Highly Religious People Are Less Motivated by

[Karlis]

Thoughts about the content in the article, below appreciated.

Karlis

-=-=-

New research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that the highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics and less religious people.

... The results challenge a widespread assumption that acts of generosity and charity are largely driven by feelings of empathy and compassion,...

Source: http://www.scienceda...e Science News)

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430140035.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fstrange_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Strange+Science+News%29

[questionmark]

Compassion is mostly, just as many other "good" human traits, driven by egotism. You give what you don't need or have plenty off to increase your social standing making sure that everybody notices your giving.

Has nothing to do with religion.

Those who give as a religious duty do so like Saint Nikolaus, in secret without the peers nor the receiver knowing who did it.

[arenee]

What about it just being the right thing to do? What is that considered?

[ChloeB]

Thoughts about the content in the article, below appreciated.

Karlis

-=-=-

New research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that the highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics and less religious people.

... The results challenge a widespread assumption that acts of generosity and charity are largely driven by feelings of empathy and compassion,...

Source: http://www.scienceda...e Science News)

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430140035.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fstrange_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Strange+Science+News%29

Well it's no surprise really, to sign up for what most Christians believe, that they go to heaven, other people go to hell and burn in hellfire for eternity, it desensitizes them to the suffering of others. They abandon loved ones and are willing to forget they exist or ignore people they care about are being tortured. That's the core of it I think, but there's the surface of the appearance of compassion, but those are just orders from outside the person, it doesn't come from within and it's motivated by selfishness to obey God because it benefits them. I never agree with the morality comes from religion, I think religion is a hurdle or a setback to morality or it can be.

[JayMark]

Compassion is mostly, just as many other "good" human traits, driven by egotism. You give what you don't need or have plenty off to increase your social standing making sure that everybody notices your giving.

Has nothing to do with religion.

Those who give as a religious duty do so like Saint Nikolaus, in secret without the peers nor the receiver knowing who did it.

Fair enough.

But I need to agree at least partially with the statement. Many religious fanatics only have compassion for those who are following the same way of thinking and dismiss others as being faulty, wrong, evil, bad etc.

Of course, I don't want to generalize too much here. As you said, it dosen't have to do with religion per se but rather with the individuals, no matter what the philosophy is. It is just that many religious extremists have been often "brainwashed" by other followers which had been "brainwashed" as well et cetera.

So at some point, the influence is so strong that people might want to blame the whole religion for it when it's really about humans.

Peace.

[The Id3al Experience]

Compassion is mostly, just as many other "good" human traits, driven by egotism. You give what you don't need or have plenty off to increase your social standing making sure that everybody notices your giving.

Has nothing to do with religion.

Those who give as a religious duty do so like Saint Nikolaus, in secret without the peers nor the receiver knowing who did it.

I would disagree on this, If you are doing something in order to gain for yourself, then it is not done out of compassion or love.

True love and compassion is done out of the willingness to help out others in times of need or otherwise. Never for personal gain.

In saying that, The result of love and compassion - can tend to automatically make a person in an observers eyes as a 'better' person, but doing the above just for that gain is not true compassion.

This is my opinion.

[questionmark]

I would disagree on this, If you are doing something in order to gain for yourself, then it is not done out of compassion or love.

True love and compassion is done out of the willingness to help out others in times of need or otherwise. Never for personal gain.

In saying that, The result of love and compassion - can tend to automatically make a person in an observers eyes as a 'better' person, but doing the above just for that gain is not true compassion.

This is my opinion.

DUH!

Naturally 99% is not out of compassion and love, else the compassionate and loving would not make such a show out of it.

[Abramelin]

Compassion is mostly, just as many other "good" human traits, driven by egotism. You give what you don't need or have plenty off to increase your social standing making sure that everybody notices your giving.

Has nothing to do with religion.

Those who give as a religious duty do so like Saint Nikolaus, in secret without the peers nor the receiver knowing who did it.

Then how do you know Saint Nikolaus gave in secret??

[karmakazi]

There's a fine line between guilt and compassion, and the study doesn't really define if the people responding to the heartrending video are acting out of true compassion or out of guilt. I'd like to see a study that examines that as well, because many of the people I know tend to act more out of guilt or a sense of duty/responsibility rather than genuine consideration and compassion. IE they do it because they are supposed to, rather than because they genuinely want to.

[Beany]

Fair enough.

But I need to agree at least partially with the statement. Many religious fanatics only have compassion for those who are following the same way of thinking and dismiss others as being faulty, wrong, evil, bad etc.

Of course, I don't want to generalize too much here. As you said, it dosen't have to do with religion per se but rather with the individuals, no matter what the philosophy is. It is just that many religious extremists have been often "brainwashed" by other followers which had been "brainwashed" as well et cetera.

So at some point, the influence is so strong that people might want to blame the whole religion for it when it's really about humans.

Peace.

I would say it is all about humans. God & religion have always taken a beating, some horrific acts have been committed in their names, when it is neither God nor religions which has done the act. I'm always amazed at how certain people are about God's will. IMHO, if it's not about loving, forgiving, compassion, generosity, it has nothing to do with God, but more about human motivations.

[JayMark]

I would say it is all about humans. God & religion have always taken a beating, some horrific acts have been committed in their names, when it is neither God nor religions which has done the act. I'm always amazed at how certain people are about God's will. IMHO, if it's not about loving, forgiving, compassion, generosity, it has nothing to do with God, but more about human motivations.

I like that!

All the morals I find them in spirituality/philosophy. And it's all about us. My vision of a "God" is more like a "force" that is made of consciosuness (you could call this spirit). Like a non-physical, infinite, all-entangled and all-creative "mind" that experiences itself by creating endless possibilities interacting with eachother. So we aren't judged by anybody else but ourselves and we only apply rules to ourselves as well. We are only hurting or loving ourselves. We are human, we are free. There is nothing that isn't part of us. Not even the universe, not even the Whole (aka God, Creator, Source etc).

My thoughts.

Peace.

[Robbie333]

Thoughts about the content in the article, below appreciated.

Karlis

-=-=-

New research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that the highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics and less religious people.

... The results challenge a widespread assumption that acts of generosity and charity are largely driven by feelings of empathy and compassion,...

Source: http://www.scienceda...e Science News)

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430140035.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fstrange_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Strange+Science+News%29

LOL

Edited May 4, 2012 by Robbie333

[Still Waters]

I don't see how this has anything to do with religion. Surely it's more about the person themselves and their feelings towards others.. You don't have to follow any religion to be like that, it's just the kind of person you are.

[markdohle]

It is also about maturity, which is a life long process to achieve at deeper levels. Compassion can be given by a sense of love that is not sentiment but based on 'caring' and also the knowledge based on faith that those with whom your interact or made in God's image. People are either growing towards becoming more loving and human or they are going in the other directions. This test lack depth and an understanding of how people actually grow. God is at work in all hearts, that is why many atheist seem better, they don't have to work through a lot of 'oughts' which can only make the journey more complex. Love of self comes first, which is based on self knowledge, that leads to a better understanding of others......this leads to empathy as well. Without self knowledge, I am not sure compassion can ever grow for those outside ones circle, for if we fear ourselves or hate things about who we are, then others will have to carry that image, they carry our darkness.

peace

mark