Believing in the goodness of others

Zelkova

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God My mother recently said something akin to this like how God is the one that causes people to be good so we should thank him. I find that a strange concept because those people are just being good because that's how they are. It's giving credit to the wrong place kind of like thanking God for success in a surgery but not thanking the actual surgeon for saving your life. What do you think? Where do you attribute the source of the goodness of other people?

Simonthepilgrim

I regret that I think your mother has got her Christian theology wrong, assuming that she is a Christian of course. On the other hand, a grateful mind (even if addressed to the Unknowable) is a blessing.

RisenEnigma

I think it's that many people feel as though they were put right beside death in cases like surgery. Because they could have easily died, God kept them safe while the surgeon could have made a mistake. For example, I have a friend who was in a very bad car accident years ago and I think she lost 500ccs of blood, but came out fine in the head. It wasn't the doctors who saved her, it was more of a miracle. Sure she thanked the doctors for their hard work and dedication, but what was it that did keep her alive and her brain well in something so extreme most people die? She thanks God for this because it was a miracle that she believes only God could have brought forth.

I do attribute the goodness of people to come from themselves. They made their choices. I do find it difficult to give a source, though.

vinlyn

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God My mother recently said something akin to this like how God is the one that causes people to be good so we should thank him. I find that a strange concept because those people are just being good because that's how they are. It's giving credit to the wrong place kind of like thanking God for success in a surgery but not thanking the actual surgeon for saving your life. What do you think? Where do you attribute the source of the goodness of other people?

Well, a fair question when we look at any one person who is "good" is, what made him or her "good". The character and personality each of us has is a result of many factors, and religion may be one of those factors.

compassionate_warrior

One doesn't need religion to know right from wrong, to be good, and to feel compassion for others. I agree that it's the individual who chooses to be kind toward others and to help make the world a better place. Lots of atheists and agnostics do that. And look at the havoc that's been wreaked all over the world, throughout history, in the name of religion.

genkaku

I imagine it's less of a problem for those who know for a fact who, precisely, God is.

Zelkova

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God My mother recently said something akin to this like how God is the one that causes people to be good so we should thank him. I find that a strange concept because those people are just being good because that's how they are. It's giving credit to the wrong place kind of like thanking God for success in a surgery but not thanking the actual surgeon for saving your life. What do you think? Where do you attribute the source of the goodness of other people?

Well, a fair question when we look at any one person who is "good" is, what made him or her "good". The character and personality each of us has is a result of many factors, and religion may be one of those factors.

So are you implying that "good" actions are not a matter of conscious choice but part of our conditioned response to a given stimulus?

taiyaki

the source of goodness and evil is god and you are not separate from god.

there is only potential and the manifestation of the potential. god is potential.
when we become more simple, we find that god is naturally inclined towards goodness.
but again god can also teach us lessons through evil. but at the end of the day there is no good or evil, there is just our projection of those labels.

the foundation is simple. just "be" a good person and naturally good actions will flower.
if your foundation is built on "doing" good actions then you will always look for rewards and favorable conclusions.

i'm just rambling!

compassionate_warrior

the source of goodness and evil is god and you are not separate from god.
there is only potential and the manifestation of the potential. god is potential.

Who, besides Zelkova's mother, said there's a god?

vinlyn

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God My mother recently said something akin to this like how God is the one that causes people to be good so we should thank him. I find that a strange concept because those people are just being good because that's how they are. It's giving credit to the wrong place kind of like thanking God for success in a surgery but not thanking the actual surgeon for saving your life. What do you think? Where do you attribute the source of the goodness of other people?

Well, a fair question when we look at any one person who is "good" is, what made him or her "good". The character and personality each of us has is a result of many factors, and religion may be one of those factors.

So are you implying that "good" actions are not a matter of conscious choice but part of our conditioned response to a given stimulus?

I think it can be both.

Let me give a simple example. I open the door for people without thinking about it. I was raised that way. It's not ingrained.

On the other hand, I have neighbors that I go out of my way to help. That's a conscious decision.

taiyaki

the source of goodness and evil is god and you are not separate from god.
there is only potential and the manifestation of the potential. god is potential.

Who, besides Zelkova's mother, said there's a god?

i'm not saying there is "a" god. i'm saying there is only god. a buddhist would call it emptiness.
lol

aMatt

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God.

I think people are generally afraid of the unknown, so they attribute qualities to it, such as a personality. Also, giving the self up to God is a nice way of cultivating humility, if done without assuming that it makes one better than those who don't. That humility makes us more capable of responding to unfavorable circumstances with less mental painfulness. Etc etc...

Does I matter who she thanks? The surgeon still gets paid.

Zelkova

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God My mother recently said something akin to this like how God is the one that causes people to be good so we should thank him. I find that a strange concept because those people are just being good because that's how they are. It's giving credit to the wrong place kind of like thanking God for success in a surgery but not thanking the actual surgeon for saving your life. What do you think? Where do you attribute the source of the goodness of other people?

Well, a fair question when we look at any one person who is "good" is, what made him or her "good". The character and personality each of us has is a result of many factors, and religion may be one of those factors.

So are you implying that "good" actions are not a matter of conscious choice but part of our conditioned response to a given stimulus?

I think it can be both.

Let me give a simple example. I open the door for people without thinking about it. I was raised that way. It's not ingrained.

On the other hand, I have neighbors that I go out of my way to help. That's a conscious decision.

Ah that makes sense, I agree. Thank you for the clarification.

Zelkova

I was wondering why some people attribute the goodness of other people not to those people themselves but to God.

I think people are generally afraid of the unknown, so they attribute qualities to it, such as a personality. Also, giving the self up to God is a nice way of cultivating humility, if done without assuming that it makes one better than those who don't. That humility makes us more capable of responding to unfavorable circumstances with less mental painfulness. Etc etc...

Does I matter who she thanks? The surgeon still gets paid.

Well I guess that would depend on what the surgeon expects, I would imagine a sincere thank you knowing that you saved someones life would be a great reward.