Friday, September 12, 2014
Things you can do with your money instead of tithing
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
-Malachi 3:8-9
I used to hear this scripture every Sunday before the congregation would erupt into cheering that god allowed them to keep 90% of the money they earned.
Although I don't understand why god needs money if:
The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
-Psalm 24:1
Maybe he has to pay the light bill...nevertheless I have another list.
Things you can do with your money instead of tithing:
1. Get that gym membership you've been wanting
2. Hire a personal trainer
3. Keep it in your pocket
4. Spa day
5. Have an extra beauty shop appointment
6. Purchase tickets to an event you've been wanting to go to
7. Invest in the stock market
8. Go shopping
9. Put it in a high interest bearing savings account
10. Retirement fund
11. Kids college fund
12. Pay off debt
13. Take a vacation
Bonus example: If a person earns $4000 a month, their monthly tithe would equal $400. The extra $400 dollars a month would equal $4800 by the end of the year. Imagine what you could do with an 4800 extra dollars a year.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Post Christianity Transformation Pt.1 Physical
Upon evolving beyond Christianity, god concepts, eventually into atheism, I also underwent a physical transformation. I was 35, overweight, and not motivated to workout. As I started to challenge all the various sacred ideas in my mind, I also decided to commit to working out regularly.
Some people speak of glory days, when they were in the peak shape of their lives, wishing they could go back. I had no such glory days to reminisce about. I wanted to totally transform my life, and no longer be conformed to the world of christianity and mediocrity. I knew I belonged in the world of excellence. Since I believe I have a excellent mind, I should also have an excellent body to match.
It's amazing how the looming eventuality of permanent expiration pushed me to challenge myself in every way. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, but my time here is running out.
The first I did was change my diet. Evolving past Christianity changed the way I related to everything. I discovered that I was really bothered by the way food is processed in the United States. I started to feel really bad about the treatment of animals that would eventually make it to my dinner table. I obtained a moral conscience with regards to domestic animals. These animals were born to die and the quality of life they had wasn't the best. This lead me to look into becoming a vegan.
I maintained the vegan lifestyle for six months, sometimes "backsliding"by eating cheese or butter. At this point I was regularly hitting the gym, but I had to eat so much food to sustain me. There is only so much veggies, grains, and protein powers a person can consume. I was getting in shape, working out(strength training and cardio), but I could not get my weight to come down. I was getting healthier, but I wanted to look healthier.
So after six months, I reintroduced meat to my diet, however, I opted for locally sourced grain fed beef and free range chickens, whenever possible. At minimum, I started fazing processed foods out of my diet. I also began to intensify my workout. This combination, along with getting enough sleep, helped me to get my weight down to my high school size, except this time, I was in great physical shape.
Back in May, I took a stab at running outside. I would use the arc trainer at the gym or reluctantly use the treadmill when the arc trainer was occupied. My indoor cardio workout got stale and that's what lead me to running.
I run about 12 miles a week and I love it. I continue to do strength training and I have gotten considerably stronger.
As my body began to change, I also started to change how I dress because I don't have to hide my body behind baggy and oversized clothing. I began to purchase clothing that flatters my body type. I also began to experiment with different colognes and discovered what fragrances suit my body chemistry I used to dress somewhat frumpy, but now I am known as the man who just stepped out of a GQ magazine.
The moral of this essay is I evolved past god and started to truly live. I have found that there is truly life before death.
Some people speak of glory days, when they were in the peak shape of their lives, wishing they could go back. I had no such glory days to reminisce about. I wanted to totally transform my life, and no longer be conformed to the world of christianity and mediocrity. I knew I belonged in the world of excellence. Since I believe I have a excellent mind, I should also have an excellent body to match.
It's amazing how the looming eventuality of permanent expiration pushed me to challenge myself in every way. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, but my time here is running out.
The first I did was change my diet. Evolving past Christianity changed the way I related to everything. I discovered that I was really bothered by the way food is processed in the United States. I started to feel really bad about the treatment of animals that would eventually make it to my dinner table. I obtained a moral conscience with regards to domestic animals. These animals were born to die and the quality of life they had wasn't the best. This lead me to look into becoming a vegan.
I maintained the vegan lifestyle for six months, sometimes "backsliding"by eating cheese or butter. At this point I was regularly hitting the gym, but I had to eat so much food to sustain me. There is only so much veggies, grains, and protein powers a person can consume. I was getting in shape, working out(strength training and cardio), but I could not get my weight to come down. I was getting healthier, but I wanted to look healthier.
So after six months, I reintroduced meat to my diet, however, I opted for locally sourced grain fed beef and free range chickens, whenever possible. At minimum, I started fazing processed foods out of my diet. I also began to intensify my workout. This combination, along with getting enough sleep, helped me to get my weight down to my high school size, except this time, I was in great physical shape.
Back in May, I took a stab at running outside. I would use the arc trainer at the gym or reluctantly use the treadmill when the arc trainer was occupied. My indoor cardio workout got stale and that's what lead me to running.
I run about 12 miles a week and I love it. I continue to do strength training and I have gotten considerably stronger.
As my body began to change, I also started to change how I dress because I don't have to hide my body behind baggy and oversized clothing. I began to purchase clothing that flatters my body type. I also began to experiment with different colognes and discovered what fragrances suit my body chemistry I used to dress somewhat frumpy, but now I am known as the man who just stepped out of a GQ magazine.
The moral of this essay is I evolved past god and started to truly live. I have found that there is truly life before death.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Things that have a better track record than the gods
People assume that I live my life completely devoid of faith due to my atheist identification. Nothing could be further from the truth. As I stated in another post found here:
http://bit.ly/1u99CYy
I believe in many things. I only lack faith in the supernatural including gods.
Here are things to put your faith in that have a better track record than the gods:
1. that your job will pay you on pay day
2. that your car will start in the morning(if you own a car)
3. that things in your home will be where you left them
4. that the sun will come up in the morning
5. that people are born and die every day
6. that chain restaurant food will taste the same wherever you go
7. that the NFL will play games Sunday
8. that politicians will approve their messages during the campaign season
9. that someone is having sex right now
10. have faith in yourself
The beautiful thing about being an atheist is that I only speak for myself. If another atheist behaves badly, I don't have to speak about it or explain anything.
For example: We are all Americans(or insert your nation here); If a person commits a crime in Omaha, NE(Nebraska), I have no responsibility in explaining or addressing it.
The only thing I and the person who committed the crime have in common is that we are both Americans. Atheists cannot be lumped together because the only thing we share is a lack of belief in gods.
http://bit.ly/1u99CYy
I believe in many things. I only lack faith in the supernatural including gods.
Here are things to put your faith in that have a better track record than the gods:
1. that your job will pay you on pay day
2. that your car will start in the morning(if you own a car)
3. that things in your home will be where you left them
4. that the sun will come up in the morning
5. that people are born and die every day
6. that chain restaurant food will taste the same wherever you go
7. that the NFL will play games Sunday
8. that politicians will approve their messages during the campaign season
9. that someone is having sex right now
10. have faith in yourself
The beautiful thing about being an atheist is that I only speak for myself. If another atheist behaves badly, I don't have to speak about it or explain anything.
For example: We are all Americans(or insert your nation here); If a person commits a crime in Omaha, NE(Nebraska), I have no responsibility in explaining or addressing it.
The only thing I and the person who committed the crime have in common is that we are both Americans. Atheists cannot be lumped together because the only thing we share is a lack of belief in gods.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Christian by Chance
As many before have stated, a person's religious beliefs are partly based on location. In other words, where a person lives plays a significant role in what they believe. For example, if a person grows up in Saudi Arabia, chances are they will practice Islam. If another person grows up in Tibet, chances are they will practice Buddhism.
These two general examples deal with people living in relatively homogenous cultures. Even if you consider a heterogenous country like the United States, the dominant religious culture affects all area of life in this country. People from different backgrounds have to assimilate into the cultural norms of America.
My life began in Detroit, MI, a very religious area with churches all over the city. My parents were Christian and thus "trained me up in the way that I should go." That means my goal was to accept
christ as my personal savior, join the christian band and fight on the battlefield for my lord.
Christianity is a belief system that prides itself on giving people a choice. "Choose ye this day, whom you will serve." When I begin to think about choice, what choice did my ancestors have with regards to Christianity?
I am descended from people who were brought to the future United States against their will. My ancestors probably worshiped the West African gods of the Yoruba. I will never know for sure because that history no longer exists due to the brutality of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade and the total disregard of the humanity of my African forebears. These people, stripped of their language, culture, and identity, no longer had a place to call home.
Growing up I really didn't have a choice with regards to Christianity. As a man, I now have the choice to walk away from a belief that no longer fits my outlook on life.
These two general examples deal with people living in relatively homogenous cultures. Even if you consider a heterogenous country like the United States, the dominant religious culture affects all area of life in this country. People from different backgrounds have to assimilate into the cultural norms of America.
My life began in Detroit, MI, a very religious area with churches all over the city. My parents were Christian and thus "trained me up in the way that I should go." That means my goal was to accept
christ as my personal savior, join the christian band and fight on the battlefield for my lord.
Christianity is a belief system that prides itself on giving people a choice. "Choose ye this day, whom you will serve." When I begin to think about choice, what choice did my ancestors have with regards to Christianity?
I am descended from people who were brought to the future United States against their will. My ancestors probably worshiped the West African gods of the Yoruba. I will never know for sure because that history no longer exists due to the brutality of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade and the total disregard of the humanity of my African forebears. These people, stripped of their language, culture, and identity, no longer had a place to call home.
Growing up I really didn't have a choice with regards to Christianity. As a man, I now have the choice to walk away from a belief that no longer fits my outlook on life.
Monday, September 8, 2014
My Phoenix Saga
September 1st 2009:
I recently returned to MI after living a year in the South. I just got a gig teaching social studies, returning me to the classroom after a long hiatus. I was still dealing with the pain of my marriage ending in divorce a year earlier. I believed that my life, quite ragged and messy, needed to undergo a radical change. I looked in the mirror and did not like the reflection. I knew what had to be done.
I put my entire life under the proverbial microscope and realized that I carried around lots of things, ideas, that did not belong to me. I had various levels of programming that I finally began to see within myself. I did not want to keep that programming intact, ergo I decided to destroy myself and start over again. In other words, I started the process of recreating myself.
Like the story of the phoenix bird that crashed into its nest, completely engulfed in flames, only to be reborn anew, that became my ultimate goal: A total rebirth.
In order to do this I had to bring all of my beliefs into question. I began to reanalyze the hidden motivation behind ideas and thoughts that I held dear. I questioned my ideas about politics, religion, family, career, relationships, finances, fitness, and many other things.
This process, albeit quite difficult and draining, allowed me to see the truth about myself. I severely underachieved in my life because I wanted to conform to what others perceived about me. I was a yes man, doing things to make others happy, but sacrificing my internal voice in the process. The "me" that I dreamed about possessed great strength of character, integrity, and charisma. At times, I would show flashes of that in my life, but I would not have the psychological strength to maintain it. I would go back to my status quo.
In order to live as the man who had great strength of character, integrity, and charisma, I had to clean out my psyche of old ideas and motivations. By doing this, I made room for new goals and dreams to pursue.
A few major things happened, my political philosophies changed because I found ideas that truly fit me. Also my ideas about family, career, relationships, finances and fitness changed. The biggest change came with regards to my faith.
As I have stated before, my whole identity was tied into my Christian faith. People knew me as the scholarly and passionate believer in Jesus. I recognized that I did not get much return on investment for all those years I gave to Christianity. As a result of this process, I abandoned my Christian identity, leaving it on the bookshelf of my past. I discovered that the path of non belief worked better for me.
Five years and a whole lot of growth later, I find myself finally speaking out for reason and skepticism. I also find myself using the time I have on earth to make a positive difference in society.
I recently returned to MI after living a year in the South. I just got a gig teaching social studies, returning me to the classroom after a long hiatus. I was still dealing with the pain of my marriage ending in divorce a year earlier. I believed that my life, quite ragged and messy, needed to undergo a radical change. I looked in the mirror and did not like the reflection. I knew what had to be done.
I put my entire life under the proverbial microscope and realized that I carried around lots of things, ideas, that did not belong to me. I had various levels of programming that I finally began to see within myself. I did not want to keep that programming intact, ergo I decided to destroy myself and start over again. In other words, I started the process of recreating myself.
Like the story of the phoenix bird that crashed into its nest, completely engulfed in flames, only to be reborn anew, that became my ultimate goal: A total rebirth.
In order to do this I had to bring all of my beliefs into question. I began to reanalyze the hidden motivation behind ideas and thoughts that I held dear. I questioned my ideas about politics, religion, family, career, relationships, finances, fitness, and many other things.
This process, albeit quite difficult and draining, allowed me to see the truth about myself. I severely underachieved in my life because I wanted to conform to what others perceived about me. I was a yes man, doing things to make others happy, but sacrificing my internal voice in the process. The "me" that I dreamed about possessed great strength of character, integrity, and charisma. At times, I would show flashes of that in my life, but I would not have the psychological strength to maintain it. I would go back to my status quo.
In order to live as the man who had great strength of character, integrity, and charisma, I had to clean out my psyche of old ideas and motivations. By doing this, I made room for new goals and dreams to pursue.
A few major things happened, my political philosophies changed because I found ideas that truly fit me. Also my ideas about family, career, relationships, finances and fitness changed. The biggest change came with regards to my faith.
As I have stated before, my whole identity was tied into my Christian faith. People knew me as the scholarly and passionate believer in Jesus. I recognized that I did not get much return on investment for all those years I gave to Christianity. As a result of this process, I abandoned my Christian identity, leaving it on the bookshelf of my past. I discovered that the path of non belief worked better for me.
Five years and a whole lot of growth later, I find myself finally speaking out for reason and skepticism. I also find myself using the time I have on earth to make a positive difference in society.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Christian fallacies: Pt.1 Original Sin
All humans born into the world have a fleshly, lower, demonic, sin nature. Only through the accepting Jesus into one's heart as Lord and savior does a person have the ability to overcome this tragic nature.
The sin of the first man Adam brought this curse upon humanity, due to disobeying the command of God. At least that's how Christians see it.
Islam and Judaism have different takes on this story. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on the Christian interpretation.
Before I can get to this original sin chicanery, I need to explain Christian Cosmology:
Here are some verses you can look up and read to help frame the story below
All verses from King James Version:
Genesis 1:1-4, 16
Isaiah 14:12-15
Ezekiel 28:12-16
Revelation 12:3-4a, 7-9
1. There was God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the triple god existing beyond space and time. God always was: The almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent being
2. At some point, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created space and time.
3. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created the angels and heavenly hosts. Out of all of these countless beings he created, he gave names to only three, Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer(another triplicate).
4. Unlike the other infinite nameless angels created, these three have their own identity, role, and personality.(Michael-warrior, Gabriel-messenger, Lucifer-musician)
5. At some point Lucifer got jealous of the angels and heavenly hosts praising God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Lucifer though he should be getting praise, too!
6. So Lucifer got 1/3 of the hosts of heaven to side wide him, and overthrow God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
7. There was a war in heaven, Lucifer and the 1/3 of angels that sided with him lost. They were cast down to the earth, or was it that they were put into Hell. I suppose at some point, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit made Hell.
8. After this, Genesis begins: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...
Note: If you read the first chapter of Genesis, it says nothing about the creation of angels or heavenly hosts. Neither does any of the bible discuss when angels and heavenly hosts got created. Nor does it say that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were present. The Spirit of the Lord is equated to be the Holy Spirit in later Christian theology and Jesus is nowhere to be found.
9. Eventually God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created man and woman.
10. He placed them in a garden and told Adam that they could eat anything in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
11. Adam vanishes and a talking serpent(retrofitted to be Lucifer, now called Satan) convinced the woman(Eve, she didn't have a name yet) to eat a piece of fruit off of the tree of knowledge of god and evil.
12. She ate a piece and gave some to Adam. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit got upset. They cursed Adam, the woman, the serpent, and kicked them out of the garden.
13. After cursing everyone in the garden, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit put two angels with flaming swords at the entrance of the garden to make sure that Adam and the woman could not go back in and eat of the tree of life and live forever.
Here are a few more key verses to help frame the story above:
Genesis 1:11-12, 26-29
Genesis 2:9,15-18, 21-24
Genesis 3:1-6,12-16, 22-24
Note: Genesis 1:29
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.(emphasis added)
If God gave Adam every tree to eat from in this verse above, why did he lie about it in the following chapter?
Note: Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:(emphasis added)
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.(emphasis added)
So where did good and evil originate? They originated together on a tree in a garden that God created.
Bonus: Isaiah 45:7
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.(emphasis added)
Note: Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
God created the serpent, thought to be Satan in disguise. He left Adam in a bind with a contradictory command that would lead to punishment for his creation. Plus, the serpent could talk! How about that!
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (emphasis added)
If God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the triplicate god, where did these other gods that the serpent apparently knew about come from? In many cultures around the world, the serpent represents divine knowledge and a serpent eating its tail, the ouroboros, represents infinite knowledge.
Note Genesis 3:22
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Again, where did evil come from, please see Isaiah 45:7 above.
I guess God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit needed to eat from the tree of life to maintain their immortality. Wow !
This is just a story, but this false and dangerous concept has damaged countless numbers of people throughout history. People are not born evil or in sin, folk are just born. It is up to a person to make good on the life that they were given. My responsibility is to combat these wicked theological concepts and help people think for themselves. If I could get out of the fundamentalist christian matrix, anyone can, if they want to.
The sin of the first man Adam brought this curse upon humanity, due to disobeying the command of God. At least that's how Christians see it.
Islam and Judaism have different takes on this story. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on the Christian interpretation.
Before I can get to this original sin chicanery, I need to explain Christian Cosmology:
Here are some verses you can look up and read to help frame the story below
All verses from King James Version:
Genesis 1:1-4, 16
Isaiah 14:12-15
Ezekiel 28:12-16
Revelation 12:3-4a, 7-9
1. There was God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the triple god existing beyond space and time. God always was: The almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent being
2. At some point, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created space and time.
3. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created the angels and heavenly hosts. Out of all of these countless beings he created, he gave names to only three, Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer(another triplicate).
4. Unlike the other infinite nameless angels created, these three have their own identity, role, and personality.(Michael-warrior, Gabriel-messenger, Lucifer-musician)
5. At some point Lucifer got jealous of the angels and heavenly hosts praising God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Lucifer though he should be getting praise, too!
6. So Lucifer got 1/3 of the hosts of heaven to side wide him, and overthrow God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
7. There was a war in heaven, Lucifer and the 1/3 of angels that sided with him lost. They were cast down to the earth, or was it that they were put into Hell. I suppose at some point, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit made Hell.
8. After this, Genesis begins: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...
Note: If you read the first chapter of Genesis, it says nothing about the creation of angels or heavenly hosts. Neither does any of the bible discuss when angels and heavenly hosts got created. Nor does it say that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were present. The Spirit of the Lord is equated to be the Holy Spirit in later Christian theology and Jesus is nowhere to be found.
Now the original sin beginnings:
9. Eventually God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created man and woman.
10. He placed them in a garden and told Adam that they could eat anything in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
11. Adam vanishes and a talking serpent(retrofitted to be Lucifer, now called Satan) convinced the woman(Eve, she didn't have a name yet) to eat a piece of fruit off of the tree of knowledge of god and evil.
12. She ate a piece and gave some to Adam. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit got upset. They cursed Adam, the woman, the serpent, and kicked them out of the garden.
13. After cursing everyone in the garden, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit put two angels with flaming swords at the entrance of the garden to make sure that Adam and the woman could not go back in and eat of the tree of life and live forever.
Here are a few more key verses to help frame the story above:
Genesis 1:11-12, 26-29
Genesis 2:9,15-18, 21-24
Genesis 3:1-6,12-16, 22-24
Note: Genesis 1:29
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.(emphasis added)
If God gave Adam every tree to eat from in this verse above, why did he lie about it in the following chapter?
Note: Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:(emphasis added)
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.(emphasis added)
So where did good and evil originate? They originated together on a tree in a garden that God created.
Bonus: Isaiah 45:7
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.(emphasis added)
Note: Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
God created the serpent, thought to be Satan in disguise. He left Adam in a bind with a contradictory command that would lead to punishment for his creation. Plus, the serpent could talk! How about that!
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (emphasis added)
If God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the triplicate god, where did these other gods that the serpent apparently knew about come from? In many cultures around the world, the serpent represents divine knowledge and a serpent eating its tail, the ouroboros, represents infinite knowledge.
Note Genesis 3:22
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Again, where did evil come from, please see Isaiah 45:7 above.
I guess God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit needed to eat from the tree of life to maintain their immortality. Wow !
This is just a story, but this false and dangerous concept has damaged countless numbers of people throughout history. People are not born evil or in sin, folk are just born. It is up to a person to make good on the life that they were given. My responsibility is to combat these wicked theological concepts and help people think for themselves. If I could get out of the fundamentalist christian matrix, anyone can, if they want to.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Can a person be good without god?
Can a person be good/righteous/altruistic/caring/kind without god? I answer with an emphatic"Yes!"
Theists, especially Christians espouse that people need god in order to be good/righteous/altruistic/caring/kind because humanity exists in a fallen state and only god can lift humanity out of its low place. They take goodness out of the natural world and place it in the spiritual world, thereby making goodness something that only god can measure. They believe that the human heart, full of wickedness and deceit, corrupts any innate goodness a person may have. Only through Jesus can a person overcome this wretched state of being.
This idea of the darkness of the human heart ties into the philosophy of original sin, first made popular by the 5th Century Christian theologian, Augustine. I will cover original sin in another post.
Even when Christians secede that one can be good without god, they retreat to this defense: "But good people, who are unsaved go to Hell everyday. It's not enough to be good, you need Jesus!" If a person needs Jesus to be kind, loving, and good, then their goodness should be questioned.
Christians also hide behind this defense: What is a person's motivation for doing good? If they are doing good for any other reason than glorifying god, their good deed is empty, vain. They also say it this way, Only what you do for Christ will last, everything else you do will fade away. As if the actions of a Christian will last eternally, what arrogance! Once again, Christians purport to know the motivation behind someones actions.
For those who don't know, altruism exists within the animal and humanity evolved to practice being good to each other. Of course, the sphere of who people exhibit goodness to expanded over the millennium. Originally it probably started with family, then tribal, then national, now internationally. Naturally, many other variables exist when it comes to how a person determine when to use their goodness.
However the question focuses on if goodness is possible without a need for a god to facilitate this process. Again I say,"Yes!"
Here are 10 ways a person can be good without god:
1. Volunteering for a cause that one is passionate about
2. Mentoring
3. Living with integrity
4. Speaking out against injustice
5. Not being wasteful with money, objects, actions, or time
6. Doing the best at whatever opportunities present themselves
7. Being true to the values that one holds
8. Practicing kindness every day
9. Looking at situations from another perspective in order to foster open dialogue
10. Live and love with passion and purpose
I live to be a benefit to others and I work each day to make the part of the world I live in a better place. If I can help one person through my life or my writing to be a better individual, then my living is not in vain.
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