Posted: December 21st, 2009, 11:19 am
Thank you Simon says, for the lovely explanation of the difference between the concepts of Gods, however, the Greek Gods did punish people.
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Socrates was offering people something better than religion. He was offering rational morality, which is superior to fearing the gods. He was ordered to stop corrupting youth with his questions about the gods, that caused doubt in the gods, out of the same fear for morality that Christians have today. If people stopped believing in the gods, they would stop fearing them and stop being moral.
Rational morality is to understand the consequences of an action, and knowing enough to choose the right thing. Our liberty is based on this. Our liberty is not the freedom to do as we please, but the freedom to decide for ourselves what is right, and to act upon it. If we choose wrongly the consequences will be bad. So even if you think we can get away with dumping waste in a stream, you know the consequences will be bad, and chose the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. Education can manifest a culture that operates on this morality. We know that, because that is what we did, until we replaced that education with education for technology. The collapse of our economy is one result of amoral, technological education, because it is impossible to make enough laws.
The Greeks thought we were made in the image of the gods, because we can learn and reason. Our liberty depends on this and then on education for good moral judgment.
What makes Christianity noticeably different is the notion that we are born in sin, and required the sacrifice of Jesus to be saved and enter heaven. This was lacking in former beliefs. Today, many Christians believe, unless a person is one of them, the person does not know God and morals, and is not saved by Jesus, and can not go to heaven, and they must protect their communities and the world from these non Christian people.
Christianity also teaches, God can forgive them their wrongs, and everything will be okay. But the truth is, something is wrong because the consequences are bad, and God can not change the consequences of our wrongs.
Christians also believe when they enter heaven they will no longer be imperfect. Like a prejudiced person is going to suddenly love everyone as equals in heaven? Hum, how does that work? Or perhaps there different places in heaven for different people, and we are surrounded with people who are only like ourselves? I am implying, you will be what you are, and if you want to be different, today is a good time to exercise being different. Christianity is not the best moral system, because it is so self serving, and does not expend the consciousness as must be done if people are going to be moral.
link
Socrates was offering people something better than religion. He was offering rational morality, which is superior to fearing the gods. He was ordered to stop corrupting youth with his questions about the gods, that caused doubt in the gods, out of the same fear for morality that Christians have today. If people stopped believing in the gods, they would stop fearing them and stop being moral.
Rational morality is to understand the consequences of an action, and knowing enough to choose the right thing. Our liberty is based on this. Our liberty is not the freedom to do as we please, but the freedom to decide for ourselves what is right, and to act upon it. If we choose wrongly the consequences will be bad. So even if you think we can get away with dumping waste in a stream, you know the consequences will be bad, and chose the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. Education can manifest a culture that operates on this morality. We know that, because that is what we did, until we replaced that education with education for technology. The collapse of our economy is one result of amoral, technological education, because it is impossible to make enough laws.
The Greeks thought we were made in the image of the gods, because we can learn and reason. Our liberty depends on this and then on education for good moral judgment.
What makes Christianity noticeably different is the notion that we are born in sin, and required the sacrifice of Jesus to be saved and enter heaven. This was lacking in former beliefs. Today, many Christians believe, unless a person is one of them, the person does not know God and morals, and is not saved by Jesus, and can not go to heaven, and they must protect their communities and the world from these non Christian people.
Christianity also teaches, God can forgive them their wrongs, and everything will be okay. But the truth is, something is wrong because the consequences are bad, and God can not change the consequences of our wrongs.
Christians also believe when they enter heaven they will no longer be imperfect. Like a prejudiced person is going to suddenly love everyone as equals in heaven? Hum, how does that work? Or perhaps there different places in heaven for different people, and we are surrounded with people who are only like ourselves? I am implying, you will be what you are, and if you want to be different, today is a good time to exercise being different. Christianity is not the best moral system, because it is so self serving, and does not expend the consciousness as must be done if people are going to be moral.