QuoteA new study indicates that crime is lower in societies where people's religious beliefs contain a strong punitive component than in other places: a country where many more people believe in heaven than in hell, for example, is likely to have a much higher crime rate than one where these beliefs are about equal.
...
The new findings, Shariff said, fit into a growing body of evidence that supernatural punishment emerged in human culture as a very effective innovation to get people to act more ethically. In 2003, he said, Harvard University researchers Robert J. Barro and Rachel M. McCleary found that gross domestic product was higher in developed countries when people believed in hell more than they did in heaven.
More here: http://www.world-science.net/othernews/120622_hell
... and here:
Telling us what some who deal with religious people on a daily basis already knew. You can't go underground when there's an omniscient Big Brother. ;)
And since people's versions of god tends to think a lot like them, if they can find it in them to forgive themselves, so will their simulacrum theistic god. ::)
Well, I guess that kind of explains why theists think we (atheists) must be out of control baby eating fiends and rapists....
I know it's wrong, but I'm having a total Smug Atheist moral superiority moment. Like "Oh, you guys need the threat of hell to keep you in line? *Sniff* I guess I can't relate..." LMAO
Quote from: Ali on July 05, 2012, 04:50:58 PM
Well, I guess that kind of explains why theists think we (atheists) must be out of control baby eating fiends and rapists....
I know it's wrong, but I'm having a total Smug Atheist moral superiority moment. Like "Oh, you guys need the threat of hell to keep you in line? *Sniff* I guess I can't relate..." LMAO
I know right? Don't they realise just how bad them make themselves sound when they say that if they weren't created in the image of their idea of god, and had a soul or something, then they'd be no better than the worst criminals? ::)
Not exactly making a case for their intrinsic good.
Such childish morality, based on fear of getting caught.
I think when these terrors are rammed into people at a very young age, they develop what we call a conscience. I doubt whether many people consciously decide to avoid wrongdoing because they actually fear a literal hell; it'll be more because they're deeply brainwashed.
I had a college philosphy prof who claimed that there were ony two reasons why people did or did not do things. The two reasons are; Fear and Desire. Everything else is a subset of one of those. In this case there is fear of hells fire or conversely, desire to please their god almighty. Aren't you pleased that neither of these conditions apply to us? Hell or goddamighty does not exist for us. 8)
Quote from: Icarus on July 06, 2012, 01:58:25 AM
I had a college philosphy prof who claimed that there were ony two reasons why people did or did not do things. The two reasons are; Fear and Desire. Everything else is a subset of one of those. In this case there is fear of hells fire or conversely, desire to please their god almighty. Aren't you pleased that neither of these conditions apply to us? Hell or goddamighty does not exist for us. 8)
This teacher would beg to differ. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p20GYzCnfr0)
Reminds me of a woman who teaches classes who simply can't process the range of human emotions and motivations, very frustrating, especially since she had quite a following of - there's no better way of putting it - sheep.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on July 06, 2012, 03:52:51 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 05, 2012, 03:21:47 PM
... and here:
Where did the "and here:" go?
There isn't one... old actor's habit - always leave your audience wanting more!
Cute vid. I appreciated the last scene most.
I remember that I argued loudly against my profs proposition. He was most persuasive with his argumentation and evidence. I shrewdly conceded, though not convinced, that he was correct, thus earning a better grade for myself. I was even more shrewd by ignoring the opportunity to tell him to shove it.
The stuffy teachers drawing would have worked much better had she changed the word love for the word desire. The person who took the money was obviously not motivated by fear and had he loved jesus he would not have stolen it. Naah! He had the desire to get money for a large pizza with mushrooms, to pay the rent, or maybe to buy a dime bag.
Some people are pretty pathetic to think that only nice people are religious and won't commit crimes.
Sounds more like a Tyrant controlling people through fear.
I could have told you that.