Do atheist realize some of their basic principles they believe are related to Christi

Like the Golden rule - Matthew 7:12 - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

If not for religion - I don't even know where charity would be. Because Christianity has been teaching charity all over the World and Christians are some of the most charitable people. Not all Christians but those who follow what Jesus actually said.

See the bible is not all bad - some of your basic beliefs have been influenced by the bible and you don't even realize it. As a bible scholar - I hear atheist paraphrasing words from the bible all the time. They don't even realize what they are saying is said in the bible.

It's really ironic.
I'm aware of that A is for Atheist - I never said Jesus was the first to say it. I said those principles relates to Christianity.

Did I ever say - These things are all directly from the bible? No I didn't.

The Golden Rule isn't an original work with Christianity; it's a translation.

Charity isn't original with Christianity either. You've got it backwards; the Bible contains a lot of Prue-existing stuff.

The golden rule predates Christianity. As a matter of fact, it predates known history itself, the furthest it can be traced back in over 4300 years ago.

Please, you're no more a bible scholar than I am an astronaut.



@ additional details -
"The golden rule" can be found in nearly every religion. It as much relates to Christianity as it does to ancient Greek mythology, Paganism, etc.

100% of all the rules in the bible are common sense

No, the golden rule originated with Confucius, who came long before the Jesus guy.

so being kind and generous was a Christian invention. How come monkeys help to clean each other then? Aren't they acting on to others how they themselves wish to be treated? Have they ever read the bible?

"See the bible is not all bad"

That's your standard? It's partially good?

I agree that it's a good rule, but you are the one that is confused as to the origins of that "rule".


And I find it really sad that you believe that humans were never charitable or compassionate before Christianity.

Actually, that's been said by several people outside of Christianity or even other religions. Confusius said it. As did Buddha.

Charity would still be there. I'm not sure where you all get this idea that only Christianity teaches such things or that only Christianity would do for others.

The Bible was influenced by others..... The Bible wasn't a BOOK til much much later. And the majority of the basic, common sense teachings such "treat others as you want to be treated" are found EVERYWHERE, including atheistic philosophies such as Confusius and Buddha both of which are older.

"See the bible is not all bad..." you are absolutely right, but lots of it is bad. And the good parts anyone sane human being could suss out on their own.

Actually I think the bible was influenced by those things.

I never said everything in the bible was wrong, but there is enough wrong in it to not believe in the whole thing.

Saying that is like saying since the bible talks about human beings, then atheists must not believe in human beings.

"some of your basic beliefs have been influenced by the bible and you don't even realize it."

Yes, we do. That doesn't make Christianity true.

"Like the Golden rule - Matthew 7:12 - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Oh, you mean that passage that was recorded several centuries earlier, as stated by the Asian philosopher Confucius in his Analects (circa 475 BCE)?

[edit]
"I'm aware of that A is for Atheist - I never said Jesus was the first to say it. I said those principles relates to Christianity."

You seem to be missing the point: If these things are not unique to Christianity, then how can you say that atheists are "paraphrasing words from the Bible all the time"? Especially since the Bible paraphrased them from other sources to begin with?

So to directly answer your question, yes - I'm aware that my moral philosophy is influenced by the teachings of various religions and other philosophies. However, that doesn't mark those religions as good things, or as veracious concepts - only that they picked up on good philosophies that are completely separate from those religions, thus showing that religion is not required in any way to be a good person.

The Golden Rule precedes Christianity.

You do realize that many of the morals found in the bible existed long beforehand, don't you? That little golden rule of yours existed in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and many other cultures that predate Christianity.

Do you realize that all of your Christian beliefs are based on other religions and other rituals?
Still don't believe that your god exists.

The idea that history has a directionality - ever onward and upward. Whether the destination be heaven, or a technological utopia and "enlightenment", it is an idea very much borrowed from religion.

Then what about all the OTHER stuff in the bible promoting slavery, genocide, xenophobia, misogyny and racism? Can we give credit to Christianity for THOSE lovely things as well, or are you gonna do what you guys always do and give the Bible all the credit for the good stuff and then ignore the evil parts?

Kid . . . . I'm sorry but my NOT believing in any breed of imaginary little space man has no similarity to any religion that I know of.
Oh and people were kind to each other before your zombie hit the streets . . . did you ever hear about that good Samaritan. . . your zombie mentioned him once I think yeah ?
~

Let me put it this way to you:

Humans could not have SURVIVED before the bible if they were waiting for someone to tell them "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

What about the Sumerians (thousands of years before the bible was written)? They didn't have Christianity, yet they had to have followed a basic moral code to have even survived to reproduce children and have a society as they did. Did that come from Christianity? Did that come from the Bible? Did that come from Judaism? Did that come from the Torah? NO.

Morality and ethics are an evolutionary mechanism and the Golden Rule (as we now call it) has evolved in societies as a way to bump up survival of a species.

Religion has taken credit for our innate ethics and morals and purports to have created it. This is a blatant lie.

Morals were around long before the bible was written. God created them no doubt, but that doesn't change the fact that they already existed.

What I find ironic is when the non-believer tries to discredit the Bible by saying it's folklore, written over 2,000 years ago. Then they go and quote Confucius and Buddha

Yeah, Humans are distantly related to apes. Doesn't make us the same.

I don't "believe" anything. "Belief" is worthless, nothing but imagination without knowledge or evidence.

"Principles" that are beneficial and useful to society are beneficial and useful to society, no matter what their origin. As it turns out, some beneficial and useful principles came from people that also believed in magical gods. Others didn't.

What *you* don't seem to understand is that nearly all of your "christian principles" did not originate with Christianity (nor Judaism). The "golden rule," for example, had been stated and promoted by a number of cultures and philosophers long before the supposed time of magic Jesus. The gospel writers copied it, bible Jesus didn't invent it.

What little is "good" in the Jesus stories isn't original, and what little is original isn't very "good." And if you think that the "charity" taught by Christianity outweighs the out-group hatred, superstition, poor thinking, and irrationality taught by Christianity, then you're simply cherry-picking what you find "good" and ignoring the rest.

Peace.

Just because certain concepts were appropriated by Christianity hardly means they are unique to it. Charity is a fairly universal concept (and not even limited to humans...ever hear of dolphins aiding swimmers in distress?) and indubitably predates Christianity (for example, the grave of the neanderthal nicknamed Lucy was found with gifts from tribe members buried with her body.)

When you quote the bible, it is only fair for us to assume that THE WORDS ARE FROM THE BIBLE. And since clearly you don't know anything with that hot-headed mindset of yours you are "inclined" to believe that Christianity is responsible for all the sweet little gumdrop things in the world.. yeah go tell the ashes of the witches you've burned that.

What is really ironic is that you think Matthew said something original. That had been around for MilenaIAefore he plagiarized it.

What terribly false claims! Do you not realize firstly that those were stolen from much earlier societies and secondly that lying for god is still lying!

Anti atheism is doing so much damage to Christianity that it is in reality anti Christianity ? David Manley

Up until about 40 years back Christianity was thriving and there was no conflict with others but in just those few short years the modern Christians have become intolerant, hate filled, bigoted and persecuting resulting in a growing backlash against Christianity and causing Christianity to loose over ten percent in less than a decade with the loss accelerating!

The self destruction of Christianity is underway and the only thing that can stop it is to abandon the terrible human emotions, seek to rediscover the idea of a loving god and act like it!