The ultimate irony

[Demonaura]

Now I don't beleive it for a second but, what would your reaction be to a guy who approached you and started talking about a religion where they had the equivelant of heaven and hell as placed of reward and punishment but, where you went was 100% based on how good you were as a person. None of your beleifs mattered at all, only how good a person you were (good as defined as what we feel to be the right thing to do, thus people who hurt someone but, were trying to help are not punished unless they were shown that they would hurt the person and didn't stop).

Would you treat him any differently if he said there was an overlord (maybe a god, maybe just a higher being) that gave the final judgment?

Would you treat him any differently than a mormon or JW who approached you?

I can probably guess most of your replies but, this is the kind of thought that gets stuck in my head at 10AM when I did not sleep the previous night. Feel free to mention any and all complications or interesting changes to the proposal, even circimstances like: if he knockced at my door or sat down at my table at a cafe.

(Also, it would be ironic if this were true because all the people threatening us with hell would be there and we'd be in heaven, so long as we were good people overall. to be fair though the vast majority of religious people are good people, just victims of indoctrination so most of them would be in heaven too.)

[bozo]

Now I don't beleive it for a second but, what would your reaction be to a guy who approached you and started talking about a religion where they had the equivelant of heaven and hell as placed of reward and punishment but, where you went was 100% based on how good you were as a person. None of your beleifs mattered at all, only how good a person you were (good as defined as what we feel to be the right thing to do, thus people who hurt someone but, were trying to help are not punished unless they were shown that they would hurt the person and didn't stop).

Would you treat him any differently if he said there was an overlord (maybe a god, maybe just a higher being) that gave the final judgment?

Would you treat him any differently than a mormon or JW who approached you?

I can probably guess most of your replies but, this is the kind of thought that gets stuck in my head at 10AM when I did not sleep the previous night. Feel free to mention any and all complications or interesting changes to the proposal, even circimstances like: if he knockced at my door or sat down at my table at a cafe.

(Also, it would be ironic if this were true because all the people threatening us with hell would be there and we'd be in heaven, so long as we were good people overall. to be fair though the vast majority of religious people are good people, just victims of indoctrination so most of them would be in heaven too.)

Since I reject the existence of heaven and hell, I'd just tell the guy that he was as deluded as every other believer in superstition.

[leo-rcc]

My answer is pretty much the same as Bozo's. The same delusion in a different package is still a delusion.

[Demonaura]

Yea it's about what I figured after re-reading my post. (Reading things you posted while overtired just after you wake up is great comedy)

[josef rosenkranz]

Yea it's about what I figured after re-reading my post. (Reading things you posted while overtired just after you wake up is great comedy)

No it's not comedy ,it's a mental exercise and an interesting one too. I like to watch the american evangelistical tv cannel and the preachers they display there and found that some times there are highly skilled orators ,for instance one named Joel Osteen,who under a thin cover of religious believe preach just about human morals ,how to be a good person.
Most of the preachers smear the spiritual food they are presenting to the audience with a thick layer of unconditional belief in God ,but as said, some of them know how to catch the attention of the audience touching essentially the humanly strive of being a good person.
So after all there is some substance in what you said ,only that it is an idealistic one,inexistent in real life.
I don't know the far -eastern religions but there is a possibility that some sects have this idealistic approach to religion too.

[jonmcculloch]

I like to watch the american evangelistical tv cannel and the preachers they display there and found that some times there are highly skilled orators

If you want to see how skilfully some of these people can fleece their flocks, I recommend James Randi's The Faith Healers.

-- Jon

[athoughtfulman]

It depends what mood I'm in.

I might ignore him. Or I might give him a wave and then keep walking.

If I stopped to talk, I'd ask him how many good deeds you need to do, how exactly someone qualifies as a good person, and who is the judge who decides if someone's good or not. Is it a specific deity, or something like nature, just a power which knows? Then when I've got some idea about his religion, I'd probably ask why he's right, and everyone else is wrong, and what things he has been doing to be a good person.

Interesting idea. I know most would write the person off. But I like the idea because it reminds me of how a religion can be dreamt up in a few hours.

You could take your 'good person' religion to the street, print some pamphlets, and assuming you had at least a little charisma, a lot of energy and no fear of rejection, you end up with some followers.

Or to avoid having to be creative, just take the tooth fairy and change the characters

[Edwardo Piet]

Delusion is delusion. And if delusion is 'nicer' in some way its still delusion. And can still potentially have the possibility to do harm not just to oneself but to others.

Plus: The truth just plain matters as far as I'm concerned.

That's what I think.

EvF

[athoughtfulman]

Delusion is delusion and will end up being harmful most of the time.

I think to those that have the desire to seek out reason and truth, do it. As for those happier with the delusion, they can believe all they want. It's when it start infringing on the rights of others that it matters. And I think parents have a right to teach their kids what they believe, call it indoctrination if you must. Some kids will grow up to think for themselves, some wont. Those kids whose parents are atheists, and grow up being taught it, but never questioning it, never challenging it.. those are just the same as the kids who grow up to believe in religion.

I respect people who make the effort to think hard and challenge ideas, even the ones they hold dear.

[Edwardo Piet]

Especially the ones they hold dear I say