Are theists entitled not to care about others?

[wynn]

Are theists entitled not to care about others?

Theists have a factual or at least a declared connection to God. Does this mean that they are entitled not to care about other people (ie. those who do not have such a connection to God)?

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

Does the connection that theists have with God obligate other people to give theists unconditional respect, no matter what the theists do?

 

[SciWriter]

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

No, not by human law, although they can try. As for God's law, an Act of Contrition will absolve them of any shame or blame, they hope.

 

[Saquist]

An Atheist doesn't have to subcomb to these negative behaviors but it's an interesting question if their were more theist in the world than theist, what would it be like?

I've often imagined it something like Russia and America put together.
In Russia some celebrate TWO Christmas celebration because the state encourage them to do away with the 25th celebration. In America commerialism dominates all, religion, politics and industry. The quality that's the same here is...control. Americans do it with commercialism and big business. Russia is more direct with government.

These concepts conjure the idea that the road ahead is atheism, less (even more than now) caring and love. Perhaps only a surface value. We've seen this happening to the institution of marriage for sometime. Regardless of how marriage began it actually found a laudable stability in the Western World, now it's little more than a legality.

Abortion is murder legalized.
Mothers aren't what they used to be.

Look to at the affects of Driving Under the Influence, thousands die every year from these "accidents" yet many are slapped on the wrist.

The Prison System itself is a huge source of apathy in the Western World where all sorts of immoralities are tolerated and...even enabled.

When one says Atheist and Future the word apathy comes to mind.
It's not that Atheism is the force behind it. It's almost like social eventuality. Social entropy.

 

[Enmos]

An Atheist doesn't have to subcomb to these negative behaviors but it's an interesting question if their were more theist in the world than theist, what would it be like?

I've often imagined it something like Russia and America put together.
In Russia some celebrate TWO Christmas celebration because the state encourage them to do away with the 25th celebration. In America commerialism dominates all, religion, politics and industry. The quality that's the same here is...control. Americans do it with commercialism and big business. Russia is more direct with government.

These concepts conjure the idea that the road ahead is atheism, less (even more than now) caring and love. Perhaps only a surface value. We've seen this happening to the institution of marriage for sometime. Regardless of how marriage began it actually found a laudable stability in the Western World, now it's little more than a legality.

Abortion is murder legalized.
Mothers aren't what they used to be.

Look to at the affects of Driving Under the Influence, thousands die every year from these "accidents" yet many are slapped on the wrist.

The Prison System itself is a huge source of apathy in the Western World where all sorts of immoralities are tolerated and...even enabled.

When one says Atheist and Future the word apathy comes to mind.
It's not that Atheism is the force behind it. It's almost like social eventuality. Social entropy.

I don't think you've read the OP too well

 

[sifreak21]

No, not by human law, although they can try. As for God's law, an Act of Contrition will absolve them of any shame or blame, they hope.

hehe but weather they want to admit it or not human law > religous law

 

[cosmictraveler]

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

Seems that some do. In the second world war Germans had, "with God on our side" engraved in their belt buckles as they murdered many of their own countrymen.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Signal,

Are theists entitled not to care about others?

Caring, or not caring about others, is not a right, I would have thought.
Why do you think it is?

Theists have a factual or at least a declared connection to God.

And....

Does this mean that they are entitled not to care about other people (ie. those who do not have such a connection to God)?

What does being a theist have to do with whether or not we care about others?

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

Free to kill, rape, and pillage?
Because they believe in God?
With impunity?

Where is this question coming from?

Does the connection that theists have with God obligate other people to give theists unconditional respect, no matter what the theists do?

This enquirey is wrong on so many levels, that i'm sure there must
be more to it than you're letting on.

Spill...


jan.

 

[Yazata]

Are theists entitled not to care about others?

"Entitled" by whom or by what?

Theists have a factual or at least a declared connection to God. Does this mean that they are entitled not to care about other people (ie. those who do not have such a connection to God)?

If you are asking whether a particular religion's doctrines justify that kind of thing, then that would seem to be a theological issue within that tradition.

If you are asking readers whether we believe that such a thing would be ethical, I can say very emphatically that I don't think so.

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

The Bible portrays God supposedly ordering his Hebrews to totally exterminate the populations of captured Caananite cities -- men, women, children, even their animals.

Does the connection that theists have with God obligate other people to give theists unconditional respect, no matter what the theists do?

That idea sounds a little crazy to me.

 

[wynn]

What does being a theist have to do with whether or not we care about others?

Free to kill, rape, and pillage?
Because they believe in God?
With impunity?

Where is this question coming from?

Being a theist obviously grants a person special privileges. In practice, this usually means being able to get away with all kinds of shit.

This enquirey is wrong on so many levels, that i'm sure there must
be more to it than you're letting on.

Why wrong? Isn't theism all about one-upmanship?

 

[Saquist]

I don't think you've read the OP too well

I prefer my tangent on the OP.

 

[wynn]

"Entitled" by whom or by what?

God, obviously.

If you are asking whether a particular religion's doctrines justify that kind of thing, then that would seem to be a theological issue within that tradition.

It is more than just about the individual tradition.
God is usually defined as "Creator, Maintainer and Controller of the Universe", numerous religions agree on that.
A connection with someone in this position surely has some perks.

If you are asking readers whether we believe that such a thing would be ethical, I can say very emphatically that I don't think so.

They'll say, "But you're just a heathen, what do you know!"

The Bible portrays God supposedly ordering his Hebrews to totally exterminate the populations of captured Caananite cities -- men, women, children, even their animals.

Yes ...

That idea sounds a little crazy to me.

I don't like it either. But meeting a theist who doesn't play the superiority card against others in some way is rare ...

 

[Jan Ardena]

Signal,

Being a theist obviously grants a person special privileges.

Errrrr.... No!!

In practice, this usually means being able to get away with all kinds of shit.

Such as?

Why wrong? Isn't theism all about one-upmanship?

Errrrr....No!!



jan.

 

[spidergoat]

Are theists entitled not to care about others?

Theists have a factual or at least a declared connection to God. Does this mean that they are entitled not to care about other people (ie. those who do not have such a connection to God)?

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

Does the connection that theists have with God obligate other people to give theists unconditional respect, no matter what the theists do?

Yes, if God tells them too, they may even kill their own children.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Yes, if God tells them too, they may even kill their own children.

And we know where you live.

jan.

 

[spidergoat]

God help me from his followers.

 

[Yazata]

God, obviously.

It's doubtless what you meant, but it isn't so obvious from your readers' perspective.

From the point of view of those of us who aren't theists, the 'God' concept doesn't really desire or entitle anything, apart from all the religious traditions that insist that they possess revealed knowledge and can speak for God.

It is more than just about the individual tradition.
God is usually defined as "Creator, Maintainer and Controller of the Universe", numerous religions agree on that.

But those are just abstract philosophical functions until they are filled out into full-fledged doctrines about what God is supposedly up to, what he wants from human beings, and about what we are entitled to do.

A connection with someone in this position surely has some perks.

Maybe, if such a being existed.

Sometimes in the history of religions, having a connection to a deity is a burden and implies special responsibilities that other people don't have. There are strong suggestions of that in parts of the Jewish tradition. Sometimes religious faith calls the faithful towards a higher discipline. It needn't always be a supposed license to violate secular ethics, though on occasion it can be.

They'll say, "But you're just a heathen, what do you know!"

I guess that some of them might. Nevertheless, I still don't think that religious faith places the faithful above and grants them immunity from broader secular ethics.

Regarding the idea that the theists' supposed connection with God somehow obligates nonbelievers to give the theists and their behavior unconditional respect, I think that the suggestion is more than a little bizarre.

I don't like it either. But meeting a theist who doesn't play the superiority card against others in some way is rare ...

I have opinions abut them too, sometimes favorable, sometimes not. But I feel absolutely no obligation to recognize and respect any special status that certain religious believers might try to claim in secular society.

 

[Jan Ardena]

God help me from his followers.

Too late sucker!

jan.

 

[Crunchy Cat]

Are theists entitled not to care about others?

Entitlement requires a sapient life form to grant and enforce entitlement. Caring is not a behavior that any sapient life form can grant or enforce.

Theists have a factual or at least a declared connection to God. Does this mean that they are entitled not to care about other people (ie. those who do not have such a connection to God)?

Same response as above.

Are theists free to kill, rape and pillage, to abuse in any way imaginable, from subtle to gross, with impunity - all because of this connection they have with God?

Killing, raping, pillaging, etc. are all behaviors that the law will punish. If you engage in such an activity then you will be punished if caught.

Does the connection that theists have with God obligate other people to give theists unconditional respect, no matter what the theists do?

Obviously not.

 

[SciWriter]

Deeply flawed "concepts of good" are often the root of evil, for they identify anything contrary as 'evil'. They often come to a bloody end.

 

[wynn]

Such as?

Anything from conversion by the sword, to burning people at the stakes for not being of the right religion, to parents beating their children in the name of God, to theist proselytizers quickly claiming to be "friends" with those they wish to convert (of course, when the person doesn't convert in the desired time-frame, the theists dump them).

And God is watching all this!