Yeah, but why would that make people better? Why would it make them act good? And as Rob said, you can break the law.

If everyone was was an atheist, I'm afraid I'd have to become to be a theist; because I just gotta being stubborn and contrary. I'd start some hipster Theist forum and trash atheists all day, every day. After converting just enough atheists to start an online community, yet still feel persecuted, I'd sit back and look at the screen and say "Yeah. This just feels right".

Karma is just another silly theist ideal.

Karma was invented by the human mind in order for certain people to receive some sort of punishment even though they do not receive it in reality.

The problem with theistic justice is that it is not based in reality. Am I discouraged that guilty people slide free in life? Certainly. However, resorting to the illogical and unreasonable scenario of a hellish retribution or karma finally catching up to them is quite unrealistic.

(November 19, 2015 at 4:43 am)robvalue Wrote: Mia: If you suddenly stopped believing in Karma and such, do you think you'd become a worse person? If so, what do you think you would do, and why?

I cant answer that question because i was brought up as a Buddhist. I already know whats right and wrong. Even if i don't believe in Karma i will always do the right thing. Because i have empathy. I put my shoes into the other persons and see if i will like to be treated the same.

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(November 19, 2015 at 4:50 am)robvalue Wrote: Karma doesn't teach you right from wrong, it rewards or punishes certain behaviours. Whether those behaviours are actually "good" or "bad" is entirely up for debate. Morality isn't about getting rewards, it's about doing the right thing because it is the right thing. When asked to justify the rules of Karma, you use real world reasoning like everyone else. You don't just say "because Karma says so", so whether Karma says so or not is irrelevant.

We know what hurts us, so we know that if we do it to others, it hurts them. We know what makes us happy, so if we do it to others it generally makes them happy. It's not a lot more complex than that. We have evolved as cooperative, empathetic animals on the whole. That's just reality. You seem to need an extra layer of explanation on top of this, but it's superfluous.

You are suggesting what a theoretical atheist would be like, who doesn't know right from wrong, while ignoring the reality that most atheists are good moral people. We're here right now, we're not theoretical.

Good Sir, In any of my posts i haven't mentioned anything like " Because karma says so". no. I as a person have a consciousness. I have a free will to decide to do something. Thankfully for some reason i happen to do what is right. That "reason" for me would be karma (What i have done in the past). There are people who does what is "not" right. They too have a consciousness , they too should be able to have empathy. But they don't.

I will ask you a question , Do you consider slaughtering animals right or wrong?

(November 19, 2015 at 5:58 am)miaharun Wrote: I will ask you a question , Do you consider slaughtering animals right or wrong?

Oh. One of those.

(November 19, 2015 at 5:08 am)Vic Wrote: Yeah, but why would that make people better? Why would it make them act good? And as Rob said, you can break the law.

Sir if you have a base of whats right or wrong. That will always be on the back of your minds. Before one does something , that base strikes you. Something simple like stealing your colleagues stapler. It is not against the law. It is morally wrong. People can steal a stapler and just wait as if nothing happened or think that what I did was wrong. If one has a thought of forgiveness for what they have done it is very dangerous because there is nothing stopping one from doing a misdeed again ("God will forgive me again").

This is why the concept of karma goes along with my beliefs. Injustice. Wrong should be wrong and right should be right. Might be magic but it keeps me doing the right thing.

You've completely lost me now. Of course stealing is against the law, and against the rules in schools and workplaces. You just said yourself that religion doesn't necessarily give people a 'good' morality. I have no idea what your point is anymore .-.

You know, people have this funny thing, called empathy. It doesn't come from religion. It comes from us. If you don't have it, no religion or law will help you. If you do, you don't need either.

Yes, Karma (Ka) Very dense element of the idiotic table of the elements. Between {Do} Dousing and {Ph} Phrenology.

(I hope this post doesn't come back to me and bite me on the arse one day!)

It is against the law but no one would take action for a incident like that Sir. One can just walk away as if nothing happened. What makes one walk away , that is where a belief comes in.

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(November 19, 2015 at 6:24 am)ignoramus Wrote: Yes, Karma (Ka) Very dense element of the idiotic table of the elements. Between {Do} Dousing and {Ph} Phrenology.

(I hope this post doesn't come back to me and bite me on the arse one day!)

No Sir, I don't think questioning a belief is a misdeed

If everyone was Atheist I would teach myself the ways of the conjurer, i would perfect and practice my magic and psychic tricks until I was completely and utterly believable.  My slight of hand would become legendary.  Then I'd announce myself to the word as the son of the creator of the entire universe, sell the idea of God to the masses and make myself the most powerful man in the world, oh, and stinkingly rich.