without religon good people do good things bad people do bad things.with religon good people do bad things.eh?
397178
:) Good question!\nLet us put it this way.... without religion, people do what they want to do (if you keep aside law for a minute). With religion, people still do what they want to do, but feel guilty, unhappy, worried or self conscious about it.\nThis is because it is religion that classified things into good and bad, acceptable and unacceptable, noble and ignoble! \nNow too, most of us do what pleases us, but end up feeling good or bad, because that is all we learnt from religion!
253213
Talk about stereotyping ! \n\nThere are bad Atheists out there and yes, believe it or not, there are good Christians, good Muslims, and good Hindus. Yea, even those of fundamentalist stripes can often be people of high morals.\n\nAnd BTW most fundamentalist Christians would say that good deeds never earned anyone salvation- faith in Jesus is what they base their salvation on.
517060
do GOOD - God laughs\ndo BAD or hurt someone - God doesnt laugh
651065
Not necessarily, I know some very compassionate caring atheists. Unfortunately many deny God either from bad experiences with religon or the cunning of human philosophies but not believing in God does not make you a bad person by default.
1055485
god is not the good police making sure that every decent person only has good stuff happen to them.  if nothing bad ever happened you would never grow or mature.  it's the tough times that shapes your character.
576884
Bad things happen to everyone. It's just that when a person does nothing but good themselves, there is more of a stark contrast when something bad happens.\n\nPeople who do bad things don't usually have much self-respect and don't appreciate anyone else. They just assume that everyone is like them and so the bad things seem like 'normal'.\n\nOn the other hand, truly good people don't expect that others are anything but good. That's why being mugged or being cut off on the freeway is that much harder to accept.\n\nIf, on the other hand, God does exist in any form, he/she/it would probably do well to let us be. It's time that the sheep, who are now adults, bear the full responsibility of their actions. Some people say that God moves in mysterious ways. I posit that God moved 'town' under suspicious circumstances.\n\nHave you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market-place, and cried incessantly: "I am looking for God! I am looking for God!"\n\nAs many of those who did not believe in God were standing together there, he excited considerable laughter. Have you lost him, then? said one. Did he lose his way like a child? said another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? or emigrated? Thus they shouted and laughed. The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his glances.\n\n"Where has God gone?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns? Are we not perpetually falling? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is it not more and more night coming on all the time? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we not smell anything yet of God's decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whosoever shall be born after us - for the sake of this deed he shall be part of a higher history than all history hitherto."\n\nHere the madman fell silent and again regarded his listeners; and they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern to the ground, and it broke and went out. "I have come too early," he said then; "my time has not come yet. The tremendous event is still on its way, still travelling - it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time, the light of the stars requires time, deeds require time even after they are done, before they can be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than the distant stars - and yet they have done it themselves."\n\nIt has been further related that on that same day the madman entered divers churches and there sang a requiem. Led out and quietened, he is said to have retorted each time: "what are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchres of God?"
891641
This is true. Most people, of any religion, are good. \n\nAnyone who does make this ugly would be the exceptions here.
258264
I concur.  I feel like adherence to a prescribed moral principle removes personal responsibility.  I've felt that way (only perhaps less eloquent!) since I was eight.  If you are a good person because you adhere to the Bible / church values unquestioningly, you aren't actually a good person.  You are only truly good if you are the person choosing your own behavior.  I think fundamentally it boils down to manners - in greater or lesser dimensions.
144896
They don't need religion to be moral.  Religion is a tool used to control the masses.
974162
There are good people in all walks of life. Some of the most honest, trustworthy people I have known have been atheists \n\nReligion does not make you good unless you think you are bad already and need to change for the good.
67828
I believe that there is good in everyone but sometime people take advantage of thier goodness and use it hurt others just because it is easier to do evil than good.  We should not get down when we see evil from others, after all we will all be judge of our works by God in the end and reap our rewards then.  Just keep doing good, God's keeping score.
489144
there is bad and good in every group and religion. no one is perfect. remember according to Islam it is forbidden to say something wrong about Jesus and the other prophets. \nalso, in the Quran (i can't remember where the verse is) it says don't curse other religions so they won't curse Allah..\ni am pretty sure that there are verses in the Bible that say something similar to that..\nbut don't forget there is bad and good every where. just try to be a model yourself and don't worry about how bad others behave. there is a judgment day and we are going to be rewarded according to our deeds. \nthere are also very kind Christians over here just look deep enough and you will see how much nice people there are in the other world.
221034
I agree with you. It's sad that people think that they need religion to be a good person.  Why can't people be nice without wanting something in return.  That's really what religious people seem to want.  It seems like most think that they need to earn their place in heaven.  I honestly think that religion is the root of all evil and it is what turns most people against each other.  It only seems to seperate people into groups.  Everyone thinks that their religion is right and that people from their religion are better than others.  My question is...Who is right?  What makes one person think that they are right over another when they have no proven fact to base their opinions on in the first place?\n   So, I have to agree...different religions only cause seperation and problems!
425183
Good and evil are directly related to your position to the issue, the intentions of the person that caused the issue, and the REAL outcome.  <Atheist view
21201
Bad things happen to good and bad people both. It only seems like an injustice when it happens to a good person. Often, good people are people who have overcome bad circumstances.
986543
good outweigh bad\n\n:> peace\n.
1008554
NO- atheist does not mean satanist (if you are equating that to evil). A belief system is sacred. I applaud anyone that takes the time to sort things out and not blindly follow the theology (or lack there of)  of their parents/friends/whatever. I occasionally wonder if those that do the right thing because it is the right thing and not to attain entrance into heaven more commendable.  If you are talking about someone who believes in nothing and therefore cares about nothing I'm not sure I would consider them "good"--- but who determines "evil" anyway.