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Atheists more compassionate than the highly religious.
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A scientific study that shows what most of us have suspected for quite a while.
Highly religious people are less motivated by compassion than are non-believers.
"How is it that a lame man does not annoy us while a lame mind does? Because a lame man recognizes that we are walking straight, while a lame mind says that it is we who are limping." - Pascal
Well ofcourse we are more compassionate. Doesn't take a scientific study to confirm that people who want others to burn forever aren't as compassionate as those who don't.
I wonder if the highly religious are less motivated by compassion, because they believe god will sort it all out, thereby absolving them of any feeling of moral responsibility.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
I might have to go with FNM. Lack of moral responsibility takes away the need for compassion.
 RE: Atheists more compassionate than the highly religious.
May 2, 2012 at 3:40 pm
(This post was last modified: May 2, 2012 at 3:43 pm by Poetess.)
(May 2, 2012 at 2:51 pm)Jaysyn Wrote: A scientific study that shows what most of us have suspected for quite a while. It does seem like Agnostics and Atheists tend to be more compassionate. I always find that interesting. It's amazing how people that claim to believe in all of the bible - of which I'm fairly sure some parts touch the base of love and compassion - can be quite the hateful people; especially if you are in any way different from them. Then again, perhaps they think they can take the good discrimanitive and hateful parts, and leave the rubbish like compassion and respect. (May 2, 2012 at 3:21 pm)Faith No More Wrote: I wonder if the highly religious are less motivated by compassion, because they believe god will sort it all out, thereby absolving them of any feeling of moral responsibility. That is possible. Though it makes one think, if these people are motivated to be like Jesus, it would make me assume they would be a little nicer. Well, if you go on what is claimed Jesus was like, in the lovely book of mythology. I don't think I will ever fully understand the fanaticals' actions.  Study Reveals That Atheists Are More Compassionate than Highly Religious People
May 2, 2012 at 4:32 pm
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/05/02/...us-people/
Quote:For years, religious conservatives, despite their hatred for the poor and sick, have been denouncing atheists, agnostics, and those they feel are less religious, such as liberals, as being godless heathens who are destroying the morality of America. A new study, however, finds that less religious people are actually more compassionate and generous than highly religious people. Is anyone here surprised? I'm not.
Don’t ask.
 
RE: Study Reveals That Atheists Are More Compassionate than Highly Religious People
May 2, 2012 at 4:43 pm
There was already a thread posted about this. I am just going to merge them.
I think the believers are less compassionate, because they exist in a state of feeling morally superior. It's easy to have low compassion levels for people that aren't as 'worthy' as yourself.
 RE: Atheists more compassionate than the highly religious.
May 2, 2012 at 5:34 pm
(This post was last modified: May 2, 2012 at 5:39 pm by Anomalocaris.)
(May 2, 2012 at 3:23 pm)Shell B Wrote: I might have to go with FNM. Lack of moral responsibility takes away the need for compassion. I think in many cases it is the other way around. Lack of moral responsibility enables one to embrace aburdities just because it makes one feel good. (May 2, 2012 at 5:31 pm)Paul the Human Wrote: I think the believers are less compassionate, because they exist in a state of feeling morally superior. It's easy to have low compassion levels for people that aren't as 'worthy' as yourself. Do they therefore feel somewhat higher compassion levels for people they deem to be as saved as they themselves are? I doubt it. Their average compassion for their co-superstitionists seem to extend no further than empty mutural congratulations. I think it is not christianity that facilitated their low compassion levels. Rather it is the same moral deformity that menifested itself in a native lack of compassion that smoothed their paths to christianity. 
I like to think atheists are simply more likely to take matters into their own hands because we know it's our responsibility to care for our fellow man, not something to leave to some god.
One of my biggest gripes about religion is that it has such a future-oriented approach. "It's all going to turn out all right if you just believe and make sure everyone else just believes because that's what matters in the end." No, what matters is what we do TODAY to give ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities a better life. And that knowledge and acting on it is to me the kind of compassion that religion downplays or ignores entirely. |
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