• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Do what is right, God is watching

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
I saw this on a church sign while driving tonight, and it made me think. Isn't this kind of pathetic? I mean shouldn't we be good people simply because it is good? I find it pathetic that people need belief in a god and promise of reward to be good people. Anyone agree with this? I mean I am an atheist, so people accuse me of being selfish, hedonistic, pretty much just overall bad and immoral since I have no fear of God and am not living for reward. But isn't being good just for reward selfish? I mean we are all naturally selfish but that is pretty greedy.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

xkatz

Well-Known Member
I basically agree with what you said. We should be good to begin with, we shouldn't "pretend" to be good only because of the possibility of omnipresent god- that's fraudulent in a sense.
 

Reptillian

Hamburgler Extraordinaire
"He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake" Gotta love Santa Claus morality.
 

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
Using fear to insight actions that one might consider right is wrong.
 

F0uad

Well-Known Member
What is the ''law'' (justification) that Atheist use on other people since they also belief its right...
For example the Germans killing the Jews in WW2 they thought it was good because social pressure lead them there now how can a other person be condemned or justified when there is no ''Universal'' law for both?

Just asking.. no argument..
 

ImmortalFlame

Woke gremlin
What is the ''law'' (justification) that Atheist use on other people since they also belief its right...
For example the Germans killing the Jews in WW2 they thought it was good because social pressure lead them there now how can a other person be condemned or justified when there is no ''Universal'' law for both?
You don't need a law to be "universal" in order to recognize or condemn something as being wrong. The exact same logic that applied to the Nazis in determining what was right can also be applied to those who fought and defeated them - neither had a "universal" law to the condemn the other, but in the end the overwhelming opinion of the global society collectively condemned and beat the Nazi regime.

Doing what is right essentially just means doing what will cause the least harm (or prevent the most harm) while simultaneously ensuring your actions benefit as many people as possible. You don't need to believe in God to recognize the benefits of making another person smile or laugh, nor to see the bad in causing them sadness or pain. This is true whether you believe in God or not. All morality is fundamentally based on basic human empathy and the desire to create a compassionate, healthy society that benefits all of us.
 

Me Myself

Back to my username
I think compassionate thoughts and acts should be their own reward.

While I am not against of doing what is right eecause of expecting a future reward, I think it is very less rewarding than actually understanding and feeling the meaning of a compassionate act and thought and emotion for it´s own sake.

Stop acting compassionate because the future, act compassionately because compassion.

It just feels good.
 

Badran

Veteran Member
Premium Member
While I am not against of doing what is right eecause of expecting a future reward, I think it is very less rewarding than actually understanding and feeling the meaning of a compassionate act and thought and emotion for it´s own sake.

This.

I don't think there's anything wrong at all with doing what is 'right' for reward or for avoiding consequences; it all comes down to selfish reasons in the end.

The question is just (for me that is) what is the most effective way and what is the most rewarding way. Like Me Myself, i think doing good for wanting good things to happen to everybody, including yourself, is more rewarding.

I also think that generally its more effective (in keeping consistency that is with one's self). That said, i also think its more effective to have a wide variety of reasons to do good. Sometimes we loose control over ourselves and/or fail to see our usual reason as strong as we usualy do, which is why i think that generally having many reasons to do good is beneficial because it might 'cover' you in instances of weakness or being under whatever pressure.
 
Last edited:

Thief

Rogue Theologian
All seem to agree, though the words vary....

How about we up grade to consequence?
From another thread moments ago....I quote myself....

For example....I've heard discussion that no matter what....we go to heaven.

THAT, I find hard to believe.

Picture yourself as Hitler....yes you can.
You make it through the gate and are escorted all around heaven.

Later that evening, you are invited to supper...with 'thirteen' others.
As you dip your bread in the bowl, a Carpenter is doing likewise.
You turn to use another bowl...and Judas is doing so as well.

(note the.... 'look in the eye'.... part)

Sounds like fun!....don't you think so!
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
All seem to agree, though the words vary....

How about we up grade to consequence?
From another thread moments ago....I quote myself....

For example....I've heard discussion that no matter what....we go to heaven.

THAT, I find hard to believe.

Picture yourself as Hitler....yes you can.
You make it through the gate and are escorted all around heaven.

Later that evening, you are invited to supper...with 'thirteen' others.
As you dip your bread in the bowl, a Carpenter is doing likewise.
You turn to use another bowl...and Judas is doing so as well.

(note the.... 'look in the eye'.... part)

Sounds like fun!....don't you think so!
...I don't see the problem. :rolleyes:
 

Vultar

Active Member
All seem to agree, though the words vary....

How about we up grade to consequence?
From another thread moments ago....I quote myself....

For example....I've heard discussion that no matter what....we go to heaven.

THAT, I find hard to believe.

Picture yourself as Hitler....yes you can.
You make it through the gate and are escorted all around heaven.

Later that evening, you are invited to supper...with 'thirteen' others.
As you dip your bread in the bowl, a Carpenter is doing likewise.
You turn to use another bowl...and Judas is doing so as well.

(note the.... 'look in the eye'.... part)

Sounds like fun!....don't you think so!

You present the afterlife as a modified version of this life. That couldn't be further from reality if you tried...

First, you don't need to eat or drink.
Second, you don't have eyes, so you can't look someone in them
Third, there are no bowls
Fourth, there are no gates
etc, etc

In the afterlife, you are a completely different form of entity (much like a butterfly is different then a catapiller). You have different senses and abilities so it is very much a different existance.
:facepalm:
 

rusra02

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I saw this on a church sign while driving tonight, and it made me think. Isn't this kind of pathetic? I mean shouldn't we be good people simply because it is good? I find it pathetic that people need belief in a god and promise of reward to be good people. Anyone agree with this? I mean I am an atheist, so people accuse me of being selfish, hedonistic, pretty much just overall bad and immoral since I have no fear of God and am not living for reward. But isn't being good just for reward selfish? I mean we are all naturally selfish but that is pretty greedy.

Thoughts?

I think it is entirely proper to fear God, or have profound reverence for his authority and awesome power. Such godly fear can help us when tempted to do bad. (Proverbs 16:6) Such fear is not abject terror of being punished, but the fear a child has of disappointing a parent, and fear of the consequences of misbehavior.
According to the Bible, the primary motivation for turning away from bad, and doing what is right, is our love for God. (1 John 5:3) A loving child obeys his parents primarily because he loves them, and appreciates all they have done for him.
I think it is entirely proper to look forward to the reward for obedience.(Hebrews 11:6)
And if one doesn't know God, how does one know what is good? Millions of people thought it good to follow Hitler into oblivion. Millions more today think it good to kill others whose political views differ from theirs. That is a fundamental issue according to the Bible. Do we decide for ourselves what is good, or submit to God's standards? The Bible reveals Adam and Eve chose the former, as most people do today, with predictably disastrous consequences. (Jeremiah 10:23)

 

Tarheeler

Argumentative Curmudgeon
Premium Member
I saw this on a church sign while driving tonight, and it made me think. Isn't this kind of pathetic? I mean shouldn't we be good people simply because it is good? I find it pathetic that people need belief in a god and promise of reward to be good people. Anyone agree with this? I mean I am an atheist, so people accuse me of being selfish, hedonistic, pretty much just overall bad and immoral since I have no fear of God and am not living for reward. But isn't being good just for reward selfish? I mean we are all naturally selfish but that is pretty greedy.

Thoughts?

I agree with you for the most part.

I don't subscribe to the Christian idea of heaven or hell. I'd rather do good because it is good or, from a religious point-of-view, because it's what I'm supposed to do.
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." - Albert Einstein
 

Looncall

Well-Known Member
You present the afterlife as a modified version of this life. That couldn't be further from reality if you tried...

First, you don't need to eat or drink.
Second, you don't have eyes, so you can't look someone in them
Third, there are no bowls
Fourth, there are no gates
etc, etc

In the afterlife, you are a completely different form of entity (much like a butterfly is different then a catapiller). You have different senses and abilities so it is very much a different existance.
:facepalm:

How do you verify that all this is true?
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
I find it pathetic that people need belief in a god and promise of reward to be good people.
While I'm not a big fan of the message, I find it pathetic that you would distort it to mean something that it does not necessarily mean. I suspect when you see ...

Speed-Checked-By-Radar-Sign-K-8160.gif

... you rarely find yourself bemoaning that people need the sense that they are being watched in order to be law-abiding people.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
While I'm not a big fan of the message, I find it pathetic that you would distort it to mean something that it does not necessarily mean. I suspect when you see ...

Speed-Checked-By-Radar-Sign-K-8160.gif

... you rarely find yourself bemoaning that people need the sense that they are being watched in order to be law-abiding people.

That's a pretty cool straw man.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
And that's a pretty tepid retort, particularly since you are the won painting the sign as evidence that "people need belief in a god and promise of reward to be good people". Go tilt at some other silly windmill. :)

Really? I mean I was never promised fantastic reward for following the law, yet I do it anyways. Yes, I think it is pathetic that people need any kind of rule, but at least the law actually accomplishes things whereas imaginary beings do not.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
You don't need a God to be a respectable person, but even with a God you can't be a good person.
 
Top