How does one decide right vs wrong?

[Wingnut]

Big Dave,
<font color=blue>there's been plenty of wars over people's beliefs </font color=blue>

I used to think the same thing .... and then, as I spent a few more moments wondering about the "war" in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants (same God, same Bible), I had to conclude that I believe "there's been plenty of wars where people use their belief as an excuse".

If these people really were fervent christians of whatever sect or custom or side-faith or whatever ... they would be mindful of the edicts against killing, hate, jealousy, etc. Although I'm not an advocate of missionary stuff ... that appears (to me) to be a better indication of true faith than using religion as an excuse to blow someone up. To me, the difference between Irish terrorists and Muslim terrorists is negligible ... none of them are true followers of the religion they use as an excuse.

 

[Wingnut]

Dave,
<font color=blue>Is man inheritly good or is man inheritly evil? </font color=blue>

I look at it a little differently .... is man inherently selfish or selfless.

If we watch children growing up, we quickly learn that selflessness is not a normal trait and must be learined (taught).

All this means to me is that working well with others means that I need to always keep in mind that compromise works best ... everybody must gain something or they do not articipate.

Were we all to realize that (especially those that we elect), it would be a much easier world to live in.

Hmmm .... today I'm much more libertarian than conservative ... must be a Thursday.

 

[dummy]

<font color=blue>Since I knew before-hand that there would be some non-believers that would be contributing to this thread (very actively, I might add), I really wanted to get a perspective of how those that didn't look to God for guidance differentiated right from wrong.</font color=blue>
Is this on the platform that "If you don't regularly attend services, you're a non-believer." If so, that statement, in my mind is an absolute. Absolutely wrong. Is a person really a non-believer for the simple fact that they don't believe in the need to give money to a person (church collections) to interpret things for them? There can be other alternatives.
Sorry, a little off the thread.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I think that a non-believer really wants to believe in god. There is so much to lose by not believing, and only the pursuit of truth to gain. Why can't god appear in some way that would proove his existence to all those that are on the fence (unsure what to believe)? I think a hard concept for non-believers to understand is why god allows evil. Why does he allow the rape of two teen girls in California, or the slaughter of 3000 people in New York?

 

[looch]

Kelvin, this whole topic isn't real clear to me.

What I was trying to say was that I am not a religious person, as defined by organized religions. So, it is my belief that the bible was authored by man.

I have my own beliefs, and I guess that means I have my own religion - it just seems much too personal a thing for a one-size fits all solution. What I believe is what makes me who I am - much too personal to discuss in detail.

"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good ..."

 

[PitbullMidwest]

<font color=blue>If an omnipotent and omnicient, creator-of-all god exists, and that god established what is right, and by default what is wrong then how could something created by this god violate those "rules"?</font color=blue>

Sunday School 101. God created man with free will. In the words of Joshua, "Choose this day who you will serve."

 

[Chuck52]

Harv,

I'm sure you're a big loveable teddy bear, and I could probably get along with you OK, even if you never did send me the wrought iron signature I requested. By "all", I meant "all", and by "get along", I meant, well, agree. I would be happy to place this whole thread, which is indeed about the existence of God, in the "agree to disagree" category and be done with it. However, as someone else pointed out, extereme believers on each side of that particular aisle tend to insist it's their way or the highway. In fact, in other threads relating to this idea I have been invited to decamp and haul my sorry behind out of "their" country if I can't accept that "their" country believes as they believe. Now, of course, I see myself as the soul of reason and willing to compromise, while "they" are obviously fanatics unwilling to yield an Angstom. That "they" hold similar views of me is clearly ridiculous! /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Chuck

 

[Chuck52]

One aspect that, to me at least, differentiates the 9/11 terrorists and the Palestinian suicide bombers from the Irish terrorists, is their apparent willingness to sacrifice their own lives in order to attack their enemies. I think we as a people can understand how we as individuals might risk our lives to save someone else, or do so in a combat situation. We are not shocked when a parent loses his/her life in a vain attempt to save a child. And it is not that martyrdom is unheard of in the Christian religion. I don't know enough about Islam to speak to the subject, but though mainline Islam may not countenance such actions, I think the 9/11 terrorists and the Palestinian suicide bombers must believe in some extreme form of that religion, and use their beliefs to justify their sacrifice and their murder of innocents, in other words "God told me to do it". At this point in time, I see most of the Irish terrorists, on both sides, as following something like an old fashioned fued. Your daddy killed Uncle Joe and by God I'm agoin to kill you, but I'm gonna do it without risking my neck! There's nothing admirable about either kind of terrorist, and I don't care how they justify their crimes, but we probably ought to try to figure out their motivations, for our own protection

This is still on the subject of how you decide right from wrong, isn't it?

Chuck

 

[WVBill]

"God created man with free will."... If God also decreed moral absolutes then why create man with free will?

 

[bgott]

He also, according to the bible, created them ignorant and got mighty upset when they didn't stay that way. Maybe free will wasn't an objective but an unintended consequence. If it really happened, anyway.