Is Religion a Prerequisite of Altruism - 1890 Words

Over the past few years we have often heard conservative politicians speak of the decline of so-called â€Å"family values† in America, to the point that the very term has become clichà ©. In most cases this longing to return to family values is a thinly veiled reference to religion, specifically Christianity, and the belief that the United States of America was established upon the tenets of Christian dogma and has somehow fallen away from its beliefs. This apostasy has resulted, they reason, in virtually all of the bad things that happen in our world, from increases in violent crime to decreases in church attendance and revenues. If only America once again embraced its Christian roots, all would be well. At least that is what we are led to†¦show more content†¦If motive is unclear they simply say that only God knows what is in a man’s heart, and He will make the final judgment. Fine and dandy, but what about those of us who are not religious? By now you have probably figured out that I am a skeptic when it comes to the existence of God. In simple terms, I am an atheist. I do accept the possibility that I could be wrong. But let me go a step further and say that if God does exist, I don’t want to have anything to do with him (her, it, or them). It is clear that the idea of a loving God which I learned about in Sunday school was a gross distortion. What good and righteous reason could God possibly have for allowing his beloved humans to suffer and die needlessly around the world? The believer’s retort is that God doesn’t do bad things, he simply allows Satan to work evil in the world to test our faith and make us stronger. Am I the only one who thinks this logic is perverted? If you are God, aren’t you still ultimately responsible for the results of Satan’s mischief? Isn’t Satan, evil though he may be, still subject to God’s dominion? Any parent on earth who allowed the intentional mistreatment of their child would be charged with child abuse, placed in jail, and the child would be taken from them. But to Christians, this is accepted as an expression of God’s love for his children since, of course, â€Å"God is love.† Really. Consider the case of poor Job from the Bible. God and SatanShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Ethics of Torture1633 Words   |  7 Pageslead to a majority benefit. (Stanford 1) Also, one might be able to analyze the cost-benefit analysis in a specific situation, but what about the next time? Known as ‘the calculation problem’, it states that because we cannot always weigh the ‘prerequisite to outcome’ ratio the same in all situations, it is impossible to make a morally permissible universal rule, in this case, regarding torture. (Jason 5.8; 2) Next up is Ethical Egoism. Similar to Utilitarianism, it states that an act is procedurallyRead MoreSeparation Thesis : Law And Morals2500 Words   |  10 Pageskilling infuses into why we obey law. However, Hart distinguishing what law is and what law ought to be is allowing it to have universal application because he is not concerned about what law should be. Therefore morals including cultural norms/religion/social institutions requiring laws to reflect beliefs will not be needed for laws validity. If it was law would not be applicable to everyone as our moral obligations to act under the law will differ because beliefs/norms will conflict. ThereforeRead MoreItalian Culture and Work Ethics6449 Words   |  26 Pagesindependence), life-dme employment in government and union employment policies have come to be considered as a necessary and sufficient prerequisite for the attainment of adulthood. The quest for so-caUed guaranteed employment has led Italian society to one of the most cridcal paradoxes in its history: the creadon of a barrier to occupadonal access for youth. Thus, the one prerequisite considered a vital and sufficient condidon for the evoludon of Italian families , life-dme employment, has become one of theRead MoreSources of Ethics20199 Words   |  81 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0- JOHN STEINER AND GEORGE STEINER SIX PRIMARY SOURCES OF ETHICS: 6 1- Religion: 6 2- Genetic Inheritance: 8 3- Philosophical Systems: 8 4- Cultural Experience: 8 5- The Legal System: 9 6- Codes of Conduct: 9 2.0- EXPLANATION OF THE SOURCES OF ETHICS: 10 2.1- RELIGION: 10 Teaching business ethics 12 2.11- Impact Of Religiosity: 13 2.12- Ethics Of Islam: 14 Nature of Islamic Ethics 17 The Human-Environment Relationship: 20 The SustainableRead MoreDissertation Proposal on Managing Diversity of Workforce18916 Words   |  76 Pagesto address the other research questions: 1. Creativity 2. Management 3. Achievement 4. Surroundings 5. Supervisory relations 6. Way of life 7. Security 8. Associates 9. Esthetics 10. Prestige 11. Independence 12. Variety 13. Economic return 14. Altruism; and 15. Intellectual stimulation (Super, 1970). According to Murphy, Conoley, Impara (1994) the Work Values Inventory is â€Å"designed to measure the values which are extrinsic to as well as those which are intrinsic in work† (p. 998). The surveyRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesthe need to install a radically new production process. Boy, was I unprepared for that! The message behind these personal observations is clear: from almost every perspective, competence in personal, interpersonal, and group skills is a critical prerequisite for success in management. Strong analytical and quantitative skills are important, but they are not sufficient. Successful managers must be able to work effectively with people. Unfortunately, interpe rsonal and management skills have not always