Dangerous Thought #11 – God Corrupts Our Natural Empathy

17 Ways Religion Corrupts Us

Atheist Max

When we see someone in trouble we want to help. But when we bring God along, it is often counterproductive.

o-FAKE-SMILE-facebookOf course, believers mean well. And seeing someone in need will bring out the Good Samaritan in any of us – whether one thinks god is real or not.

Unfortunately, religion worsens things because it makes people say and do evil things without them even being aware of it.

An example.
Suppose a person has suffered a terrible loss:

Christian friend:
“I heard you are in need, I’m going to pray for you.”

Atheist friend:
“I heard you are in need, what can I do to help?”

Each friend is acting lovingly. They both want to help.
To be fair, the Christian may pray and also offer practical help.

But what does religion add?

It deflects responsibility: “your problem is in God’s hands.”
It corrupts empathy: “God gave you this problem so I would have a purpose today.”
It corrupts friendship: “I’m here to…

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About Atheist Max

I'm a former Christian who became Atheist in middle age. My blog is a journal of how I lost religion and discovered a better life. For Peace, Civility and the Separation of Church and State
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