Christian "Morality"

[sarcasticgeographer]

Christians do the right thing for fear of hell.

I do the right thing because I don't fear hell.

How can christians be "moral" if their only reason to do something is out of fear? When did fear justify good behavior? When did fear justify righteousness?

Discuss.

[Something completely different]

That`s a generalisation.


I do right because I am part of a society, a comunity. I want to be a productive and admired part of my comunity and not a paria, which is what is part of what generates my moral values.

Who says that religious people are not aware of the role within a comunity that they have.

[Mystical]

I think it's inaccurate to believe all Christians are good for fear of hell. I certainly was not in fear of hell as a believer. I was a good person because I chose to be. Catholic priests for instance would have a strong fear of hell while molesting kids in gods house and yet that doesn't stop them. Now I'm an unbeliever and surprisingly: I'm still a good person. Religion or irreligion has nothing to do with it.

[freedomfromforum]

You know, it's funny....

When I was a christian I tried
so hard not to lust after women.
And now that I'm an atheist I
don't have a problem with "lust",
I just find women sexually attractive.
Religion is poison.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Christians do the right thing for fear of hell.

I disagree. Some Christians will behave a certain way out of the fear of hell, certainly. But whether such actions constitute the 'right thing' is problematical.

I do the right thing because I don't fear hell.

I sincerely hope you don't mean that. I can't imagine you saying, 'I'm going to do such and such because I'm unafraid of hell.'

How can christians be "moral" if their only reason to do something is out of fear? When did fear justify good behavior? When did fear justify righteousness?

But we haven't established that this is the case. Christians, like anyone else, may be motivated to do things by for a number of reasons. I suspect that most mainstream Christians keep a Bible in their homes, go to regular services and say daily prayers out of fear of hell, but I doubt very much that the first thought of a Christian going to help an injured child is, 'I'd better do this, or I'll go to hell.'

If you look back through some of the worst atrocities committed by religionist in general (not just Christians), the motivation for [/i]bad[i] behavior seems to have been fear ('I'd better burn these Jews so God will love me.' 'I'd better fly planes into these buildings so God will love me.')

People (you, me, Christians, anyone) are moral not because of their religious beliefs, but in spite of them.

Boru

[Beta Ray Bill]

In my opinion, "Be good because you've learned what the cost and reward are for your morals" is a better way to dicover your true self than "Be good or I'll torture you for all eternity!"

[Minimalist]

Even more amazing is when xtian shits knowingly do wrong, tell pappy jesus they are sorry and insist they are back on the heaven track.

Assholes.

[Airyaman]

I do the right thing because I don't fear hell.

Honestly?

[Bad Writer]

I do the right thing out of fear of my wife's wrath. We all have our reasons for being good

[Silver]

I am good because I do not know how to be truly bad.