Ethics and Religion ; Religious Believers and Atheists

[ThatDude30]

Pairing Ethics and Religion is like pairing Religious Believers and Atheists to me. Both Ethics and Religion have concepts on what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. Religious Believers and Atheists have concepts on their beliefs. They both believe in a way of life . Whether you choose living your life believing in a God or living your life not believing in god, they both are still paths and beliefs you follow.
I'm comparing Ethics and religion, and Religious Believers and Atheist because I don't think Religion and Ethics go together just like Religious Believers and Atheist don't go together without conflict. Questions such as, "Does ethics require Religion?", and "Do we need religion to be ethical?" The answer is NO. What would make people think that you need the other for the other? So only religious people have ethics? Atheists have no ethics because they don't believe in a religion? So if ethics require religion, or you need religion to be ethical, saying ethics is knowing right from wrong based on my religion, then what about atheist? Atheism is not a religion, its the broadest sense of, rejection of the belief of existence of a god. So Atheist can go by ethics but what if you need religion?
Ethics is knowing right from wrong, and Religion is knowing good from evil, same thing, but two different concepts of what determines right from wrong. Ethics is doing what society and the law see as right from wrong, and religion is doing what your God says is right from wrong. But what Religion says is right, the Law might see as wrong. So how can you need religion to be ethical, when they have some views that conflict with one another? If homosexuality is permitted by the law, but religion says it is unethical, and you feel the same way too, there is a conflict between religion and laws..
So you need Religion to be ethical, or ethics requires religion, what do you do when is comes down to a decision that you have to choose one, Ethics or religion? Obey your God or Obey the Law, Go to jail or go to hell?
Ethics is like a code of conduct, what society and the law view is right from wrong. Religion is a way of life that instills fear of Disobeying Your God and doing right or wrong will determine if you go to heaven or hell.
So Ethics is what we humans see as right from wrong and Religion is what your god sees is right from wrong.
What it comes down to is basic common sense, ever since we were little our parents taught us wrong from right. To me, If it cause emotions or feelings such as guilt, remorse, regret, betrayal, hate, anger, sadness, pain etc. It most likely is wrong. IF you feel happiness, success, helpful, honor, content, motivation, joy etc. It most likely is right. If it can cause physical harm to you or another person or even death, it is most likely wrong. If you have to think twice, mostly its wrong.
To say you need both ethics and religion is prejudice to atheists. If atheists need religion to be ethical, or ethics requires religion, is saying atheist don't know right from wrong or good from evil? People think they go hand and hand because both teach right from wrong, but what determines what is right and wrong are two different sources and can conflict one another.
You don't need ethics to know what is right or wrong. Just use common sense and live your life as good as you can.

 

[ThatDude30]

Live, experience, experiment, attempt, observe, keep an opened mind, progress and don't regress, and learn from your mistakes as well as others mistakes. All you need is common sense, ability to think logically, and have general respect for everything, to know what is right from what is wrong. They say you cant use personal feelings to determine right from wrong. I disagree. I know I can feel whether some thing is wrong, and I believe feelings and emotions can be caused by right or wrong conduct. Obviously if you feel regret, remorse, or guilt or pain, you probably did something wrong. If you feel good, proud, honored, grateful, appreciated you probably did something right.
Why cant one use personal feelings to determine right from wrong? If you have to think twice, its probably wrong, if you start to get nervous your probably wrong. I believe you can incorporate past feelings and emotions to help determine what is right from wrong. I believe you can use logical thinking to determine right from wrong. I believe you can use your personal beliefs to determine what is right from wrong. Not everyone may be able to, but that doesn't mean that nobody can.
I believe that you don't need either ethics or religion to know what is right from wrong, just common sense.

 

[Picaro]

The vast majority of people get their values from tradition, not logic or 'common sense', which is why religion is far more effective at it. This isn't to say all religions are successful, most are eventual dead ends, some are only partially effective; social evolution more resembles the Lamarckian model, and so far the Judeo-Christian paradigm wins the social evolution battle hands down, and most serious historians and genuine intellectuals have little problem with it over the alternatives. No need to constantly re-invent and re-learn values and principles that are already well known and proven to work best; nothing 'logical' or 'rational' about doing that, just because some sociopaths and alienated sexual deviants are unhappy n stuff about it.

 

[RWNJ]

Pairing Ethics and Religion is like pairing Religious Believers and Atheists to me. Both Ethics and Religion have concepts on what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. Religious Believers and Atheists have concepts on their beliefs. They both believe in a way of life . Whether you choose living your life believing in a God or living your life not believing in god, they both are still paths and beliefs you follow.
I'm comparing Ethics and religion, and Religious Believers and Atheist because I don't think Religion and Ethics go together just like Religious Believers and Atheist don't go together without conflict. Questions such as, "Does ethics require Religion?", and "Do we need religion to be ethical?" The answer is NO. What would make people think that you need the other for the other? So only religious people have ethics? Atheists have no ethics because they don't believe in a religion? So if ethics require religion, or you need religion to be ethical, saying ethics is knowing right from wrong based on my religion, then what about atheist? Atheism is not a religion, its the broadest sense of, rejection of the belief of existence of a god. So Atheist can go by ethics but what if you need religion?
Ethics is knowing right from wrong, and Religion is knowing good from evil, same thing, but two different concepts of what determines right from wrong. Ethics is doing what society and the law see as right from wrong, and religion is doing what your God says is right from wrong. But what Religion says is right, the Law might see as wrong. So how can you need religion to be ethical, when they have some views that conflict with one another? If homosexuality is permitted by the law, but religion says it is unethical, and you feel the same way too, there is a conflict between religion and laws..
So you need Religion to be ethical, or ethics requires religion, what do you do when is comes down to a decision that you have to choose one, Ethics or religion? Obey your God or Obey the Law, Go to jail or go to hell?
Ethics is like a code of conduct, what society and the law view is right from wrong. Religion is a way of life that instills fear of Disobeying Your God and doing right or wrong will determine if you go to heaven or hell.
So Ethics is what we humans see as right from wrong and Religion is what your god sees is right from wrong.
What it comes down to is basic common sense, ever since we were little our parents taught us wrong from right. To me, If it cause emotions or feelings such as guilt, remorse, regret, betrayal, hate, anger, sadness, pain etc. It most likely is wrong. IF you feel happiness, success, helpful, honor, content, motivation, joy etc. It most likely is right. If it can cause physical harm to you or another person or even death, it is most likely wrong. If you have to think twice, mostly its wrong.
To say you need both ethics and religion is prejudice to atheists. If atheists need religion to be ethical, or ethics requires religion, is saying atheist don't know right from wrong or good from evil? People think they go hand and hand because both teach right from wrong, but what determines what is right and wrong are two different sources and can conflict one another.
You don't need ethics to know what is right or wrong. Just use common sense and live your life as good as you can.

All I know is that I should obey God rather than man. If there is a conflict, I go with Scripture.

 

[Meriweather]

I'm comparing Ethics and religion, and Religious Believers and Atheist because I don't think Religion and Ethics go together just like Religious Believers and Atheist don't go together without conflict. Questions such as, "Does ethics require Religion?", and "Do we need religion to be ethical?" The answer is NO. What would make people think that you need the other for the other? So only religious people have ethics? Atheists have no ethics because they don't believe in a religion? So if ethics require religion, or you need religion to be ethical, saying ethics is knowing right from wrong based on my religion, then what about atheist? Atheism is not a religion, its the broadest sense of, rejection of the belief of existence of a god. So Atheist can go by ethics but what if you need religion?........ You don't need ethics to know what is right or wrong. Just use common sense and live your life as good as you can.

Endeavoring to divide "Us" and "Them" ends in error. Usually colossal error.

1. Starting with Religion: We believe in God. We are good. Therefore those who don't believe must be bad.

2. Atheists: We don't believe in God. We are good. Therefore those people who believe in God believe in hopes of obtaining an afterlife. We are good without hopes of an afterlife, therefore we are better.

3. Ethics/Right and Wrong: Only common sense is needed.

A. First, only followers (sometimes known as Protestants) of the so-called Reformation profess a belief that unbelievers are damned. That means the majority of Christianity and those of other faiths do not see atheism in this light. Atheists are as good (and as bad) as anyone else, so put that victim card away.

B. The majority of believers don't have the "hidden agenda" of only being good so they might have eternal life. Atheists need to understand that the greater majority of believers truly love God. Good deeds may well be a part of who we are, belief or no belief. What prompts us, at times, to go above and beyond, to plow into doing something terribly inconvenient to us is love of God. Often we do the above and beyond out of pure love of God. We see His love for us and are so entranced by it, we have a wish to send it forward. When anyone (believer or non-believer) does something out of pure love, there is a sense of dismay and even hurt that someone (even God) feels they must return the favor.

C. Experience--even more than a sense or feeling--has even more value in determining ethics and what is right and what is wrong. That is where studies of religion/philosophy come in handy for everyone. When we can learn from the experiences of others, we start on top instead of having to pull ourselves out of the hole we dug for ourselves or fell into.

 

[ThatDude30]

Pairing Ethics and Religion is like pairing Religious Believers and Atheists to me. Both Ethics and Religion have concepts on what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. Religious Believers and Atheists have concepts on their beliefs. They both believe in a way of life . Whether you choose living your life believing in a God or living your life not believing in god, they both are still paths and beliefs you follow.
I'm comparing Ethics and religion, and Religious Believers and Atheist because I don't think Religion and Ethics go together just like Religious Believers and Atheist don't go together without conflict. Questions such as, "Does ethics require Religion?", and "Do we need religion to be ethical?" The answer is NO. What would make people think that you need the other for the other? So only religious people have ethics? Atheists have no ethics because they don't believe in a religion? So if ethics require religion, or you need religion to be ethical, saying ethics is knowing right from wrong based on my religion, then what about atheist? Atheism is not a religion, its the broadest sense of, rejection of the belief of existence of a god. So Atheist can go by ethics but what if you need religion?
Ethics is knowing right from wrong, and Religion is knowing good from evil, same thing, but two different concepts of what determines right from wrong. Ethics is doing what society and the law see as right from wrong, and religion is doing what your God says is right from wrong. But what Religion says is right, the Law might see as wrong. So how can you need religion to be ethical, when they have some views that conflict with one another? If homosexuality is permitted by the law, but religion says it is unethical, and you feel the same way too, there is a conflict between religion and laws..
So you need Religion to be ethical, or ethics requires religion, what do you do when is comes down to a decision that you have to choose one, Ethics or religion? Obey your God or Obey the Law, Go to jail or go to hell?
Ethics is like a code of conduct, what society and the law view is right from wrong. Religion is a way of life that instills fear of Disobeying Your God and doing right or wrong will determine if you go to heaven or hell.
So Ethics is what we humans see as right from wrong and Religion is what your god sees is right from wrong.
What it comes down to is basic common sense, ever since we were little our parents taught us wrong from right. To me, If it cause emotions or feelings such as guilt, remorse, regret, betrayal, hate, anger, sadness, pain etc. It most likely is wrong. IF you feel happiness, success, helpful, honor, content, motivation, joy etc. It most likely is right. If it can cause physical harm to you or another person or even death, it is most likely wrong. If you have to think twice, mostly its wrong.
To say you need both ethics and religion is prejudice to atheists. If atheists need religion to be ethical, or ethics requires religion, is saying atheist don't know right from wrong or good from evil? People think they go hand and hand because both teach right from wrong, but what determines what is right and wrong are two different sources and can conflict one another.
You don't need ethics to know what is right or wrong. Just use common sense and live your life as good as you can.

All I know is that I should obey God rather than man. If there is a conflict, I go with Scripture.

I don't know what determines what gives a man or men the authority to tell us how to live? The code of conduct we should follow? and what is right from wrong?
If we are all supposedly equal and all have to obey the laws of society, even the police that enforce the laws and government officials should receive the same consequences and punishments as normal civilians. Wearing that badge or having a Government Title doesn't mean they are a better person then anyone else.
I see them as being a human being, no better or no worse, Having the title Police Officer does not mean you have any kind of power, their job is to make sure everyone is obeying the laws, not to harass people, and it doesn't mean they are an exception and the laws don't apply to them.

 

[yiostheoy]

Ethics is a branch of Philosophy.

Philosophy is pure human thought.

Religion is about dogma and doctrine.

Muslims killing Christians and Jews is not ethical.

Catholics killing Muslims is not ethical either.

That does not leave much room for ethics in the 3 major religions.

 

[RWNJ]

Ethics is a branch of Philosophy.

Philosophy is pure human thought.

Religion is about dogma and doctrine.

Muslims killing Christians and Jews is not ethical.

Catholics killing Muslims is not ethical either.

That does not leave much room for ethics in the 3 major religions.

Perhaps you could point out where the Bible tells Christians to kill anyone? Didn't think so.

 

[Taz]

Ethics is a branch of Philosophy.

Philosophy is pure human thought.

Religion is about dogma and doctrine.

Muslims killing Christians and Jews is not ethical.

Catholics killing Muslims is not ethical either.

That does not leave much room for ethics in the 3 major religions.

Perhaps you could point out where the Bible tells Christians to kill anyone? Didn't think so.

Kill People Who Don’t Listen to Priests

Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)

Kill Witches

You should not let a sorceress live. (Exodus 22:17 NAB)

Kill Homosexuals
“If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives.” (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

Kill Fortunetellers

A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)

Death for Hitting Dad

Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15 NAB)

Death for Cursing Parents

1) If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness. (Proverbs 20:20 NAB)

2) All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense. (Leviticus 20:9 NLT)

Death for Adultery

If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10 NLT)

Death for Fornication

A priest’s daughter who loses her honor by committing fornication and thereby dishonors her father also, shall be burned to death. (Leviticus 21:9 NAB)

Death to Followers of Other Religions

Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. (Exodus 22:19 NAB)

Kill Nonbelievers

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)

Kill False Prophets

If a man still prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall say to him, “You shall not live, because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord.” When he prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall thrust him through.(Zechariah 13:3 NAB)

Kill the Entire Town if One Person Worships Another God

Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. “The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him.” (Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)

Kill Women Who Are Not Virgins On Their Wedding Night

But if this charge is true (that she wasn’t a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father’s house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21 NAB)

Kill Followers of Other Religions.

1) If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you. You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. And all Israel, hearing of this, shall fear and never do such evil as this in your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NAB)

2) Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)

Death for Blasphemy

One day a man who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father got into a fight with one of the Israelite men. During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the LORD’s name. So the man was brought to Moses for judgment. His mother’s name was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan. They put the man in custody until the LORD’s will in the matter should become clear. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard him to lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire community stone him to death. Say to the people of Israel: Those who blaspheme God will suffer the consequences of their guilt and be punished. Anyone who blasphemes the LORD’s name must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the LORD’s name will surely die.(Leviticus 24:10-16 NLT)

Kill False Prophets

1) Suppose there are prophets among you, or those who have dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles take place. If the prophets then say, ‘Come, let us worship the gods of foreign nations,’ do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you love him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. The false prophets or dreamers who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of slavery in the land of Egypt. Since they try to keep you from following the LORD your God, you must execute them to remove the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NLT)

2) But any prophet who claims to give a message from another god or who falsely claims to speak for me must die.’ You may wonder, ‘How will we know whether the prophecy is from the LORD or not?’ If the prophet predicts something in the LORD’s name and it does not happen, the LORD did not give the message. That prophet has spoken on his own and need not be feared. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 NLT)

Infidels and Gays Should Die

So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. (Romans 1:24-32 NLT)

Kill Anyone who Approaches the Tabernacle

For the LORD had said to Moses, ‘Exempt the tribe of Levi from the census; do not include them when you count the rest of the Israelites. You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the Tabernacle will be executed.’ (Numbers 1:48-51 NLT)

Kill People for Working on the Sabbath

The LORD then gave these further instructions to Moses: ‘Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Yes, keep the Sabbath day, for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest. I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.’ (Exodus 31:12-15 NLT)

 

[LittleNipper]

The nation of Israel was a theocracy for a time. Anyone who didn't believe was free to either cooperate or leave. No one was forced to remain and participate in LAWS they disagreed with. When Israel became a monarchy, things only got worse.

I believe most people have no problem with going to Church, having a happy family life and live to a healthy ripe old age.And let's face the facts --- certain types of behavior can harm many others without their having any idea how they ended up sick or infected. It is common knowledge that people who participate in various dangerous behavior patterns can wear a 3 pc suit and play football and vote conservative... But then someone at some point gets an eye infection, oral cancer or cervical cancer or perhaps colon or pancreatic cancer --- and wonders how that could happen? Of course not all such problems are the result of poor choices, but then there is no real way of knowing what happened 20 years ago may come back to haunt someone later in life. Hepatitis C is an example. A person having sex with one person at one moment is also engaging in sex with everyone that person previously came in contact with.

And oddly most gays will wear a condom and yet I imagine not when it comes to oral sex with someone with gingivitis, or a sore throat or eye contact. Talk about being naive!

 

[Hawkins]

Rather to Christianity it's about what kind of ethics is more crucial and important.

Humans don't have the capability to look into the future. If under the circumstance that a group of valid eye-witnesses claim that there's a danger lying ahead, is it more moral for one who can't confirm its truth to say that "the danger doesn't exist" or "to stay away because the claim is possible".