How is it that some atheists are good people?

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Science had/has Newtonian Physics as a model which was/is very useful until something came along to better explain the "universe".
If something better comes along that will change my outlook on life, I will change my thinking.
Look at my signature: "Give me a better argument and I will listen."

So far you haven't given me a better intellectual concept, hence my not budging from my position. <shrug>
You better get a wriggle on.
I'm not getting any younger.



Let us assume my reasoning was faulty.
This is irrelevant in the sense that I truely "believe" in the non-existence of a "conscious god" which created the life system.

Perhaps I am a silly billy,
But I am a silly billy who most definitely is an Atheist.

I have - agnosticism, admitting that you do not know. It's intellectually consistent, requires no faith and is perfectly rational. Atheism is none of these things.



I've already explained why it is.



Then I assume, in good faith, you will never again claim you reached the position through "reason" or for that matter claim the title of "thinker".

Alot can change in 2000 years

Samaritans still exist but in very small number: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritans

The relationship between them and the Jews at times of Jesus was probably comparable to relationship between Catholics and Protestants in some parts of European history.

Atheists can be just as good as Theists, even though they believe in one less god.

How is it that some atheists are good people?

Empathy

The question really should be:

"How Is It That Some Calvinists Are Good People?"----because Calvinism preaches that no good deed will land you in heaven.

Select people are, apparently, "blessed' from birth, and will land in heaven no matter how they conduct their lives subsequently.

There is no reward, apparently, for "good deeds."

Can a Misotheist be a good person?

Atheism and theism are the ends of a scale that does not include agnosticism. It's possible to be an agnoctic atheist (in fact, most seem to be) and an agnostic theist.

I describe myself as an atheist because I have no reason to believe a "god" exists much like I have no reason to believe there is currently an invisible unicorn hiding in my closet.

I fully acknowledge the limitations of my knowledge, and I believe that I would be able to comprehend a "god" about as well as the bacteria in my intestine could comprehend ME.

I don't begrudge people their religion providing they don't demand I live in accordance within their religious tenets.

What if we are nothing more than a pimple on God's buttcheek, just waiting to be popped?

All snarky cynicism put aside, I really don't "hate god". But sometimes I feel like he's very cruel. Or maybe it's really his followers who have a tendency to be cruel?

While I've enjoyed derailing the thread with Pepe, a more pertinent question that needs answering before tackling the actual topic is how do you decide what is "good".

People argue that "good" and "evil" are subjective, but I think there are certain lines we humans should not be allowed to cross in any society like murder, torture, stealing (unless stealing for survival) and rape.

I think good and evil is really as simple as the intent of the individual. You can do the right thing for somebody else because you genuinenly care about them and still come across as being cruel in doing so. But if you're brutally raping a 4 year old child while setting their mother on fire and forcing them to watch that seems pretty "evil" to me.

I would rather hire a few sincere and hard-working atheists than even one insincere slacker theist of any religion.

Here's one simple way for everyone to look at "good and evil".

Somebody wishes to help you - they are being "good"

Somebody wishes to harm you - they are being "evil".

Sometimes people do harmful things without realizing they are being evil. Because humans are always so sure they are right and everyone else is wrong.

And sometimes people shift from good intentions to bad intentions like the wind.

But I personally think it's ok to label somebody as either a friend or a threat to you without getting into an overly complex debate on "how to define good and evil". I think it's really all a matter of personal survival.

Last edited by TW1ZTY on 30 Oct 2019, 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.