Social Boundaries as Dictated by You, for Society

tba

I don’t believe in a god, I would love if there was an all powerful deity that could whisk me away when I die and judge or love me based on my life’s works, it would give me an idea what to expect and remove doubt. But the more I think about it the less I think its possible, as soon as I decided to start thinking for myself instead of inheriting my families, beliefs I began to question, and as such dismiss the concept of a God.

God was defined as an all-powerful force, the buck stopped at its doorstep, he or she was the reason to live and die. However "free" from these pointed levels of acceptance as passed down from above I had in reality only myself to answer to in the end. There could be no final judgement if there was no God, no eternal damnation in the fiery pits of oblivion. I was my own spiritual boss.

Yet I could not go on a spree of theft murder and arson, I could not break the shackles of my previous canon; it had instilled in me a sense or right and wrong. Empathy for my fellow man still filled my thoughts and controlled my actions, keeping me on a path of socially decreed norms. In the past these norms may well have evolved from a religious doctrine but they are an acceptable level that you expect others to behave towards you, hence the saying “do on to others…”

So with no all seeing eye above I chose to live my life in a manner that I would have other treat me in, without fear of punishment if I don’t, this course of action is based on my own self will and by proxy dictated by society as a whole. But society can be escaped from, its reach avoided.

Those amongst us who would call me godless should remember that those who need the presence of gods to conduct themselves in manner befitting mankind don’t deserve to have a god.

Asiaprod

tba wrote:

I don’t believe in a god, I would love if there was an all..........

Wow, but what exactly are you trying to say?

tba

I suppose that Im trying to establish that even if a god existed would we allow his dictation in how we run our lives or would we set our own rules?

Schuhart

tba wrote:

Those amongst us who would call me godless should remember that those who need the presence of gods to conduct themselves in manner befitting mankind don’t deserve to have a god.

What’s wrong with being called godless if we are, well, godless?

Also, if people who need a god to live decent lives don’t deserve one, does this mean that people who lead decent lives without a god do deserve one? If so, where do they cash in their deity points?

tba wrote:

I suppose that Im trying to establish that even if a god existed would we allow his dictation in how we run our lives or would we set our own rules?

What you may be getting at is, if there was a god and that god actually took an interest in human affairs to the extent to suggesting good ways to lead our lives, would we listen to him.

I’d suggest that if the penalty for not listening was an eternity of devils poking you with sticks, we probably would. Otherwise, if this god was either not offering any eternal options whatsoever or offering eternal paradise with forty virgins/apples to everyone regardless of what they had done, we probably would not.

Zillah

Your brain defaulted to lifeplan Beta. Alpha is religious doctrine. Welcome to the realm of genetically predisposed behavioural archetypes.

tba

Schuhart wrote:

What’s wrong with being called godless if we are, well, godless?

Also, if people who need a god to live decent lives don’t deserve one, does this mean that people who lead decent lives without a god do deserve one? If so, where do they cash in their deity points?

Thats the thing we don't get deity points, even if are morally strong, does that mean that people who use the rules as laid out by their religion as a moral crutch deserve to cash in their points are are they simply following a book or code.

Its a tricky subject, I don't want to insult anybody who follows their gods will, but let me put it this way.

If a man says be good to your neighbour because God demands it, and another says be good because you demand it, which is the better person?

tba

Zillah wrote:

Your brain defaulted to lifeplan Beta. Alpha is religious doctrine. Welcome to the realm of genetically predisposed behavioural archetypes.

But in that vein our predisposition is curbed by social/religious norms, surely the fear of man can be overcome and our only bedrock is our moral belief in ourselves?

Tar.Aldarion

Well I am good because I demand it of myself. Do you believe that you only believe in right or wrong, and that particular right and wrong, because of your religious and social upbriging?
It may be evolutionary pychology helping you to survive or anything.
Hmm, where am I going with this, I don't know, I'm late for work...

condra

I think human nature is "good". Its how we evolved. We humans wouldnt be so successfull if we constantly f**ked each other over.