I just try to be a good person. I guess that's my religion. No sense trying to complicate things.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

*My reply to Gram's comment "You're such a good person, but I don't see how you can be that way without the Lord for guidance."

[Gore1FL]

1. We all sort of are the way we are "without the Lord for guidance."

I find it amazing that some people feel the threat of damnation necessary to do and be good.

[Goblinmonger]

2. Actually kind of makes me wonder/worry about them.

If it weren't for the threat of hell, what would they be doing?

[Gore1FL]

4. Considering what they do with such a threat...

...that is indeed a wonder and a worry.

[SecularMotion]

14. Yes, considering that many of them spend their entire lives looking for loopholes

I shudder at thought of what they would do with free rein.

[amuse bouche]

15. Yes, if you have to be scared into being a decent person

that says a lot about one's true character

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. It's never made sense to me

I do good, because I want to feel good about myself, inside. If I 'sin' and just ask for forgiveness.. well I still feel dirty and ashamed (as I should). So why bother doing wrong in the first place?

[RebelOne]

5. The only quote I ever use from the bible is

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" Matthew 7:12). I try to live by that.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity

Global ethic

The "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic"[28] from the Parliament of the World’s Religions[29][30] (1993) proclaimed the Golden Rule ("We must treat others as we wish others to treat us&quot as the common principle for many religions.[31] The Initial Declaration was signed by 143 respected leaders from all of the world's major faiths, including Baha'i Faith, Brahmanism, Brahma Kumaris, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Indigenous, Interfaith, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native American, Neo-Pagan, Sikhism, Taoism, Theosophist, Unitarian Universalist and Zoroastrian.[31][32] In the folklore of several cultures{31} the Golden Rule is depicted by the allegory of the long spoons.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule

[Rob H.]

9. Thanks for posting that link

Lots of good stuff there.

[Lordquinton]

16. Stop taking that out of context

[Viva_La_Revolution]

18. huh?

[Lordquinton]

20. bad joke

That's the response I always get when using a Bible verse to explain something in the bible, the paying taxes and killing babies is all "out of context" but anything they say is a direct word of god.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

21. ah

not that bad, now that I get it.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Your grandmother's opinion is all too common

among believers. Those of us who do not believe understand exactly what you are talking about.

And isn't it strange that atheists are persecuted and looked down upon, while the people who think that they need some divine guidance to be good are the shining examples of goodness?

[backscatter712]

8. A more formal description of that ethic could be Humanism.

No need of deities, just promotion of human values, concerns and dignity. The Golden Rule or similar ethics comes naturally.

[Odin2005]

10. My motto is "Don't be an asshole".

[Zoeisright]

11. Morality has its roots in evolution.

The only way early humans could advance was to band together. And that meant treating each other pretty well. So morality has actually evolved along with humans and society.

As an offshoot, the people I know who flaunt their Christianity are the most rude, selfish, and immoral people I know. And I went to parochial school for six years. Those little brats made my life a living hell, then they sat in church on Sunday and figured they could do and say whatever they wanted the rest of the week.

[progressoid]

12. It's such a struggle for us to keep from going on a murderous rampage without the guidance of gawd.

[dimbear]

13. Gram is being perfectly honest, too. She absolutely can't understand it.

I have a sneaking suspicion we're related somehow, since she's in my family too.

[Arugula Latte]

17. That Lord knows His right from wrong, I'll say that!

Well, you know, there is the small matter of him smiting innocents, slaughtering children, and bringing disease and pestilence, but pay no attention to those minor details ...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. He's mean.

it's hard to revere that.