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Atamolos — Why do atheists help people?
Published: 2014-02-15 04:41:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 2299; Favourites: 60; Downloads: 14
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I hear this, "what point is there in helping people if you don't believe in a god" argument a lot, and quite frankly, I find it to be both idiotic and insulting.
In fact, I find the religious belief (I acknowledge that not all theists believe this) that there has to be an eternal reward at the end for you to have any drive to help people is incredibly selfish. I believe the purpose of life is to help create a better world for future generations, not to earn some afterlife, but because I don't want to squander my own brief existence doing nothing to help other people.
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Comments: 28
If you've ever looked at someone and said/thought "I'm an Atheist, but you need Jesus", congrats. You've figured out the true purpose of Religion.
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Morality is doing what is right, no matter you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.
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Damn, that's a pretty good quote right there! I'll have to use it sometime.
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I use it all the time when ignorant people ask me stupid questions - so feel free to use it! It will probably come in handy more often than you think. ^-^
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I help people when I see a potential need and I have the time/ability to help. The more pressing and immediate the need, the more I am willing to change my plans or put more effort in to help them. I have no more reason than "Because I could."
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Since I've been studying world religions, I can feel confident saying this: Basically the only major religion that gets you into heaven is Hinduism. Here's a list of religions and how you get into heaven/ reach enlightenment
Hinduism: there are four ways to get Moksha in Hinduism 1: do good deeds (this has to be spontaneous, not 'oh look if I help this person I can get closer to Moksha') 2: intense study of the natural world 3: devouteness to a particular god 4: Yoga, or 'Yoking'
Buddhism: Give up earthly desires and all want.
Judaism: While I'm unsure for non-Hebrews, I know Hebrews go into heaven for being a 'beacon upon the world', an example to everyone (May I add, being the beacon sucks)
Christianity: By just accepting god, you're going to heaven BUT if you have truly accepted god, you would be doing nothing but good deeds
Islam: So far, my teacher hasn't told me yet, I've just read it in my textbook, but I think it's something along the lines of God already knows (and possibly controls) what you do, so basically born either going to heaven or hell)
knowing this, I can tell you there is a lot less Christians then claimed.
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"knowing this, I can tell you there is a lot less Christians then claimed."
Thank you! Somebody actually gets it!
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admittedly, I'm probably one of those who claim is christian but officially isn't
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That's okay. Your admittance makes you wiser than most.
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For Pastafarians:
Get rid of all your moral standards. Pastafarians enjoy grog, wenches, and anything that can get you a day off of work.
If you choose to pray, end all your prayers with Ramen.
Learn and celebrate all the holidays in our religion. The most basic are every Friday (Our Sabbath), and Talk Like a Pirate Day (on September 19th).
Keep The Eight "I'd Really Rather You Didn'ts" .
Then you get into Heaven which has a beer volcano and a stripper factory.
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Helping people feels good. Whenever I stop to help somebody I don't even know, I get a natural high- I feel great because I made a difference. Why shouldn't I help people, that's the better question.
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I'm an atheist and have spent over 12 years helping people with special and complex educational and learning needs as well as young people who are 'disengaged' with so called mainstream society.
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Life's not too bad, sill trying to get over a bit of ill health, but on the mend. I liked your replies to some of the critics of your post. Helping people to improve their quality of life is the important point. Some believers, not all, will only help people of their own 'faith'. A lot of people with mental health issues are being persuaded to do voluntary work for various churches in my town. These are vulnerable people, often with Bi-Polar Disorder who become even more confused and find their condition(s) deteriorate even further. There is also a programme for class A drug addicts to help with voluntary work at churches to help them 're-integrate' into society (along with Methadone Replacement Therapy, which is clearly not working and costing Scotland over £15 million per year). Both the Government and the Church don't seem to realise, that in most cases, the addicts are just taking the piss to keep their benefits and the DWP off their backs. And that a church is almost the perfect place to meet other drug users and conduct drug related transactions. The majority of Scots are drifting away from the 'Church' and the church of Scotland is desperate to add to their dwindling congregations. They are closing and demolishing a large number of churches and selling the land for private, middle class housing development. The CoS has millions invested in various businesses of dubious moral and ethical standards and to a large extent do little or nothing to help the poor and underprivileged. Most, but not all, 'believers' are either hypocrites or extremely naïve and looking for a 'reward' after they are dead.
Keep on with the posts. Hope you are good.
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I haven't seen atheist do much to help people they certainly spend a lot of time bitching about things but not doing shit is like a penchant for you.
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Judging people on their actual lives based note Internet isn't really an effective way to categorize groups.
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Actually I was thinking amount of time spent on youtube vs amount of time spent in the real world. Its basically the same argument I make about the social lives of creationists on youtube
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A lot of atheists on YouTube use it to host fundraisers to help with, for example: the Gulf of Mexico oil spill a few years back.
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My church group raised money for that too, but still you have to do the math when it comes to these guys on line with channels and their lives
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Many religious people help people for just to help people too.
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I'm aware. I'm not excluding theists from being generous and charitable. This is really just an answer to the idiotic question of: "What do atheists have to live for if you don't believe in god?"
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Exactly! It's sorta like, "Atheists are moral-less because they have no god."
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Then you make a very valid point. Indeed you being religious and being a good person are not the same concept at all.
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Very True. Pity more people did not accept your argument.
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