A friend of mine, Andrew, who considers himself marginally religious, if at all, is a regular follower of my stuff. He sent me an article recently that cites research finding that atheists are more compassionate and generous than highly religious folks.
Actually, this doesn't surprise me. Back when I waited tables, the Sunday after-church crowd was the absolute worst of the week to wait on. They took forever, were super picky, were terrible tippers and tended to be the most critical customers I had. It really killed me when, instead of leaving a tip, they'd leave a tract on the table. If you're not familiar with these, they're little booklets that some Christians pass out to try and save people. They justify substituting this for money because saving my soul is a far greater gift than a couple of dollars.
Well, I've got news for you. Last time I tried to pay rent with a tract, my landlord wasn't impressed. Second, that assumes an awful lot about me, my beliefs and my needs, doesn't it?
I'm digressing, but the point is, I identified with this article just by the title alone. It actually reminded me of this church sign that I've posted before, but which warrants a second look:
Another friend of mine, Paul, posted the following reflection about why this somewhat counter-intuitive phenomenon might be. He said:
When religious people do "good things" they are often doing so in conditioned response to an ethereal reward/punishment set of beliefs. When non-believers do "good things" its because they want to do them.
I also wonder if it has something to do with the comfort that comes with being part o the cultural majority. Yes, there are Christians who will claim we're part of a persecuted minority, but that's simply ignorant. Christians have had the lion's share of power in this country for a long, long time, and it shows in our attitudes. We assume that what "we believe" is normal, and that anything else is an aberration. The result of this is that anyone who doesn't claim to be a Christian is made much more aware of it because of their difference.
It's like how I've written before about the inherent privilege of being straight. Generally, straight people don't think about being straight as much as gay people think about being gay, namely because the "default" sexual orientation -- aka, the majority identity -- is that of straight people.
Fact is, we don't think about who we are and how we act nearly as much when we're the ones in control.
Atheists, on the other hand, are fairly regularly persecuted (socially at least) for their lack of belief. They are made quite aware of their atheism, either because of how they're treated for it, or because they have to keep silent about it for fear of being ridiculed. So perhaps with this tendency to be more self-conscious comes an equally more self-aware set of behaviors and attitudes.
Put another way, if you're part of a group that is stereotyped in a negative way, you might go out of your way to act differently, even at an unconscious level, to try and defy that stereotype.
I could be reaching here, but I think there's something here that's basic to contemporary human nature. So although I don't think there's anything inherently better or worse about an atheist brain or heart than a Christian one, I do expect that atheists may work a little harder to convince the rest of the culture around them that they're decent, loving, caring people, regardless of whether they believe in God.
Is this a case for atheism? An indictment of Christianity. Not really either, I think. If I'm right, it tells us more about the power of cultural norms, the potential negative (but relatively invisible) effects of majority consciousness, and the responsibility of those with the privilege of being in the majority to go out of their way to act against the negative effects of such privilege.
All I know is that, when someone tells me I defy many of the common expectations they have of Christians, I take that as a compliment. I wish it wasn't the case, but it's clear from the empty seats in many of our churches that we have done an awful lot of this to ourselves.
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Perhaps you'd answer, as Ehrman did, that many people who deny that Jesus existed are unscholarly, and often even kinda kooky. And that's true. But when almost all of the people best qualified to examined the question of Jesus' existence, the people who've spent their entire careers learning the relevant ancient languages and studying the evidence and writing about it in peer-reviewed journals -- when nearly all of these professionals avoid the question or dismiss it out of hand, and ridicule the few of their scholarly, non-kooky peers who are looking into it, is it any wonder if the level of public discussion of the question suffers as a result?
He did however manage to satisfactorily destroy that annoying Mithra was born on the 25th, and his mom was a virgin story.
We ARE decent, loving, caring people who aren't afraid to speak up and say we don't believe there's a God. In a few decades the religious won't have the inherent privilege of being the majority as we are seeing by the empty seats in many of their churches.
One difficulty for me in answering that question is that I am not only an atheist but also -- duh-duh-DUHHHH!!!! -- a moral relativist, which many people, and not just religious people, seem to equate with being a horrible person.
So let me break it down a little: by and large I like and admire atheists more than Christians. By and large i find atheists to be more intelligent. But there are some Christians I love and admire very much. Some of the most brilliant people I know, both irl and from reading many centuries' worth of writing, are Christians, and some of the most infuriatingly stupid people I've ever had the misfortune to encounter, both living and authors centuries dead -- *cough* Tom Paine *cough* -- are atheists.
In short, a person's views on religion are just one small part of them. An important part, but very far from defining the whole person.
As for the “tip” (vs. “tract”) comment - we also believe that a “faith without works is dead.” The key is where you place “works.” Works do not result in or lead one to salvation; they reflect one’s salvation. They are not some “get out jail free card” but a reflection of Love and a Christ filled heart. Personal generosity and charity should be a hallmark characteristic of any Christian. But remember the old woman in scripture who gave “out of her need” (vs. her “abundance”). I would also recommend you read Liberal author Art Brooks on “Who Really Cares?”
I agree with Pastor Tate’s sign. No “Christian” should ever suggest they are “better” than anyone else. God is no respecter of persons and everyone is a sinner in need of the Savior. However, we must be careful of the placing humanistic values, virtues and ideals above those of God. Many “Christians” today have detached themselves from scripture and have replaced God’s Truth with that of their own individual consciences. Churches are dying and empty because they have strayed from God’s truth. People are (and have always been) desperately searching for Truth. Sadly, there is less and less to be found in today’s Churches.
Without a religion/preacher telling me what he likes or not and what he expects me to do/not do, how do we define it? What about those Pacific islanders who never heard of your god? They can't "sin" your religion, either.
The honest among us know that there are good compassionate Christians and good compassionate atheists. You don't have to be a Christian to be compassionate or moral.You don't have to be an atheist to be rational and logical. The us vs. them war of words is tiresome and inaccurate.
The reality is tha the Truth may "heap hot coals" on one's head; we don't like it; sin is convicting and painful when we come to the realization of who we really are. We must stand on God's Truths and values. For example, It is not "loving" to affirm and tolerate lifestyles that violate scriptural sexual ethics. The challenge is to communicate that Truth with the message of God's love, forgiveness and salvation. Too often we, myself big time, simply sound like a "noisy gong."
Perhaps it's not as noticeable because there are fewer atheists, and keeping it behind closed doors, so to speak, seriously limits hw much you hear about it? Or it's possible that whether or not one agrees wth an athestic position, it's clear that statstially speaking, there's a clear underdog here, and it's not the Christians- and somehow, people never will understand that te people who are buillied can BE bulles, too.
I think a lot of problems could be solved by giving up these group identifications. There's no typical atheist, there's no typical Christian, and statistical likelihood means squat when you're dealing with a new person. How compassionate that individual is you'll have to learn in time.
Simply answer... no.
This is Bible 101 stuff
Romans 3:23
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
1- Polytheistic.
Monotheistic religions are to divisive. the idea that you have a monopoly on Truth leads to disrespectful behavior towards others. It also tends to lead to groups claiming to be "more holy" than others because they "One True God" favors them.
2- Afterlife determined by weighing the good you have caused against the bad.
"Forgiveness" doctrine is societally toxic. It leads to people being cavalier about their actions because they can just "mean well" and get "forgiven". The entire system needs to be more oriented toward outcomes than intentions to encourage people to think more before acting.
3- Possibility of re-incarnation in afterlife.
You care more about the state of the world if there is a chance that you'll be back.
4- No centralized earthly authority.
Big pools of money are inherently corrupting and your holy people won't stay holy long if you allow them.
1. Remove the word religion from the vernacular
Religion from the Latin meaning to 'bind' was used by the Roman Empire to refer to the Imperial religion which pretty much meant worship the emperor and any other conquered culture's religion that would enforce the emperor's control. Religion is normally tied in with the state or power.
2. There is only one spirituality that does not seem to have a place where those who are bad get tormented or hell and that is the Native American Indian spirituality. Historically judgement has been used to coerce adherents to act in ways that were more in line with the wills of the religious leaders.
3. God is coming to make his home down here with us and heaven will encompass the entire cosmos.
4. I like this one. One of the many things that needs to go is the hierarchy because Christians are all clergy so there is no need for religious professionals in the church.
5. The institution of Church needs to die. Organised religion is evil. Jesus did not intend to start a religion but a community who would stand up for the oppressed, the poor, gender equality, the LGBTQ community, against violence and injustice.
6. Modernity is the problem as well with it wanting to increase efficiency, demonising nature, emphasising patriarchy, and a certainty that progress will cure all ills just to name a few.
Within us all is the knowledge that Christ is both LORD and GOD. There is no getting around this truth. The rebel though is one who suppresses this truth in the attempt to not become convicted by their actions which their own conscience screams is wrong. This of its self will drive one to insanity!
But there is hope... Imagine waking up one day to know that Christ has forgiven you and that you have been declared righteous by the One who took upon Himself your sins on the cross of Calvary so that you could truly live...
When GOD looks at the cross He sees you, and when GOD looks at you He sees Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is the greates passage in all of Scripture.
It's worth noting that agnosticism and theism/atheism are not mutually exclusive positions.
That is, one is either: a gnostic theist, an agnostic theist, an agnostic atheist or a gnostic atheist.
Most self-defined atheists are agnostic atheists, like myself. They don't claim to know that no gods exist, but they don't have a positive belief that they do.
No logical progression of thought.
"You must be an intellectual. No ordinary man could be so stupid."