my morality's better than yours
Last week a customer was asking me about witchcraft. I work in Salem, so this isn't that odd. Anyways, we got to talking about good/evil, yadda yadda. He, as a Christian, said that God and the chance to get to Heaven were why he didn't steal, lie etc. Basically because God said "these things are wrong" he doesn't do them. If it wasn't for that he'd just "kill me and take what he wants" (an example, I'm pretty sure he wasn't serious). His reasoning was that because he has a reward for being "good" it somehow means more.
My feeling, which I said to him, was that I didn't steal, lie etc because it was the right thing to do. Do unto others and all. Not because I might get a reward (I'm not Christian), but simply because I don't believe lying, cheating, and stealing is right. I argued that if you're only doing the "right" thing because you'll be rewarded for it, doesn't that diminish what you're doing?
It really kinda bothered me. That right there is exactly the attitude that ticks me off about religion. The holier than thou attitude that "I'm doing the right thing because God (or whoever) told me to" and that somehow makes it better than me, who does the right thing just because it's the right thing to do. So, you're only kind to others because you'll get into Heaven at the end? What about simply being kind to others? It all started because he asked me about the Wiccan Rede. "Do what thou wilt, an it harm none" I likened it to the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". They're pretty much the same. And yet, because there's no reward at the end, he was ready to dismiss it.
He really felt that his "good" was morally better than my "good". I really feel that's not the case. I hesitate to say mine is better, but I feel mine's more honest.
My feeling, which I said to him, was that I didn't steal, lie etc because it was the right thing to do. Do unto others and all. Not because I might get a reward (I'm not Christian), but simply because I don't believe lying, cheating, and stealing is right. I argued that if you're only doing the "right" thing because you'll be rewarded for it, doesn't that diminish what you're doing?
It really kinda bothered me. That right there is exactly the attitude that ticks me off about religion. The holier than thou attitude that "I'm doing the right thing because God (or whoever) told me to" and that somehow makes it better than me, who does the right thing just because it's the right thing to do. So, you're only kind to others because you'll get into Heaven at the end? What about simply being kind to others? It all started because he asked me about the Wiccan Rede. "Do what thou wilt, an it harm none" I likened it to the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". They're pretty much the same. And yet, because there's no reward at the end, he was ready to dismiss it.
He really felt that his "good" was morally better than my "good". I really feel that's not the case. I hesitate to say mine is better, but I feel mine's more honest.