" Are you Good Without God ? " Billboards Saying this Attacked in California

by flipper 28 Replies latest jw friends

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  flipper

  WOBBLE- Good points you make. I too feel if I went aginst my moral beliefs I'd only hurt myself and others I love. I have become a much more complete person since leaving the witnesses. The expressive part of my personality comes forth more so now. I'm glad you joined the Humanist association. I consider myself a " secular humanist " also. Good for you.

  PIXIESTICKS- I too am a " secular humanist " and am good without God.

  CANTLEAVE- Indeed, respect for others dignity and ourselves helps us to seek others best interests . I too have seen many atheists or agnostics be very kind and caring, and some in religion not so much. The witnesses and WT society taught us that if we left the organization we would all become gun toting, immoral, drug abusing thugs and we would never succeed. I guess many of us showed them different , didn't we ? I like your views Cantleave , very balanced.

  DESIGNS- I agree. There ARE a lot better ways to help this world and future generations than going knocking on doors converting people to mind control. We can all make a difference by being proactive in caring what happens to our planet and people in general.

  OTWO- Sorry you have to forge on with your own path my friend. I'm only flesh and blood , I'M IMPERFECT ! LOL ! We put up lttle signposts for each other and learn from each other - but have to decide for ourselves ! LOL ! I know many atheists and agnostics who AREN'T bitter really . Some have overcome the bitterness and moved on to proactively help other people get out of mind control cults. It may have been kids who destroyed th signs on atheism, true, but WHOEVER did it was trying to make a statement against atheism.

  QUIETLYLEAVING- It is a good way to put it like Wobble said. I find it more empowering and fulfilling to follow my own good conscience in doing it for myself than a mind control cult.

  ELSEWHERE- You put it in a very succinct manner. Very true. I think generally this is true, although some religious people are good because they want to be. But not all.

  BURN the SHIPS- That is great that you want to be good within yourself, not just to get a reward from God. I do feel there are a goodly number of Christians like this- however there are some who just want to save their own skin - so they pretend to be good outwardly , but not within. Good for you Burns
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  undercover

  A couple weeks ago in the news in the Sacramento, California area several billboards advertising atheism were spray painted and ripped apart with graffiti scribbled on the advertising. Things like " Jesus died for you ! " and other threatening slogans were written on these billboards .

  Jihadism is alive and well in the USA

  Oh wait....these were Christians....my bad...
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  Yizuman

  "A certain ruler asked Him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'
  'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good - except God alone. -Luke 18:18
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  ziddina

  "Are You Good Without God?" Well, let's see.... The human race [Homo sapiens] is at least 100,000 years old; laws/commandments against crimes such as murder, rape, incest, and theft have existed for many, many thousands of years - existed in extremely old cultures that predate the bible, like the Austrailian Aborigines, the earliest Chinese, the ancient Egyptians, and so on...

  On the other hand, this 'god' [in actuality, three gods... or more...] of the bible are only 3,500 years old - maybe 4,000 years old at best...

  So, for around 96,000 years, humanity did without these "Johnny-come-lately" Middle Eastern gods, and did quite well, too...

  I think I'm good to go without those three bible 'gods'... Zid
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  flipper

  UNDERCOVER- Yes, it appears they were Christians who spraypainted the billboards. Maybe they will start a Christian Jihad movement ! LOL !

  YIZUMAN- I believe many humans are inherently good, not evil or bad. People's interpretation of the Bible has caused them to condemn themselves with needless guilt through the centuries.

  ZIDDINA- I agree with you. Many, many cultures have observed human decency and it is accepted as part of being a progressive society if cultures observe the dignity and respect for other humans. Those cultures that DO NOT observe human decency are said to be " barbaric " . In reading the Bible as a JW I noticed a lot of barbaric behavior in the Bible
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  Finally-Free

  I have no patience for fanatics of either persuasion. People who are truly comfortable with their beliefs, or lack thereof, don't feel the need to shout their opinions from the rooftops. It seems to me they're only seeking validation from others who are like minded. If they think tactics like that will convert or "save" others they're delusional.

  W
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  flipper

  FINALLY FREE- Good point you make. If a person is comfortable in their own skin with their beliefs - there is no need to shout it from the rooftops
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  purplesofa

  
  </form>

  Today I’d like to talk about religious stereotypes. Well, actually, I should say non-religious stereotypes. Okay, atheists. I want to talk about atheists.

  Yeah, I know. That topic sounds about as inviting as a naked soak in a cesspool with a hepatitis-infected leper, but indulge me a moment. My proposed job here is to get us to examine our assumptions and beliefs. And I would bet pretty decent money that most of us have a stereotype or two about atheists floating around our brains. Granted, those stereotypes aren’t nearly as colorful as those that attend the big three -- Jews, Christians, and Muslims – (God seems to prefer uniformity of practice). But I think any attempt to combat misconception, no matter against which group, is a noble pursuit, particularly if it encourages mutual understanding. Or at least mutual diminishment of blatant ignorance.

  One of the most common misconceptions about atheists is that they are amoral; they are callous beasts driven wholly by self-interest. This misconception is born from the fallacious assumption that morality cannot exist in the absence of God (or gods). If there is no higher being to hold you accountable for your deeds, religious folk reason, then what could possibly keep someone on the straight and narrow? Why not live for the self? Why not say “screw the world, I’m living for me,” if no divine justice awaits you at the end of your days? Why should the godless ever do the right thing?

  Why? Because it’s the right thing to do.

  Contrary to popular belief, one can believe in a greater good without subscribing to a greater being. And it is this greater good (the betterment of society, of the environment, of man himself) that motivates the atheist to behave unselfishly. In a sense, the atheist subscribes to the fundamental tenet of most religions – to treat others with the same respect and compassion that you yourself want to be treated with – without seeking to please a divine creature in the process. The reward is the action itself, is the good it propagates here and now, not some prize that awaits one in the after life. Likewise, the punishment for wrongdoing is the harm and horror it wreaks here on earth.

  Furthermore, the atheist doesn’t reserve his love and respect only for those of the same belief; he isn’t kind just to other atheists. Nor does he offer his good deeds with a sermon attached; no attempts at conversion accompany his compassion. The atheist doesn’t see saved and unsaved, believer and infidel….us and them. Instead, he sees only humans, some misguided perhaps, or even willfully blind. And yes, there are some that he may harbor prejudicial attitudes toward (atheists are human after all). But in the end the atheist respects the religious person’s right to believe as he believes and doesn’t make proselytizing the cost of altruism.

  Part of what propagates the view that atheists are selfish, amoral, hell-bound savages is the fact that atheists are not organized. There is no atheist canon, no church to attend, no rituals or traditions to follow. While there are numerous atheist and secular organizations that perform and fund charitable work around the world (see the end of this article for a very partial list of such organizations), atheists have no visible institution to unite them or identify them with their shared belief. Thus, when atheists engage in good works they do so independently or under the banner of other organizations that have no atheist affiliation. As a result, atheists do not garner the credit; other organizations or sometimes even other religions do.

  So what’s the take-home of my baby rant? If you think all (or even most) atheists are heartless monsters that don’t give a crap about anyone but themselves, check yourself. How did you arrive at that conclusion? What sort of experience and knowledge is that assumption based upon? More important, ask yourself how such an assumption isn’t as condescending and prejudicial as many atheists are accused of being toward the religious? If you cannot judge atheists on the quality of their character rather than on the perceived stigma of their belief, then how are you any better than they are?

  http://techskeptic.blogspot.com/2007/12/atheist-charities.html

  http://open.salon.com/blog/michelle_motoyoshi_phd/2010/03/11/common_misconceptions_about_atheists_and_why_dont_we_throw
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  flipper

  PURPS- Great link ! I agree with everything that person wrote. It is amazing that many people on the planet feel that " morality cannot exist without God". I think atheists prove that statement wrong every day. Some people in religions look for a future reward for being good to others- an atheist finds his or her reward in seeing the happiness in people he or she has helped right now. Very good article, thanks ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper