Quote:
Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru
It sounds like you are referring to Christianity here. If so, I think this is a misreading. Fear of punishment is related to sin. A religious (Christian) man does good to be closer to God (i.e. to feel divine grace), not out of fear. The idea of fire and brimstone and an unforgiving and wrathful God is mostly Old Testament. There is some of this in the New Testament too, but it is more related to what would be your fate if you are sinful. It's more or less an allegory that states: Your fate will be like the Devil's if you align with him (i.e. doing evil will have bad results).
So, to be more accurate: A religious (Christian) man refrains from doing evil out of fear of punishment, and he does good to feel the divine grace of God.
But also bear in mind the idea of repentance from sin, and the atonement of past sins. God is forgiving and has eternal love. Those who end up in hell (i.e. experience eternal torment) only do so because they refuse to repent and/or they refuse God's love, which is universal.
Also, your statement relating to doing good for the sake of doing good is too simplistic. It would be more accurate if you said you do good because of the outcome of such actions. Those of us who are atheists would like to say we do good because it is the right thing to do, but if we think on it more, we will reveal more: We do good because of specific outcomes. We do good because we know why it is good. We do good because evil causes negative effects. What's more, atheists aren't the only ones who think this way.
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You can argue semantics all day, but I stand by my statement.
I was not refering to hell, but rather the worst fate for a true believer, separation from his or her God (or gods).
As for me, I actually try to do what's right because it is right. You are arguing for expediency, not morality.