Hardly. If “God says so” is why they are doing things, then they are just one bad preacher or bigoted opinion away from “Kill the heretic! Smite the sinner!” People who do what they do because their god “says so” are amoral, not moral.
Meh. That’s certainly not the case for me. I merely find no substantial dialogue going on that seems to benefit people in any way most of the time. It’s just I think this, and others think that, and that’s stupid. You’ll find me disclosing my beliefs when it’s tacked on to a subject, where I use it to explain why I perceive things the way I do. I’m more the type of person to enjoy finding out about someone else’s beliefs as part of the gift of getting to know someone and appreciate how they process things. I find even more pleasure in finding commonalities of goodness and positive strengths no matter what the outer lying system holds. The lack of connection in intellectualizing this argument is palpable and just seems pointless.
Meh. That’s certainly not the case for me. I merely find no substantial dialogue going on that seems to benefit people in any way most of the time. It’s just I think this, and others think that, and that’s stupid. You’ll find me disclosing my beliefs when it’s tacked on to a subject, where I use it to explain why I perceive things the way I do. I’m more the type of person to enjoy finding out about someone else’s beliefs as part of the gift of getting to know someone and appreciate how they process things. I find even more pleasure in finding commonalities of goodness and positive strengths no matter what the outer lying system holds. The lack of connection in intellectualizing this argument is palpable and just seems pointless.
I just don’t know why anyone would need to say God wants them to be kind, love and forgive. Why not just do it? I’m sure no one would disagree no matter what they believe in. I think it naturally irks people to hear others proselytize no matter which direction it’s in.
According to many Christians, because without believing in God everyone would be amoral psychopaths robbing and raping and killing everyone they came across.
No; plenty of people aren’t kind, forgiving or loving.
Wow, I like to spend countless hours winding around in circles with people on logic that can never be backed up because its power lies in the essence of its own subjectivity.
Honestly, this is what I think. I think this is a way people can be angry at other people because of being mistreated over the topic in the past, usually in a forum where someone had more power and control and they were being told how to think. Religion or a-religion is used as power/control pandering. I also think people use it to be pontificating bullies.
Perchance, did you happen to notice the name of the forum you are currently posting in?
Be tested? Isn’t that what’s happening to you? You’re being tested. Your strengths, to survive, to be the fittest. Sorry, I’m a bit of a Freudian. The operating system holds many dips and turns, seek internal answers? Everything you say - is actually about you. God is powerful because the concept can’t be tested - it’s not for your perusal. It’s out of your reach. How smart did primates actually become thus far? I like watching those shows with ape studies on PBS. It reminds me of my limitations from the view of a higher intelligence. 
I am now blessed with czarcasm, yay. Hey, I did hear that sarcasm was bad for your heart. It’s about neuropeptides that affect inflammatory molecules. BE CAREFUL. Here, hug my teddy bear.
I am now joining the discussion. I just wanted to aptly say I felt that this discussion was pointless and it was my way of excusing myself for womping people over the head with their own logic. It’s a matter of being right, and knowing I’m always right, and good, and not like you.
Haha, you ever read about the topic of splitting? It’s a psychology term that defines how humans first see things in very concrete values of black and white. They feed their esteems and hold down negative self concepts by saying one thing is good and right, and another is bad and wrong. Sometimes we argue topics to manage our internal systems. Seems like religious arguments would be a perfect place for this kind of process. That would give it meaning then, eh? I’m thinking out loud.
ArrrrrrrGGGHHHH!!! If my responses take to long I seem to lose them. I try to copy them so I can paste , but when I click copy I get booted back and can’t recover them. :mad:
Hmm.
Try a different browser.
Yes, you are correct. I’m not saying I’m never guilty of my own understandings. LOL. That’s the great part of being me. I was probably trying to avoid getting involved and reminding myself how friggin annoying I can be when I start doing that. haha
arielburns, please restrict your postings to topics relevant to the thread at hand. Involving the personalities of other posters is not a good thing.
Oh wow you have additional requirements involving time limits. You must have had some kind of superior logic, or, it could mean you were going to introduce an argument that would have shifted everything dimensionally to a point it no longer sustains coherence. When it happens once, it’s probably nothing. If it only happens to you, it’s some kind of quantum event probably happening.
I’m already in trouble.
Which is why I’m telling you, without giving a warning, to refocus your posts. Ignoring this can results in your ability to post being limited or revoked. No one wants that.
I appreciate your generous nature 
I doubt we can say whether a believer, agnostic or atheist is more likley to be kind to others , helpful, or selfish and self serving. If an atheist harms others is it more accpetable because at least that person isn’t a believer? Of course not. That’s why I say we respond to the actions , the choices and the repercussions of the person’s belief system. Whether they believe in God or not doesn’t matter.
In your opinion. some religions teach exactly that, or at least that you don’t force your beliefs on otrhers, you merely witness in word and deed.
,
right, but some teach you can only put god first by serving others.
Can we say if believers or non believers are more likely to be power hungry or self serving at the expense and to the detriment of others?
It’s much more complex than that. More, let people believe as they will and choose their own path as long as they do no harm to others. Regardless of what belief system you follow you must take personal responsibility for your choices and how those choices affect others.
It assumes that our diverse belief systems will bring about conflict, and that that conflict is a nessecary part of human growth. It’s how we handle that conflict that matters.
Thanks for the second chance. I hear you.
Do people vote based on very superficial reasons? Of course. Both believers and non believers.
I tell people all the time that the label “I’m a Christian” means nothing to me because that statement tells me NOTHING of that persons character. They might be kind humble, and considerete of others, or judgemental pias jerks.
Same goes for the label of atheist It only reflects one small aspect of a person’s makeup and IMO not a significant one.
So, if a politician says “I pray every day to try and be a goood public servant to my constituants” that also doesn’t tell me anything about his leadership capabilities or his position on the issues.