I have heard this so many times from the Christians: you can't be good without God. And if you don't have God in your life you will become a whoring alcoholic murdering rapist because life doesn't matter; that without the almighty God you are lost. When in fact I see it completely different.
Living in fear of going to hell is not living a moral life. You are doing something because you are afraid of not receiving the reward you get for living a "good" life. You give money to a church because you are commanded to. You aid others because God commanded you to. You help the poor because God commanded you to. You help the sick because God commanded you to. But in all reality how many of the faithful do this? Look at the wars on social causes, welfare for the poor, health care for the uninsured; and the ones most fighting this are those that fall to the right and a lot of the right are very religious.
Take Mitt Romney for example. He is running for president. Has millions of dollars. Has horses worth millions. Ran Bain Capital which bought companies and "fixed" them and then sold them for a profit. Most of these companies ended up laying off most of their work force and shipping the jobs over seas. He is fighting the universal health care act. He is for cutting welfare programs and giving more money to corporations. Yet he is a practicing Christian. Claims to be working for the average person.
He probably does go to Church regularly and pays his tithing regularly, as his taxes show, but just by doing that does that make him a good Christian? If God existed would he care that he gets tax breaks worth more than my annual income just for his horses? In fact he/she/it would care: Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Real morality comes from doing things because they are the right thing. Helping the less fortunate is just good human nature. Helping the sick is good human nature. Just because I believe once this life is over there is nothing left does not mean I am going to be an alcoholic murdering rapist. I am going to make this life better to cherish the moments I have with those around me. I am going to make the world a better place for those that follow me. I am going to be a legacy for those around me to carry on what I have done in my life. I am making that choice because I have morals not because I am commanded to.
Completely agree. I think if you need "god" "watching you" to make you do the right thing, you're probably a pretty terrible person. A good person just does the right thing because it's the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThe people who constantly need to reaffirm that god makes them a better person are just using their religion as an excuse to feel better about their true natures.