Manedwolf, I'm really curious where you get that view of religion. I also wonder why you would make the generalization that religious people only do good things out of hope for some eternal reward.
I don't.
In my experience, humanist atheists and real Christians, in the true sense, get along quite well. They share a sense of common decency to mankind, and do things because it's right to do them. The Christian might believe they're being observed, the atheist might just have a vested interest in promoting the future of mankind, promoting knowledge and alleviating suffering, but the goal is the same, as is the motivation. I don't see any conflict there. You help an old lady across the street, you rescue a kitten from a drain, you risk your own life to pull someone from a crashed vehicle, because it's the
right thing to do in the most basic definition of human.
Yeah, there's nihilist atheists, but they're boring and depressing. I don't know any personally. They have no purpose.
In my experience, what I call actual Christians go by the idea of "good deeds are best done unseen". The only sort of religious sorts I, personally, don't get along with are the ones who only do "good deeds" when under the spotlight for everyone to see, or, in their own minds, in hopes of a shinier afterlife. Thankfully, I don't meet too many of those, the "church of the holy rolex" sort one sees on televangelist programs. I've met a few, and I was repulsed...crucifixes on every non-mobile surface in their home, but seemingly more as an excuse than a symbol of anything to aspire to...truly mean, small people. I don't consider that sort to be Christians, really.
Most good Christians of the sort I know are just good, quiet family people who do good deeds out the kindess of their own hearts. So are good people of other religions. I went to a lot of Passover seders as a kid, family friends and such. And I get along with them quite well. They want to raise their family with morals, whether the basis of that is their scripture or, in the case of good atheists and agnostics, the basic laws of human decency and civilization...they're pretty much the same laws. Any civilization that's lasted long at all has learned to live by them.
And I get along with that sort far better than I do with selfish leftists, who are usually absolute and complete hypocrites in every sense of the word.
