I'm sure that is true... but no one sector of the world has a monopoly on that one.
One can be just as dogmatic in hating religious people as visa-versa.
-
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!
Is altruism really due to religious sensibility?
- Thread starter Evangelicalhumanist
- Start date
One can be just as dogmatic in hating religious people as visa-versa.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
It is true. I went through it myself and have known others who did as well.
The Bible is still the Bible, and regardless the denomination or location the Bible itself teaches intolerance, hatred, and violence.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
Yup. And then spend years learning that you learned to hate and unlearning it.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
Then why say it?
It's been noted in numerous studies.
I actually read it in a newsletter when I was an Evangelical.
That's why it says "love your enemies"... that statement is filled with hatred.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
Kill homosexuals, kill adulterers, kill those who worship other gods, kill women who aren't virgins in their wedding night, kill witches, kill rebellious kids, kill apostates; that isn't love, that is hate.
Bear Wild
Well-Known Member
Actually there is evidence your opinion is wrong. First there are groups that welcome the end of the world as the way of redemption for all of the believers. I have spoken to many that see this as the prophesied end of the world. The acceptance of climate change is widely not accepted by extensive religious groups in the United states and was one of the divisions during this last election. There is also a greater anti-science sentiment in religious groups especially in the United States. There has also been a resistance to population control with religious groups and population is one of the driving factors for environmental decline. There are some groups that are starting to shift views but it has been slow in progressing.
Bear Wild
Well-Known Member
It also talks about intolerance, the destruction of non-believers, and threatens those who do not believe with damnation. So much for love thy enemies since the will go to hell unless your enemies are also Christian. The you just burn those who do not agree with but you can burn them with love.
Nope, you are in the Mosaic law...In the New Testament, which Christians are supposed to abide by, is based on better promises
- Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
- Agree with thine adversary quickly, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
- Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
- That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,
You see for us, it isn't "kill" because Jesus already paid the price. It is "judge" but rather reconcile because judgment was met on the Cross. It isn't "kick the person that is down" but rather give a hand to lift them up because Jesus already came down, was resurrected and want to pull people up.
Hope you have a great 2021.
Ken
If you look at all that I have said, I have agreed that there are always fringe groups that can believe anything including (as I said) that we never landed on the moon.
And as I said, it isn't that most people (Christians) don't agree that there is climate change or that they are anti take-care-of-this-world... but rather the premise on which it is being promoted. Ask ANY Christian if we should throw waste into our lakes and they will say "NO!" emphatically.
Victim mentality as if we should keep rapists on the streets, murderers should be free et al and say that if you put them in prison it is a demonstration of hatred.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
I LOVE how I still know the Bible better than most Christians. (This means you are wrong because I pulled from both, and Jesus said nothing has changed). It's kind of crappy, but on a regular basis I get to demonstrate to Christians how little they know about their beloved scriptures.
WalterTrull
Godfella
See... that's what convinces me of God. Not religious dogma, mind you.
I don't see where you have established any New Testament truth. Hatred wasn't a Jesus message. Knowing more than someone else doesn't translate into understanding more. Some of the Pharisees knew a whole lot but Jesus said "You don't know the Father".
Last edited:
Most Christians world over still believe unrepentant LGBT, people of different religious beliefs, who have no marital sex etc will die in whatever flavor of Revelation apocalypse they have.
Believing that their execution is imminent for such things is hateful. Believing that it was justified before Jesus is also hateful.
The numerous biblical genocides would still be the work of a monster.
Tl;dr: if you believe executing people for being gay was, at any time, for any reason justifiable, you're hateful.
Religion is often a catalyst or echo chamber: whether a believer holds good or bad views, they get inserted into the religion's belief system and come back endorsed by God.
The problem is that this creates an overconfidence in the truth of those beliefs. It bypasses the self-doubt that makes a person ask themselves "is this really the best thing I could do in this circumstance?" This problem isn't that big a deal when the action is something positive that would still pass muster even if the person thought about it more... but it can be downright catastrophic for bad actions.
... so while it affects both good and bad actions in the name of religion, the harm of those bad actions enabled by this approach greatly outweighs any benefit.
I'm not sure how the math works there. It would seem that people are capable of bad actions or good actions, whether a religion endorses them or not. And you're right, if a person believes the good or bad they're doing is dogmatically endorsed by their religion's unquestionable teachings, that would make them uninclined to challenge them. But that works for both the good and the bad teachings. So how does the bad "greatly outweigh" the good?
Did you miss the paragraph immediately before that one?
While churches get treated like charities - actually better than charities in some ways - under American tax law, it's a bit deceptive to act like religious people paying for the upkeep and operation of what's effectively their social club is as altruistic as donating to a legitimate charity.
Because doing good doesn't need to be "dogmatically endorsed" to happen.
If someond stops to reflect and investigate the effects of their actions, they could still recognize that a lot of religious charity is still a good idea: running food banks, helping the homeless, disaster relief, etc.
OTOH, it's the nasty religious stuff that wouldn't be able to stand up to honest scutiny: anti-LGBTQ activity, coercive proselytizing, etc.
... so getting rid of that honest, humble scrutiny does more to enable bad acts than it does to enable good acts.
Neither does bad, though.
"Nasty stuff" is not just religious, though. Secular folks can be and have been anti-LGBTQ, authoritarian, have suppressed religious freedom, etc.
It seems to me that religion can either be a powerful catalyst to promote good behavior or bad behavior. That behavior can either be dogmatically performed out of obedience or carefully thought through. One doesn't "outweigh" the other, in terms of religion's influence on it.