Why is it every time the words "do the right thing" religion or morality follows it?
I ask this question because I stopped believing that those two things necessarily lead one to do the "right" things. Think about it, some of the most self-reported moral people have done some of the worst things in the history of the world. Also some of the most religious have done some of the most liberty restricting and personally distasteful things imaginable.
I think about the Holocaust or even Slavery. Those are some the most hideous things to occur on this planet (to me) and all the members involved justified it based upon this idea of morality. They truly believed that they were doing the right thing. Another example is during the reign of like Henry the 8th and others when the Catholic Church pretty much ran all of Europe, people were burned in the streets to abdicate the idea that religion is always "right".
Today even we are involved in a war that perpetuates the idea that as majority Christian Americans that have a democratic system that we are to be an example for others of what is right. We justify dislike and discrimination of people of Islamic faith because our religion is "right" or moral system of a classist, capitalistic, heterosexist, sexist, often racist reality is often "right” in making big and long-term decisions for others. We dislike and discriminate against homosexuals because both our moral and religion system says it is not "right".
How long are we to live in a society where everything outside of the religious designated moral system dictate what is "right"? What happens when the people viewed as "wrong" revolts that ever binding dichotomy? What happens if all of a sudden no one cares what is "right" or "wrong" anymore?
Where will we go? What can we do?
It's kind of scary to know that as much as I loathe having this type of system. I am even more afraid, and yet excited, about what would happen if we didn't.
I agree, and am atheist. I frequently get asked why I don't steal, since I "don't have to listen to God". It's quite ridiculous.
http://progressiveu.org/blog/leslieq
Check it out...it's a work in progress.
That is a very ridiculous question for anybody to ask. Amazing!!!!!
I do believe in God but that is by my choice and experience in life. I do not judge what others do or what they believe in, that is what makes us our individual person. Basically I feel that you do what you feel is right because it is who you are. If you make mistakes, it's all part of learning and we all go through it. Just do what you feel is right for you.
Do you really think that the Bible says to do all those things. Im mean it says to Love God and Love others. This is a skewed version of religion. Also the reason stealing is seen as bad is because you are punished by the government for doing it. So is the government perfect, no of course not. You should look at the %99 of a religion not the 1% that gives any religion a bad name.
I did not say the Bible said to do all those things. I said I don't understand why the idea of what is right or wrong is followed by the word/term/idea of religion. I believe that people pick and choose what they want to from the bible to justify or condemn other people. I never said the Bible did or said anything.
Morality from my understanding is supposed to be based on the norms of society and not all of our society is religious. Not any place on the planet is all based in religion, but they all have a sense of morals.
Plus I think the percentage is more 55% good, 45% bad.