What defines what is right and wrong?

[Eternal]

I am religious so what I do and think he often defined by what I believe and therefore make me want to make good choices.

Those who don't believe in God or any type of higher power what defines what is right and wrong? and do you feel less accountable to it because there are less foreseen consequences?

I have often wondered if I would live differently if i didnt have my beliefs.

 

[Lightworker]

Generally, in a very simplistic way, my moral compass is based largely on how I would feel if a certain action was done to me.

 

[magicvw]

Lightworker, that's how I feel too. I'm not religious, but I have a strong sense of what is right and wrong. Things that are wrong make other people feel bad - basically. That just about covers everything lol! I don't like to be made to feel like shit, so I try not to do things which make other people feel like shit. This is also takes into account most laws as somewhere along the line, someone loses out if you break a law. If you park in without paying, someone loses their income. If you don't take your library books back, you prevent others from borrowing them. If you evade tax, you are depriving your country's people of funds.

OP were you thinking about this with a specific dilemma in mind, or just generally?

 

[Eternal]

Generally, in a very simplistic way, my moral compass is based largely on how I would feel if a certain action was done to me.

thanks, that makes sense and is a really nice outlook. If everything was like that then how wonderful would the world be.

 

[magicvw]

It's the Christian principle, isn't it. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. I totally agree with that principle, but I don't believe in God and I most definitely not a Christian. I know a lot of so called Christians who don't apply this principle, and I know a lot of very "good" people who aren't Christians. I don't treat people nicely because I think I might go to hell if I don't, I do it because it feels nice lol!

It's like disciplining your kids. Do they brush their teeth because it can be fun and it's healthy and they know why they're doing it, or do they brush their teeth because they're afraid of being told off if they don't?

 

[Eternal]

Lightworker, that's how I feel too. I'm not religious, but I have a strong sense of what is right and wrong. Things that are wrong make other people feel bad - basically. That just about covers everything lol! I don't like to be made to feel like shit, so I try not to do things which make other people feel like shit. This is also takes into account most laws as somewhere along the line, someone loses out if you break a law. If you park in without paying, someone loses their income. If you don't take your library books back, you prevent others from borrowing them. If you evade tax, you are depriving your country's people of funds.

OP were you thinking about this with a specific dilemma in mind, or just generally?

No not at all, just was thinking is all, Just thinking if i didnt have my reliogion what would guide me, put I guess I am thinking too simplistic, of course we all have a concious and some of us clearly have a better sense of right and wrong.

I was going to say, what about taking drugs, or speeding or stealing from a supermarket but what you have said makes loads of sense.

Some people seem to have no sense of human compassion, they kill, steal etc and i was thinking i wonder if they felt answerable to someone it would be different, but the reality is religion isn't part of it at all, its just personal responsibility and thinking of others. (and yes i realise that more people have been killed in the name of religion than anything else)

 

[smelly07]

I do not believe there is a higher being, waiting to judge us, i definitely dont believe in any religion.
i believe we are all part of "god", and that there is no 'judge' when we pass over, we are all equal but on different stages of awarness, i believe that we are all here for a reason and that what happens to us in our life happpens to us so we learn and widen are awareness which helps us on the other side!! (sorry bit complex, and i am in a rush again as im off to sing and story time in a second!)

I do not think anyone has the power to dictate what is right and what is wrong, who are we to judge others?
i very much agree and have the same way as thinking as lightworker. x

 

[Eternal]

Yeah, I wants saying those with a religion are nicer people at all, because I certainly know that's not the case, its was very much a simple notion of why are people who dont have that "God will know attitude" nice? lol!

The teeth brushing thing makes sense, i was def brought up with do this or else attitude but we try to explain to our son why he isn't allowed to do certain thing or why he should do others, and he is too young to fully comprehend what he is being told now but I know he will be all the better for it when he grows up.

 

[magicvw]

Some people seem to have no sense of human compassion, they kill, steal etc and i was thinking i wonder if they felt answerable to someone it would be different, but the reality is religion isn't part of it at all, its just personal responsibility and thinking of others. (and yes i realise that more people have been killed in the name of religion than anything else)

Ages and ages ago I read something about serial killers and a lack of some protein or something in their brains. It's a bit blurry now, but I think it was saying something like there is a chemical which is responsible for compassionate feelings, women have more than men. People with very low levels are more likely to commit crimes etc. It was interesting especially from a legal point of view, because if that's the case, then is it really anybody's "fault" if they commit a crime? Yikes this a bit heavy for BnB! lol

 

[magicvw]

This wasn't what I read, but it's along the same lines.

https://oregonstate.edu/terra/2010/04/where-chemistry-meets-compassion/

Still trying to locate the one I read!

 

[Eternal]

Some people seem to have no sense of human compassion, they kill, steal etc and i was thinking i wonder if they felt answerable to someone it would be different, but the reality is religion isn't part of it at all, its just personal responsibility and thinking of others. (and yes i realise that more people have been killed in the name of religion than anything else)

Ages and ages ago I read something about serial killers and a lack of some protein or something in their brains. It's a bit blurry now, but I think it was saying something like there is a chemical which is responsible for compassionate feelings, women have more than men. People with very low levels are more likely to commit crimes etc. It was interesting especially from a legal point of view, because if that's the case, then is it really anybody's "fault" if they commit a crime? Yikes this a bit heavy for BnB! lol

yeah actually heard something like that on CSI hehe. makes sense, my uncle is a psychiatrist like one of the head guys in the country and he says able how complex their thoughts are, they certainly are not "normal", well those aren't his words but something along those lines, as well as the way their minds work are extra ordinary and the line between genius and insane is very thin.

 

[magicvw]

This one is interesting too https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127888976

 

[smelly07]

Some people seem to have no sense of human compassion, they kill, steal etc and i was thinking i wonder if they felt answerable to someone it would be different, but the reality is religion isn't part of it at all, its just personal responsibility and thinking of others. (and yes i realise that more people have been killed in the name of religion than anything else)

Ages and ages ago I read something about serial killers and a lack of some protein or something in their brains. It's a bit blurry now, but I think it was saying something like there is a chemical which is responsible for compassionate feelings, women have more than men. People with very low levels are more likely to commit crimes etc. It was interesting especially from a legal point of view, because if that's the case, then is it really anybody's "fault" if they commit a crime? Yikes this a bit heavy for BnB! lol

wooooooooohhhh makes your head hurt heavy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this wont help ease it but here goes:

(oooooooooooo the brain chemical stuff etc ..very interesting!!)

i believe that we choose our lives now and what happens in them because we need these certain experiences to gain awarness and move up in the 'other life' SO people who have killed, who do evil things choose that life to experience and gain awareness....... a simple way to explain what i believe is that there are 7 stages of awareness, all us humans here experiencing life now are on at least stage 2 level of soul awareness, we do not have to keep reincarnating to gain a higher awareness but its the quickest way, anyhow once we reach staged 4 level there is no need to reincarnate unless we wish to and the final stage level 7 ...(7th heaven) is total awarness and complete bliss!!!! there is a lot more to it than that but thats the jist!!!!!

so where the right and wrong comes in to it, i see it as killing someone is wrong, etc but then i think.... thats that persons 'goal' (as such, couldnt think of another word) they needed to do that in order to acheive what they needed to acheive to higher there awareness as a soul

i know i know sounds crazy right?!!! lot more where that came from!!!!!!, i was talking about it to my husband the other night over dinner and he was just nodding wide eye saying 'yeah aha yeah mmmmmmmm'

 

[magicvw]

That's interesting Smelly! Did you read about that somewhere or figured it out yourself? I sometimes wonder if we are all players in some elaborate computer game Seventh heaven is an Islamic concept - but I'm not sure about the other things - are they connected with islam too?

 

[Bec C]

Im religious so like you I look to the bible as a kind of plumb line.

I think its full of wisdom and advise so I find it interesting reading

 

[Eternal]

wow, really deep ladies, i believe we are in our second stage of life, there are three stages, before we were born and we lived in the pre existence with our heavenly father, he knew us well enough to know what we would do in life, but we still came to earth to prove to ourselves, this is our second stage, after this there is the after life, we all reach heaven (expect a few who go to out of darkness) but there are degrees of glory with that, although each is wonderful and beautiful only the highest level is life with God. Its very simple concept in a diagram but seems really complex written down, well at least by me.

 

[ShanandBoc]

I think we have a built in moral compass because we were created that way (our conscience) to help us distinguish what is right and wrong. Problem is many people dont listen to it

 

[smelly07]

That's interesting Smelly! Did you read about that somewhere or figured it out yourself? I sometimes wonder if we are all players in some elaborate computer game Seventh heaven is an Islamic concept - but I'm not sure about the other things - are they connected with islam too?

i have read millions of life after death, why are we here, books etc etc etc etc, then i came across an author paddy mcmahon and read one of his books (read nearly all of them now) and it just all makes sense to me, it fits in with what i believe/feel.
its not connected to any religion/god. as like paddy i do not believe in a higher being or religion but i did believe that there is something after we die, i wasnt sure where i fit in and when i read one of paddys books i had a 'this is me' this is me' type moment!

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[tina3747]

I think there's many things within us and our lives that mould us into the people we ultimately become. I don't necessarily think just because your religious it makes you morally a good person or right. There's many Christian/catholic/Muslim/ ect ect people who use thier religion in a bad way to justify things that they do.
Good question though, what is right or wrong and who governs it?!?!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

For me, I dont believe in a god. I just believe we need to be good people to make the world go round. I always except that there will be "evil!" people no matter what and I dont believe in the devil either!

For generations we have learnt values of how to live peacefully together and deep inside the majority of us follow these. My need to be a good person is not about a religion but just about enjoying my time as a happy positive person. Not sure if that makes sense x