Does religion motivate?

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A really-quite-nice-atheist-friend of mine once commented that whilst he thought religions were pointless or even dangerous in how they influence people, he had to admit that people of faith were more likely to 'get things done' where injustice, poverty and human rights were concerned.

Of course there are many secular organisations, I am not saying there aren't ... but my friend felt that people of faith often seemed to take a more personal and active role - investing time regularly to help people, often voluntarily and without pay. Many charitable causes rely on people like that.

My atheist friend thought that non-believers (on the whole) did not seem to have the same enthusiasm, energy and focus in such matters than their believeing counterparts.

What are your thoughts? Is my friend right?
If so, why?

Peace :)
 
How many non believers end up doing good through a religous organization because its more convenient? I'll bring up some stats when I find them...
 
This is a misleading question. Which will confuse the rest of the discussion.

Fitrah- Islamic concept of original goodness

All human beings have fitrah. The purpose of religion is to purify and give direction to that fitrah.

Only the right religion will give true purpose to that fitrah.

Without religion, people do what they personally think is right, which may or may not be really right.

Ontop of that, everyone gets what they intended. An atheist who tries to be a law abiding citizen in order to live comfortably will get that. But a Muslim who will do good deeds out of love and fear of Allah and desire for the hearafter will rise above atheists because their morality is not bound by the material world.

Best examples? Moses, Jesus, Muhammad PBUAOT. Noone was as moral as them, sinless as them, righteous as them because of their adherence to the religion of Allah.
 
Would you work with non-Muslims for the sake of charity, AAK?

There is much need in the world, and as far as I am concerned everybody able should be part of meeting that need.
For the sake of overcoming suffering in the world I happily work alongside people from all religions and none.

It is what we achieve that matters to those in need, not what motivations or reasons we have!
 
of course religion motivates, but to wht?

Islam motivates me towards generosity, justice, love and fight against oppression!

but some world leaders are motivated by their religion towards injustice, oppression and occupying other's lands.....

why? bcoz they say that God told them to invade somelse's place!
 
Greetings and peace be with you glo; I hope you are well.

Next week around 300,000 Christians from around twenty thousand churches in the UK will be out collecting for Christian Aid. This is a wonderful charity that helps people of all faiths and no faith, they also work alongside Muslim Charities at times. We have voluntary collectors who have been doing this for twenty years.

There are around three thousand Street Pastors who go out on a Friday or Saturday night trying to bring about a little kindness to the late night community. We are all volunteers, and we come into contact with drugs, gangs, drunks troubled and violent people in the hope of bringing a little peace. In places where we operate there is often a dramatic drop in crime. I feel a great sense of joy working with Christians from many denominations, our differences seem to disappear, we pray for each other and rely on each other for support.

I feel greatly inspired by volunteers in their seventies and eighties who just continue to help people and do good, instead of putting their feet up and enjoying their retirement.

I have found that faith in God has been the catalyst for these things to happen.

In the spirit of praying for a greater interfaith solution for our troubled world.

Eric
 
Hi Eric

I know I ask difficult questions, but can you try to explain how your faith is God has helped you to have such energy and commitment to voluntary work?

There is a group of people from my church who get up early every Saturday morning to cook breakfast for 30-40 people. They haven't missed a single Saturday in over htree years, and I am really impressed by their commitment and hard work.

There must be hundreds of thousands of people like that across the world, giving their own time and effort for charitable causes - what a difference they must be making!
 
Greetings and peace be with you glo,

I know I ask difficult questions, but can you try to explain how your faith is God has helped you to have such energy and commitment to voluntary work?
Click to expand...

Prayer is one way that motivates me, I feel I cannot pray for the poor, the homeless, justice, interfaith relations and leave it all to God to sort out. If I really want things to happen I also have to do something myself.

God has placed enough resources in this world for all people, so world poverty is a sin against God. Anything I do to help the poor is like lending to God.

At some point I will have to stand before God, and I feel that I need to do more now, I shall have trouble trying to justify the things I do in this life.

Jesus said, whatever you do unto the least of these brothers of mine, so you do unto me. I wish I could say hand on heart that I treated every one as if they are Jesus.

In the spirit of praying for justice for all people

Eric
 
Of course it motivates, see it like a ''carrot on a stick'' thing, this is the fundemental principles of behaviorism, you do something good: you get rewarded, something bad?: you get punished.




Regards.
 
Islam does motivate for me becuz it explains how giving charity gets us good deeds and inshAllah a place in heaven.
 
memories said:
Of course it motivates, see it like a ''carrot on a stick'' thing, this is the fundemental principles of behaviorism, you do something good: you get rewarded, something bad?: you get punished.
Click to expand...

I would like to think that it is more than just behaviorism. If it isn't, then the value of faith is purely self-gratification. And I don't believe that to be true. Rather, I believe that people are often motived to do the right thing, simply because they know it to be the right thing, without any thought to reward. I see this behavior among people of all faiths and of no faith, but I do see it most frequently among people who seem to have developed some degree of personal faith that they have internalized and not just one of adopting whatever one's cultural patterns make socially acceptable.
 
Grace Seeker said:
I would like to think that it is more than just behaviorism. If it isn't, then the value of faith is purely self-gratification. And I don't believe that to be true. Rather, I believe that people are often motived to do the right thing, simply because they know it to be the right thing, without any thought to reward. I see this behavior among people of all faiths and of no faith, but I do see it most frequently among people who seem to have developed some degree of personal faith that they have internalized and not just one of adopting whatever one's cultural patterns make socially acceptable.
Click to expand...

Come on? you cant seriously beleive that, thats downright Naive, I could show you a number of examples of altruistic behavior, and then what is the definition of good?: This definition is what our culture make it.

I think you see ''people motivated to do the right thing, simply because they know it to be the right thing'' because nature has instigated some sort of ''good people'' natural selection, Indeed their are more good persons than bad ones.
 
Greetings and peace be with you memories;
Come on? you cant seriously beleive that, thats downright Naive, I could show you a number of examples of altruistic behavior, and then what is the definition of good?: This definition is what our culture make it.
Click to expand...
Can I ask, how does your Christian faith motivate you?

In the spirit of searching for God

Eric
 
Eric H said:
Greetings and peace be with you memories;

Can I ask, how does your Christian faith motivate you?

In the spirit of searching for God

Eric
Click to expand...

When discussing here I consider every oppinion and shed light on every points of view, no matter christian or not. To make the truth come out by itself.I found god and I am no longer looking for him.
why do you ask ? becaus, after all we come here to discuss and we need an open mind and it cannot be closed for religious considerations. or that would make us blind and the discusion pointless where everyone would be camped on their own position.

regards
 
memories said:
When discussing here I consider every oppinion and shed light on every points of view, no matter christian or not. To make the truth come out by itself.I found god and I am no longer looking for him.
why do you ask ? becaus, after all we come here to discuss and we need an open mind and it cannot be closed for religious considerations. or that would make us blind and the discusion pointless where everyone would be camped on their own position.

regards
Click to expand...
I don't think you answered the question. The question is not about the discussion board, though of course it could apply here; I understand it to be about life in general. So, how does your Christian faith -- you've identified yourself as a Christian -- motivate you? Does it only motivate you to do good things in the hope of receiving a reward for them? Or does it motivate you in any other way?

For instance, my Christian faith motivates me to share my faith with others (and I would assume that Muslims feel a similar motivation) not because of any reward I might reap for sharing (for I don't understand that I get any such reward for doing that), but because I want others to find the same sort of peace that I have found.

I would even go so far as to suggest that those who are motivated simply by the desire to flee hell and enter heaven/paradise may be motivated by religion, but have yet to find genuine living faith.
 
Grace Seeker said:
I don't think you answered the question. The question is not about the discussion board, though of course it could apply here; I understand it to be about life in general. So, how does your Christian faith -- you've identified yourself as a Christian -- motivate you? Does it only motivate you to do good things in the hope of receiving a reward for them? Or does it motivate you in any other way?

For instance, my Christian faith motivates me to share my faith with others (and I would assume that Muslims feel a similar motivation) not because of any reward I might reap for sharing (for I don't understand that I get any such reward for doing that), but because I want others to find the same sort of peace that I have found.

I would even go so far as to suggest that those who are motivated simply by the desire to flee hell and enter heaven/paradise may be motivated by religion, but have yet to find genuine living faith.
Click to expand...

my faith does not only motivate me by fear of hell or desire or heaven, there you go . this quote resumes my thought on the subject.

God is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with Nature. In one sense, every life is in harmony with Nature, since it is such as Nature’s laws have caused it to be; but in another sense a human life is only in harmony with Nature when the individual will is directed to ends which are among those of Nature. Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature. (Zeno, founder of Stoicism, 333-262 BC)
 

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