I want this board's opinion on something that's been bugging me for a few days.
About a week ago, as I was walking out of my philosophy class, a girl across the hall dropped her books. While this occasionally ends with a pickup line from my end, the response I got wasn't even a thank you. Instead, she (with a noticeable southern twang) and I had the following discourse:
Quote:
Girl: Oh, you're such a good Christian. I'm so glad the Lord was with me today when he sent you. You should come to my church some time!
Me: No thanks.
Girl: Why not?
Me: *Casually* I'm an atheist.
Girl: Oh, Jesus have mercy on you, then.
And then we parted ways. I really didn't have anything to say after her last line, and I prefer to avoid awkward situations like that. Given that I don't even know her name, I could really care less.
But the thing that got me thinking was that many, if not most, religious Americans
really believe that in order to be a good person you have to believe the same (for lack of a better word) bullshit that they do. When I'm online, of course, I have no problem launching myself into a debate with them, although it tends to become more of a textual beat down than anything else. In person, though, I try to avoid it as much as possible. Not out of fear or anything like that, but I just hate arguing with people in Florida. Especially chongas and cholos.
Anyway, I'm just perplexed that people can believe in
one uniting factor being the only factor in the equation of general human decency. Apparently, this girl's prior teachings held that unless someone believed in their god, they were evil and should be ostracized for their nonbelief. Or at least that's what I assume.
So, people of FUBU, what are your views on how religious influences have supposedly affected morality --- to be specific, since the second millennium BCE --- or vice versa? It's something that I've already decided on, but I'd like to read up on some opposing viewpoints if any are available.