BigPete
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I would prefer rule with no religion, but I could see how rule with just one religion could be good. It's not very democratic though...
I would prefer rule with no religion, but I could see how rule with just one religion could be good. It's not very democratic though...
If there's nothing after you die, why are you living?
While I don't believe in any form or religion, at the same time I think that the ideals that is tries to implement are for the greater good. To that I almost think that it is necessary as a check and balance for society to have this type of thinking. If there was no religion, I fear what the alternative would be. I fear how we would institute a morality upon the masses. Some people are just plain dumb, they can't come to these things on their own. To me Religion is not so much a way of life as it is a social program to instill that self-worth and well being/self image that a lot of people need. That type of there is no good without the bad, well if we all believe that there is no heaven, and there is no hell. I sometimes thing that people would be very much less inclined to do the right thing, without eternal consequences weighing over them. Even a lot of people that don't believe in an afterlife, probably still live their life with a "just in case sort of view". They do good things just in case they are wrong. So even the mere perception that their is an afterlife is strong enough to make people more "good" than "bad" and I think without even that perception, we could be in a world of pain. I don't' know what the alternative is, but I hope as the number of atheists, agnostics, ect... increases we find a way to manage this system.
You are misled. A letter from the great Thomas Jefferson covers this very topic. "Morality" as we view it today was "new" in religion with Judeo-christianity and islam. Many of the ancient religions, really didn't have a "be good or go to hell" theme, the Gods were subject to the same whims and shortcomings as humans.
Jefferson used english common law as an example, it was established by the anglo-saxons, long before they became christians, thus, christianity did not bring the common law which illustrates a general ethical code, but it was developed by man independent of the Judeo-christian religions.
I dont not fear the non-existance of a religious moral authority. The human race got on without one for 100 some odd thousand years before Judaism came on the scene. People will develop laws for the common good. The funny thing is, most modern legal systems are directly based on republican roman law, long before they were christianized and worshiped petty immoral Gods.
I dont do anything just in case. My mere lack of belief in the monotheistic religions is cause enough for me to burn for eternity despite any of my deeds.