Americans and Religion

[Archon_Wing]

Good post, sir.

I'm lazy, American, and most of the adults I've known through my short life have told me I have quite a bright future.

Yep, not everyone is the grinding working type. But they can still accomplish things.

Again, not sure I agree. This depends on your agenda again. Being moral because you feel it is right will promote things like neighborliness (word?) and in general help accomplish things. But there are those who seek division, or control (or one through the other), and thus want fear to be the motivator.

Not to mention, in terms of actually getting the moral behavior out, the shortsighted will always favor the furnace. Lack of incentive is enough to keep most people from doing something more tedious than doing nothing (IE, "work" or being moral or helpful). For example: "Be a good person and...

-The world will be a better place."
"So? How does that benefit ME?"

-Your neighbors will like/respect you."
"I don't like them/I don't need their respect."

-You won't burn in hell for eternity."
"Oh. Good plan."

Cost/benifit thingy. People tend to do things because there's a benifit to do so. Input from your fellow human beings is a motivation; most people do want to fit in. Then of course, anyone that ignores your first two reasons and clings only to the third should go to hell anyways. ;p

My observation on well... at least Chinese culture/religion is that no.3 is much less emphasized. Sure, there are few superstitions here and there but I don't see it being centered around fear of a God and such.

Sort of back on topic, how does Atheism fit into all of this? Atheism loses the third scenario. So, many logical people would believe they lose the prime motivation for morality. But since Atheists are (GENERALLY) more anchored in reality (not as in they are not crazy, but more like they care more about "this life"), they are more inclined to be a good person because "You won't get arrested/shot." Most faiths are geared toward some kind of preparation for something that is not HERE, however it is phrased. This is generally used as a deterrent toward bad behavior. Christians strive to get to heaven. Buddhists are too busy contemplating the mysteries of the universe to get into trouble. It's present in most of them at one level or another. So you could derive from this that the truly devout should not be swayed by the law. There is a higher power they are more afraid of, or a benefit that outweighs forty to life.

But to an atheist, the law generally IS the higher power. You can get into morality and all of that as being a power, and I guess still be (by a loose definition) an atheist, but morality doesn't normally conflict with the law. The only reason it seems to is because those cases when it does stick out like sore thumbs (and are generally loopholes) to those who feel said law is immoral.

Anyway, atheists, by this logic, even if completely amoral are still normally well within the bounds of living a moral, fruitful life. I guess it's just that most people don't/won't reason this out (or have semantic issues with immoral vs. amoral). Arrogant bastards or not, they're not exactly bereft of logic which applies to either some ethical code, or at very least, governmental law, whereas religion often "transcends" logic and occasional mutates the law into what it feels is "necessary."

Many people fail to realize that morals were created by.... people! Why can people be moral without a god? Well, human civilization hasn't destroyed itself. And certainly morals are not a new invention-- people in the BC era had them!

Religion is not always a bad agenda, but religion as an agenda is always bad. You don't promote religion as an end (either real or perceived); you use religion as a tool to promote (morality/respect/good person-ness).

Ack, silly logic issues. :] Just kidding.