in the after life, why put the effort to be good? Why not be the low life they compare themselves to?

I do not have the necessary hubris to say that I am a “good person”. I do however hope to act in a way that I raise children who are thoughtful of the feelings and rights of others, and, I attempt to do so by example. I believe, however, that the existence of a deity which responds to prayer and worship, possesses intentionality and other characteristics of a “person” to be a remote possibility, and, quite frankly, the entire concept is reminiscent of belief systems of mankind’s superstitious past.

Certainly, there is something profoundly beautiful and majestic in the rational nature of the cosmos which rightfully invokes awe. Calling this “rationality” a person and offering sacrifice to it, however, is rather like reciting hymnals to mathematics or attempting to placate a raging storm by offering a goat. Instead, we should seek to know and study the rational and in coming to understand it, we might achieve something akin in sharing in its majesty. We are after all rational—and we really ought to start acting like it.

 

[Sochi]

Yes - I think that one of the things that has kept me from posting my “half baked thoughts” here on these matters is just this - I didn’t want to be misunderstood…or seen as contemptuous or whatever.

I sure “get” that! A morbid hobby of mine is scanning some of the banned poster’s thoughts. Kind of like UFO’s: about 5% seem to be genuinely on to something. Too much sanity and consistency to dismiss easily. Yet, somehow they managed to strike a wrong nerve. Our loss here, if you ask me. Fear is hardly a kind or useful master. I don’t think God breaks because we think “what if?” And as I said elsewhere, maybe the Mennonites have a good thing going with their “Rumspringa.” The ones who come back are solid and committed.

Amen -

As an extension of our line of thinking…I tend to see our spiritual growth as a form of “evolution” in the sense that, we don’t change overnight - it must occur over time and that such things can have a very real physical effect on us and out offspring in addition to social or cultural effects.

Couldn’t agree more. My most recent “shift,” if one wishes to call it something, resulted in a 15 point drop in my blood pressure, smack into normal. Go figure. I feel generally healthier and definitely much happier. There is research now that says our mental attitude actual effects our DNA. If that is true, then certainly some benefits must pass on to our children.

Of course I haven’t really thought all this through and am not schooled in either the sciences or spiritual disciplines…so the above is more thoughtful speculation.

Great that you are honest with that. Many take their speculations as God’s Truth. So far as I can tell, you are on a very reasonably accurate path. In the forest of Dogmas and tenets, that is a refreshing breeze.

Nice Chatting with you too.

Peace
James

Peace is as you are. Blessings on you.

 

[madera]

Yes, that Bible passage is accurate regarding how anger and such can cause disease. I am very happy for you that you had the courage and willingness to let go of anger. That is not an easy thing to do. Blessings on you!

HI, It wasnt any courage on my part in fact I didnt realize it was gone along with the migrains for several days, I had an exorcism in my room it was several days that I realized it was gone.
The entity was gone and never came back, neither was the migrains along with. My lifetime of swearing.
I also believe that of ourselves we can do nothing, it is God thiat does the work. That also is a scripture. God bless the scriptures.
thank you for your blessing
louise

Before that I was hungering and thirsting for truth.
it was a gift from God.
I was blessed.
thank you

 

[madera]

I dont think its about people trying to ‘fool God’ by being good people, the ones I know are just that…good people, who enjoy helping others, this gives them satisfaction, they are most certainly not doing these things in an attempt to fool God though! LOL

In fact, if they are not religious people and they are accused of trying to fool God, that is quite conceited to think they are even considering God in their decisions.

Jesus said, “why callest thou me good, there is none good but God.”
get it? People who look for satisfaction are not good people.

 

[madera]

I dont think its about people trying to ‘fool God’ by being good people, the ones I know are just that…good people, who enjoy helping others, this gives them satisfaction, they are most certainly not doing these things in an attempt to fool God though! LOL

In fact, if they are not religious people and they are accused of trying to fool God, that is quite conceited to think they are even considering God in their decisions.

Jesus said, “why callest thou me good, there is none good but God.”
get it? People who look for satisfaction are not good people.

 

[madera]

Madera,

How are you? Would you like to fix your quoteblocks so I can properly address your comment?

Or would you like me to do it for you?

I dontknow what you mean by quote blocks.
thank you for your help
madera

 

[madera]

I dontknow what you mean by quote blocks.
thank you for your help
madera

sochi, have you fixed it yet? If not please do.

 

[Sochi]

sochi, have you fixed it yet? If not please do.

Huh? Fixed what?

 

[madera]

Huh? Fixed what?

sorry, someone said there was a oroblem with something called quoteblock and said he would fix it.
I replied to you by mistake.
sorry.

 

[Sochi]

sorry, someone said there was a oroblem with something called quoteblock and said he would fix it.
I replied to you by mistake.
sorry.

That person is Strawberry Jam. Quote blocks are the the gray squares that contain quotes from someone else’s posts appearing in yours. What that means is that if yo want to reply to a particular post, you can click on the little box at the bottom of the post you wish to reply to that says QUOTE. Once you have done that, you can isolate parts of the test you are replying to, if you wish, by deleting parts you are not replying to. You can highlight the part you want to talk about and then click on the icon in the tool bar above which is between the yellow square and the #. This puts

around

that section so it is distinguished in your post as what you are commenting on.

 

[madera]

That person is Strawberry Jam. Quote blocks are the the gray squares that contain quotes from someone else’s posts appearing in yours. What that means is that if yo want to reply to a particular post, you can click on the little box at the bottom of the post you wish to reply to that says QUOTE. Once you have done that, you can isolate parts of the test you are replying to, if you wish, by deleting parts you are not replying to. You can highlight the part you want to talk about and then click on the icon in the tool bar above which is between the yellow square and the #. This puts that section so it is distinguished in your post as what you are commenting on.

I do that, but the problem is that I cant, many times scroll down in order to reply. I am using a tablet, not my computer to reply.
I am not in the living room where my computer is.
I thank you for your info.
it doesnt happen all the time.
sometime, I have to reply before the quote.
confusing!

 

[Thorns]

How abut this from Plato: “Good people don’t need laws to tell them to act responsibly, and bad people will find a way around laws.”

Personally, I see it quite the opposite. The person who does the right thing because they are told to, even when they don’t want to and it doesn’t feel good or is inconvenient, is the more responsible and may very well be the very epitome of what it means to be responsible.

From my Catholic perspective, we’re all weak, feeble, broken humans. Religious people are simply the ones who admit it and strive to improve.

 

[Sochi]

Personally, I see it quite the opposite. The person who does the right thing because they are told to, even when they don’t want to and it doesn’t feel good or is inconvenient, is the more responsible and may very well be the very epitome of what it means to be responsible.

From my Catholic perspective, we’re all weak, feeble, broken humans. Religious people are simply the ones who admit it and strive to improve.

How sad.

 

[madera]

Personally, I see it quite the opposite. The person who does the right thing because they are told to, even when they don’t want to and it doesn’t feel good or is inconvenient, is the more responsible and may very well be the very epitome of what it means to be responsible.

From my Catholic perspective, we’re all weak, feeble, broken humans. Religious people are simply the ones who admit it and strive to improve.

anyone that does what others tell them to do something they dont want to do is a robot.
No we are not all broken humans, and we dont strive for anything, God
Knows what we need, no striiving involved.

 

[Thorns]

How sad.

How so? Responsibility is what has to be done or what ought to be done, not what one feels like doing. Anyone can do things that they want to do, that is easy and convenient.

 

[Thorns]

anyone that does what others tell them to do something they dont want to do is a robot.
No we are not all broken humans, and we dont strive for anything, God
Knows what we need, no striiving involved.

Its not robotic at all. Only when one does what they ought to do, is when one truly becomes a free person. Whats robotic is being enslaved to vice and to arrogance.

And yes, we must strive to improve. Ahem… “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” ring any bells? Faith without works is a dead faith.

 

[madera]

How so? Responsibility is what has to be done or what ought to be done, not what one feels like doing. Anyone can do things that they want to do, that is easy and convenient.

why are you people so fearful to speak on the subjrct of entities.
I mentioned my experience and there was no responce from sochi.
perhaps the entity in a person does not want to be exposed.
Ii is achnowledged by the priests, why cant it be discussed.?
nice knowing you.

you might get your answere on this topic.

 

[Thorns]

why are you people so fearful to speak on the subjrct of entities.
I mentioned my experience and there was no responce from sochi.
perhaps the entity in a person does not want to be exposed.
Ii is achnowledged by the priests, why cant it be discussed.?
nice knowing you.

you might get your answere on this topic.

What do entities have to do with responsibility?

 

[madera]

Its not robotic at all. Only when one does what they ought to do, is when one truly becomes a free person. Whats robotic is being enslaved to vice and to arrogance.

And yes, we must strive to improve. Ahem… “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” ring any bells? Faith without works is a dead faith.

one becomes. A free person when they do what is right in their hearts, not because someone tells them what to do. Rings any bells?

 

[Thorns]

one becomes. A free person when they do what is right in their hearts, not because someone tells them what to do. Rings any bells?

That sounds like relativism and your opinion thats based on what exactly?

Doing what you’re told to do because it is right is a selfless and humble thing to do. Much greater virtues than convenience and comfort.