Atheists can be good, but people who believe in God are more likely to value being good, a recent study showed.
An analysis by sociologist and pollster Reginald Bibby of the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, addressed the question "Do people need God to be good?"
Polling 1,600 Canadians, the nationwide survey found that those who believe in God are consistently more likely than atheists to highly value such traits as courtesy, concern for others, forgiveness, generosity and patience. Believers are also more inclined to place high value on friendship, family life, and being loved.
While God and religion are not the only sources of such traits, the survey reported that they are among the most important sources. And without them, "it is not at all clear that comparable equivalents currently exist that could fill the void," according to the report.
"To the extent that Canadians say good-bye to God, we may find that we pay a significant social price," Bibby concluded in the study.
Bibby suggests that the primary reason believers place higher value on being good is that they are far more likely than atheists to be part of groups that work hard to instill those values. Although not all believers translate their values into action, they are at least inclined to hold the values, according to the study.
"Atheists, on the other hand, do not have as many explicit support groups that are committed to intentionally promoting positive interpersonal life," Bibby reported.
The debate on whether God is necessary to have good morals has increasingly taken public stage between staunch atheists and Christian apologists.
Earlier this month, Oxford University professor of historical theology Dr. Alister McGrath, a Christian, squared off with bestselling author Christopher Hitchens, who wrote God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, at Georgetown University in Washington. Rebutting Hitchens' argument that knowing right from wrong is innate and doesn't come from a higher being, McGrath, who said he is a former atheist, asked how one can have a viable moral system without some sort of transcendent basis of morality.
"There are some forms of religion that are pathological, that damage people. For every one of these atrocities which must cause all of us deep concern, there are 10,000 unreported acts of kindness, generosity, and so forth arising from religious commitment," McGrath argued.
Nearly half of Canadians (49 percent) say they definitely believe God exists and 33 percent say they think He exists; 11 percent have doubts and don't think there is a higher power; and 7 percent say they definitely do not believe God exists.
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'If Jesus wants to come down and talk to me, that's fine and good.'
He did... why would you listen if He came down again? It is simple... you wouldn't.
"The "simplicity" of it all is that humans are not evil and need no salvation. The choice between God and eternal torment in hell is no choice at all; it is blackmail, pure and simple, and originates in the bloodlust of a primitive and vengeful ancient tribal desert war deity."
Yes it is simple. God is perfect and has a perfect plan. Those who want to be with Him are with Him in a place he specificly designed for them. It's called Heaven. Those who want to be seperate from him or choose not to accept he exist, he designed a special place for them, where they can be seperate from him. It's called Hell. It's a perfect plan....everybody gets what they want.
The "simplicity" of it all is that humans are not evil and need no salvation. The choice between God and eternal torment in hell is no choice at all; it is blackmail, pure and simple, and originates in the bloodlust of a primitive and vengeful ancient tribal desert war deity. If Jesus wants to come down and talk to me, that's fine and good. I don't see why it has to be so complicated.
Amen, Watch....amen! That's some good stuff there!
It is a simple thing but yet it confounds the intellect of many. "Why did God give his only Son to die on a cross(the most horrible of deaths) in some far away place, some 2000 years ago? If there is a God why couldn't He do it another way?"
The wages of sin is death. We humans are flawed because of sin. God loves us. He doesn't want to be seperated from us, but because He is perfect. Perfect Love and Perfect in Goodness and because of this, the one thing He cannot love is sin. Sin in all it's forms. Because He is perfect in Justice He must punish sin, but He doesn't want to because of His perfect Love. Understand this... His punishment of sin is death and seperation from Him. To have another way, He made a sacrifice. A sacrifice to defeat death and seperation. That was the cross. He gave His Son so we may live by accepting His sacrifice. The cross was the agony of death ,and the weight of the worlds sin was the cross also. His Son was perfect, but took on the weight of sin and the agony of sin and died with it. It didn't end there my friends, the convenat wasn't complete. Three days later He rose from the dead thus defeating the wages of sin. The sacrifice He made was the greatest ever made and no other can surpass it. Death's sting is lost and the grave has no victory. The veil of sin that seperated us from God is removed because the debt has been payed. Now here is where it gets tricky friends; You have the choice to accept this or not. You have the choice freely on own accord. I nor anyone else can completely, utterly, 100 percent show you, complete evidence of this. You have to come to this conclusion by hope and faith. That is something you have to reach on your own. I can promise you this; I was once completely skeptical of God, His existence, and what Jesus did or in fact, if he even existed(back in the days He walked the earth and people saw what He was doing....they doubted Him even when they were seeing Him!!), but my friends, I have no doubts any more. I have no skepticism. I have seen the Truth and I completely, fully believe in my God and his Son, Jesus. I walk by faith and I don't have to see. I am so thankful for the sacrife He made and price He paid. Glory is to him! I pray that He touches your heart as He did mine and you understand His love for you.
God Bless.
Yes...he allowed Himself to be humbled and killed like a common criminal for you. Jesus--God's own son, left all His glory and stature to die with a criminal for you. The simplicity of salvation and God's love escapes you because you want something deep and philosophical. Will, Jesus Himself could come down and talk to you face to face, and you would still pass it off as bad tuna in your sandwich or momentary insanity. It doesn't matter what He does to get your attention. He's been trying to get your attention for years, and yet you wont listen.
"But since the "bloodthirsty" manner is which He chose didn't get your attention....I doubt that a bouqet of flowers would have."
So God--again, infinite creator of life, the universe, & everything-- had Jesus killed in the same manner in which Roman authorities had executed countless & nameless criminals? He couldn't figure out any other way to get our attention? He was limited by the time, place & circumstances of ancient Judea? Strange, that.
TO THE ONES WHO HAVE REALLY PREACHED THEIR HEARTS OUT TO SOME OF THESE COMMENTERS WHO HAVE SAID THE MOST VILE THINGS ABOUT OUR LORD
Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces"
(Matt 7:6) NKJV
If people have had plenty of opportunity to hear the truth but do not respond to it... we are not to go on and on with them, for then we cheapen God's gospel of letting them trample it under foot.
Note these additional comments in the Life Application Bible:
"It is futile to try to teach holy concepts to people who don't want to listen and will only tear apart what we say. We should not stop giving God's Word to unbelievers, but we should be wise and discerning in what we teach to whom, so that we will not be wasting our time."
We are asked to let our light shine, by doing good works (Matthew 5:16). We cannot convert a person--only God can do this (Romans 2:4). It is true that we are told to be prepared to give a defense or an answer to those who ask us about the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15)--but this addresses people who are genuinely interested.
"He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7)
By example, Jesus teaches us how to behave. Jesus answers meaningful questions, but refuses to grovel with answers to insubstantial questions and corrupt questioners who are not seeking the truth.
TO THE ONES WHO ARE UNBELIEVERS WHO COMMENT ON THIS CHRISTIAN POST SITE, AND REJECT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
For those who have little or no spiritual capacity (enemies of the gospel), one must be cautious in what one says and not "throw your pearls to pigs". One must be cautious not to pass on the sacred to that which is profane. One should be careful not to pass on holy things to unholy people who will have nothing but disdain for the things of Christ.
An example of this would be when Jesus sent out 70 disciples to proclaim the gospel. He instructed them that if they came to a village and the people there rejected their teachings, they were to shake the dust off their feet and go elsewhere (Luke 10:10,11). The idea Jesus communicated to them was, "Don't throw your pearls before swine. Move on to another city and share your pearls there."
"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces"
(Matt 7:6) NKJV
"He wanted our companionship so much that He sent His only Son to be beaten and whipped into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood, and nailed to cross by the very people that He longed to be with. All because He loves us so much. He made a choice. He didn't have to do it.
That is the very definition of *psychotic.* You'd think the creator of the universe and everything in it could have come up with a less bloodthirsty manner in which to tell us he loved us. A bouquet of flowers, perhaps?
There was another option that not usually heard. God could have destroyed mankind. But Jesus made the CHOICE to come and be our Savior. The Bible tells us Jesus delight was in mankind. So He chose to come. That's in the book of proverbs chapter 8, since I see you haven't read that part.
Yes, He could have, Will. Yes, He could. But since the "bloodthirsty" manner is which He chose didn't get your attention....I doubt that a bouqet of flowers would have. Face it, it doesn't matter what manner He would have chose to show you He loved you, you still would not accept it.
All the neuroscientists, scientist, astronomers, philosophers, ect. have not nor will they be able to "kill off" God. You can't do it. God is Almighty. God is eternal. Paul writes in Romans 14:11.
" For it is written, As I live, saith
the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every
tongue shall confess to God."
We primatives believe that and we do it every day(bowing knee and praising to God) and we also believe one day, just as the verse says...everyone will be doing that very thing. Some out of realization of the truth.
God Bless.
He wanted our companionship so much that He sent His only Son to be beaten and whipped into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood, and nailed to cross by the very people that He longed to be with. All because He loves us so much. He made a choice. He didn't have to do it. But He loves us. And we complain because He askes us to stop lying...or murdering...or fornicating. He gave it all! He did something for us, that most of us would never do. Could you give up everythiing you have, live like a transient for 33 years. Do things selflessly for everyone around you-give, give, give, and then have those same people spit on you, beat you, whip you, scourge you, and nail you to a tree? Could you? I don't think I could. But, then again, He truly loves us.
We were created for one thing--to have a relationship with God. That is the reason why He made us. But God also allowed sin into the world so that we would love Him out of our own free will. We have the choice to be with Him or to sin. People complain because the Bible is just a bunch of rules and regulations. But God is holy, and sin (and anyone who is sinful) cannot dwell in His presence. God says this is what it takes to be holy and be able to be in His presence. Now, it's up to us to choose whether we want to or not.