I believe in people, compassion, generosity, a whole number of different types of love, decency and simple kindness, making an effort not to cause harm to anyone else and altruism when faced with human suffering. I don't know why one needs gods for any of that?
I agree, and I've always had a hard time understanding why this is thought to be inferior than arriving (supposedly) to the same point because a book or pastor told me to do so. I try to make all of the actions in my life motivated first by kindness and the desire to achieve peace--being human, I fuck that up occasionally ;)--and my decision to make my life's work what it is has come from ... well, a lifetime of contemplation. Of a thorough conviction that I have to live my life a certain way in order to be at peace with myself. I fail to see how that is in any way inferior to behaving in the same way because I am told to do so. I do wonder if that isn't part of the reason that so many so-called Christians do so poorly at following the teachings of Jesus: because they don't actually believe and haven't actually committed their lives to the pursuit of forgiveness, kindness, acceptance, &c &c ... I don't believe that evolution has favored humankind with those virtues as defaults but quite the opposite: We still behave toward each other as though we need to beat each other over the head for an extra mouthful of woolly mammoth drumstick. So choosing the opposite path out of obedience rather than conviction, to me, seems doomed to fail.
I agree, and I've always had a hard time understanding why this is thought to be inferior than arriving (supposedly) to the same point because a book or pastor told me to do so. I try to make all of the actions in my life motivated first by kindness and the desire to achieve peace--being human, I fuck that up occasionally ;)--and my decision to make my life's work what it is has come from ... well, a lifetime of contemplation. Of a thorough conviction that I have to live my life a certain way in order to be at peace with myself. I fail to see how that is in any way inferior to behaving in the same way because I am told to do so. I do wonder if that isn't part of the reason that so many so-called Christians do so poorly at following the teachings of Jesus: because they don't actually believe and haven't actually committed their lives to the pursuit of forgiveness, kindness, acceptance, &c &c ... I don't believe that evolution has favored humankind with those virtues as defaults but quite the opposite: We still behave toward each other as though we need to beat each other over the head for an extra mouthful of woolly mammoth drumstick. So choosing the opposite path out of obedience rather than conviction, to me, seems doomed to fail.
But what do I know, godless heathen that I am? ;)
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