If God sent your child to Hell.

[henryp]

I honestly can't relate to any of that.  Even in my earliest memory I felt a great compassion for my fellow human beings without religion.  I do agree that I don't act upon my compassion as much as I should, but that's more due to life beating me down.  I didn't have some semblance of a normal life until I was thirty, and even five years later, I still have just enough energy to function properly and take care of my kids.  After getting through the day, I have nothing left to give to anyone else.  Things are getting easier, though, and I've started coming up with ideas of how I can help others.
I agree that, as a society, we pay lip-service to helping others, but when it comes to actually doing something about it, we go about our selfish lives.  It does sound, however, that your just using that as an excuse to justify your own callousness.

Why don't you think people act upon their compassion?  What is different about empathy vs. all the other natural instincts we have.  In most cases, the conscious decision requires effort to not act upon our instincts.  You have to try not to eat.  Or try not to stare at boobs.  Or try not to protect your family. But with acting upon 'caring about others' it usually takes a big effort to follow your instincts, particularly as they become more distant and less 'linked' to us.  First I've thought of this, so no opinion yet.  What do you think?

[Faith No More]

Why don't you think people act upon their compassion? What is different about empathy vs. all the other natural instincts we have. In most cases, the conscious decision requires effort to not act upon our instincts. You have to try not to eat. Or try not to stare at boobs. Or try not to protect your family. But with acting upon 'caring about others' it usually takes a big effort to follow your instincts, particularly as they become more distant and less 'linked' to us. First I've thought of this, so no opinion yet. What do you think?

People are affected by their environment, and I think the "me me me!" culture we live in eats away at any empathy we have. Empathy isn't quite simply just an instinct. It's something that needs to be nurtured during our development or it can whither away, just like our muscles will weaken if we don't use them. Our modern culture doesn't appear to nurture our empathy but instead encourages us to be selfish.

Plus, we live in a world of Internet activism where we can pat ourselves on the back for making a Twitter post without actually doing something. It's a lot like prayer in which a person can do something useless while patting themselves on the back for it. That's not to say all Internet activism is useless. It's just a medium that can be abused by people looking for self-satisfaction without having to really do something.

---

Faith. I see you tolerate your own actions.

And I see you're delusional.  

What's your point, though?

[Polaris]

I am not quite as delusional as you are...

The point was you said you don't tolerate certain characteristics yet you also are one of the members who most displays the traits you same to not tolerate.

[Faith No More]

I am not quite as delusional as you are...
The point was you said you don't tolerate certain characteristics yet you also are one of the members who most displays the traits you same to not tolerate.

I'm only an asshole to those that are assholes first.  That's probably why you think I'm an asshole.

As far as stupidity is concerned, you can think that all you want.  I didn't come here to impress morons.

[henryp]

I am not quite as delusional as you are...
The point was you said you don't tolerate certain characteristics yet you also are one of the members who most displays the traits you same to not tolerate.

I'm only an asshole to those that are assholes first.  That's probably why you think I'm an asshole.

As far as stupidity is concerned, you can think that all you want.  I didn't come here to impress morons.

That's a popular loophole.  The "I only dehumanize people who dehumanize people" argument.  If you only treat people nice who you decide to treat nice, then people aren't deserving of being treated well based on being a fellow human.  It's people who qualify under your set of rules.  

Of course, you don't view this as being a selfish prick, because it's their fault they aren't meeting your standards of behavior.  How dare they, quite honestly.  It's really kind of neat how we are able to form these crazy rationalizations to make ourselves turn out to be the good guys.

[Polaris]

I am not quite as delusional as you are...
The point was you said you don't tolerate certain characteristics yet you also are one of the members who most displays the traits you same to not tolerate.

I'm only an asshole to those that are assholes first.  That's probably why you think I'm an asshole.
As far as stupidity is concerned, you can think that all you want.  I didn't come here to impress morons.

You only have to impress yourself and if you're trying to justify yourself to others as you've tried unsuccessfully to do with me, you have failed at impressing yourself.

[Goon]

according to Christians you can't feel sadness in heaven.

[Little Rik]

So let us for a moment imagine God is real, and a theist dies and goes to heaven. Now imagine 30 or so years later, the child of that theist, who ended up being an atheist, dies and gets sent to hell for his non-belief.

From now until the end of time your child, whom you cherished and adored from the moment they were born, whom you would literally give your own life for, will be tortured and tormented in ways that are incomprehensible to the mind. They will never escape, and God will never change his mind, so their suffering will be as eternal as your own afterlife. You will never see your own child again, and you know that every minute of every day, they are in indescribable agony.

My question is...what would theists think of the God who not only let this happen, but specifically planned it as part of his grand scheme for humanity? How would that effect your love for God and your trust in him? I am extremely curious to know.

Your should really ask this question to those religious people who believe in paradise and hell not to all theists.
Buddhists, Hinduists and those who follow yoga like myself although we believe in God we do not believe in hell
so as far as we are concern your question doesn't make any sense at all. 

[dyresand]

I am not quite as delusional as you are...
The point was you said you don't tolerate certain characteristics yet you also are one of the members who most displays the traits you same to not tolerate.

I said it before ill say it again do not call anyone delusional until you take a good hard look at your self and your beliefs.
Also stop just please stop causing problems. Just stop being a asshole to everyone please thanks. 

You bolster a side with magic, you need to prove magic you also need to prove a god exists the burden is on you.

Where as atheists bolster a side with proven fact and well documented and researched theory that are proven to be true.

[Salacious B. Crumb]

Well put. If the hell believers just read that from an outside perspective, and not a brainwashed one, they'd say, "Wow, I agree that is totally illogical that there is a heaven and a hell, because there would be no such thing as total bliss when my sister is in total agony."

Heaven would actually be a hell. I said it before and I'm sure me and many others will say it again, either god isn't real or he's a total prick.