Why be good?

[Simon Moon]

Consequence being, Omaha can get crushed by a tornado, and I can not care even a little.  I can not be afraid walking into a dark room.  I can do a number of things that my evolutionary impulses say not to..  The rational part of my brain is able to trump stupid stuff time and time again.  And that's why I am unmoved by the evolutionary motivations of ape-men.  

Of course we can't show the same level of empathy for unnamed, unknown people far across the globe. That's not the point.

The goal is to create as many societies across the globe based on secular morality. In fact, the world is actually heading that direction. Read Steven Pinker's book "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined". 

While I would not expect too many people to leave their homes and family to go to distant places to help disaster victims, I would assume, that if that tornado happened on your block, you, like the vast majority of people, would disregard their personal safety to rush into a collapsing house to save people.  

Most people, when facing an immediate situation where they might have to risk their own safety to save others, don't even think twice, they just do it. This is their evolutionary past kicking in, where altruism, cooperation, reciprocity and kin selection take precedence over their selfish instincts. 

[Thumpalumpacus]

You know, I've given great thought to the OP's post, and have come to the conclusion that he's absolutely right.


Consequently, I'm embarking on a 5 day, 7 state killing spree.  Toodles!

But, have you heard the Good Word, my friend?

[Huggy Bear]

I didn't realize murder was the only act considered immoral....

It is not, but neither is every act silly religious people consider immoral thus as they state.

Would you say that lying/stealing are immoral acts?

[Whateverist]

Depends entirely on the context. If you're a fat, wage slave owner you're lucky if all we do is steal your shit. If he was a mean one I might even pee in his lemonade when he wasn't looking.

[Silver]

It is not, but neither is every act silly religious people consider immoral thus as they state.

Would you say that lying/stealing are immoral acts?

In all honesty, it would depend upon the circumstance behind the lying and stealing.  I cannot understand why this world continues to paint lying and stealing so black and white.  

Maybe someone is lying to protect the innocence of another: after all, parents lie to their children about the existence of Santa Clause.

Maybe someone is stealing because to not steal means he goes for the fourth day in a row of not eating.   

You decide  

[Jenny A]

I didn't realize murder was the only act considered immoral....

No one said it was.  But you do realize most people consider some immoral acts more immoral than others?   And that some immoral acts have greater negative consequences that others?  Because from your responses I don't think you do.  And I find that rather frightening really.  

One of the stupidest ideas attributed to Jesus in the gospels is the notion that even thinking about committing a sin is a sin.  When what we want people to do is resist temptation, should they be tempted.  And to reward that will power, not sentence them to walling in guilt for having bad thoughts.

[Mudhammam]

If there is no God, then there is no hell; and if there is no hell, then there are no ultimate, eternal repercussions, good or bad, for how we live out our mortal lives. Of course, atheists insist that people should be "good without God."

But why? If God does not exist, why be good?

Because 1. Actions have consequences. 2. I want to be treated well. 3. Cooperation allows more to get accomplished. 4. I can empathize with others.

Off the top of my head I quickly came up with 4 reasons that are all better than "gawd told me I'm gonna get hurt in da afterlife if I'm bad and I'm scurred."

Seriously. If you want to convince unbelievers that your beliefs comprise more than a house of cards, at least try to look like you're capable of rational thought.

[Huggy Bear]

Would you say that lying/stealing are immoral acts?

In all honesty, it would depend upon the circumstance behind the lying and stealing.  I cannot understand why this world continues to paint lying and stealing so black and white.  

Maybe someone is lying to protect the innocence of another: after all, parents lie to their children about the existence of Santa Clause.

Maybe someone is stealing because to not steal means he goes for the fourth day in a row of not eating.   

You decide  

Because it is black and white, a lie is NOT the truth, simple as that.

You may have a good reason for lying, but it is still a lie. A human wasn't designed to lie, which is why it can be detected.

As for stealing to eat.. whats wrong with asking?

Besides, Hebrew law allowed for one to go into anothers cornfield and eat all he wanted to if he was hungry, he just couldn't take any out, THAT would stealing.

---

One of the stupidest ideas attributed to Jesus in the gospels is the notion that even thinking about committing a sin is a sin.  When what we want people to do is resist temptation, should they be tempted.  And to reward that will power, not sentence them to walling in guilt for having bad thoughts.

It's quite simple, the example given was if one were to lust after a woman, then they were guilty of adultery, because adultery is in their heart. If an adult man was attracted to little kids, wouldn't you say pedophilia is in his heart?

[Silver]

Because it is black and white, a lie is NOT the truth, simple as that.

You may have a good reason for lying, but it is still a lie. A human wasn't designed to lie, which is why it can be detected.

As for stealing to eat.. whats wrong with asking?

Besides, Hebrew law allowed for one to go into anothers cornfield and eat all he wanted to if he was hungry, he just couldn't take any out, THAT would stealing.

You offered nothing of substance or logic.  Good job typical Christian. 

[Mudhammam]

A human wasn't designed to lie, which is why it can be detected.

Humans were too designed to lie, it's just sometimes easy to detect, such as in the case of Christianity, for example.

Hebrew law allowed for one to go into anothers cornfield and eat all he wanted to if he was hungry, he just couldn't take any out, THAT would stealing.

Lol. Ooh that makes perfect sense. It's almost like saying, if you take my girlfriend home and fuck her that would be really uncool, but if you want to come fuck her at my house when I'm not home it's totally different.