Living in the Light
How may I be a better Christian?
Upvote
0
Exiledoomsayer
Only toke me 1 year to work out how to change this
I agree.
You cannot destroy that which does not exist.
Religion on the other hand, is dying a swift death to 'spiritualism' though.
(If you ask me, that's almost as bad but at least it does not seem to include as many dogma's.)
Upvote
0
GrowingSmaller
Muslm Humanist
No - what I mean is people whose charity is religiously motivated, and in the absence of their faith they would not be so charitable. Would a new atheist benificiary actually decline help* unless the giver were non-religious in their motivation? This is about conditional charity on the grounds that people convert, but for example faith groups giving homeless people assistance whatever their beliefs.
*on the grounds that he ought to combat the influence of faith through reason, wherever it surfaces.
Upvote
0
So what do you think is the percentage of Christians whose charity is not motivated by empathy but "religiously motivated" (whatever that might mean, exactly)?
Upvote
0
Eudaimonist
I believe in life before death!
- Jan 1, 2003
- 27,482
- 2,733
- 57
- Faith
- Atheist
- Marital Status
- Private
- Politics
- US-Libertarian
I agree. Many people aren't open to reason. Religion will be with humanity for a very long time.
eudaimonia,
Mark
Upvote
0
I expect that, for the most part, the sort of person who is in a position to receive charity doesn't care at all about your personal conviction that charity is a religious phenomenon.
Upvote
0
If they do they're not Real New Atheists (tm).
Speaking of which, what is a New Atheist anyway?
Upvote
0
Eudaimonist
I believe in life before death!
- Jan 1, 2003
- 27,482
- 2,733
- 57
- Faith
- Atheist
- Marital Status
- Private
- Politics
- US-Libertarian
Upvote
0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums
That is an old forum trick.
Don't try to derail this thread!
Asking you to support your baseless, unfounded, and insulting assertions is not a thread derail.
I don't particularly like religion but I believe in your freedom to think what you like and worship what you please, just don't ask me to encourage or play along.
Upvote
0
- Oct 23, 2003
- 16,711
- 1,132
- 52
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Single
- Politics
- CA-Conservatives
That is an old forum trick.
Don't try to derail this thread!
Actually he's correct in asking but what you're doing is shifting the burden of proof, among other things. You make a claim, you back it up, basic logic and debate techniques.
Upvote
0
GrowingSmaller
Muslm Humanist
I would say smaller than those motivated by empathy and religion. I do not have exact stats. Anyway if you are religious it does not mean you have to abandon empathy, but it is more likely that you would give empathy a religious interpretation, just like some hunter gatherers gave totemic animals a religious significance.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Yup, that´s what I was getting at: empathic persons tend to give (their motivation is empathy), and they rationalize it according to whatever worldview they hold.
Thus, I think "religiously motivated" is a misleading term here.
Upvote
0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums
GrowingSmaller
Muslm Humanist
I see. However I do think that religion can influence charitability. For instance the "missions" in my area which provide food and clothing for the poor are all religiously based. I have yet to see a secular mission. Also I have been part of a humanist circle, and whilst they collected money for humanist causes they never collected for the poor. (Also I remember that one humanist was a fundraiser for charity, and she said that demographically religious people were the biggest givers). On the other hand local churches have donation boxes especially for helping the poor. Before the appearance of the welfare state a lot more social service was provided by Christian institutions. I think that the gospel message of charity and care for the downtrodden has something to do with this - it is not something which can be taken for granted. There may perhaps be a secular substitute for the message, but that does not make it causally inert.
Upvote
0
GrowingSmaller
Muslm Humanist
I think its a myth that you can abandon religion and not change the social order for good or for bad. Just look at divorce rates.
Upvote
0
Conservative christians have a higher rate of divorce than atheists
U.S. divorce rates: for various faith groups, age groups and geographical areas
Upvote
0
Yep, as he said divorce rates would go down if we eliminated religious conservatives. Obviously - look at the conservative Presidential candidates left. They average two wives per candidate. And that's even without making jokes about polygamy.
Upvote
0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums
GrowingSmaller
Muslm Humanist
Ok if thats the case then that the case, but it still apparently shows that faith (or lack of it) can influence behavior - be it charity, or in this case divorce rates.
Upvote
0
Similar threads
