Morality And Our Motivation For Being Good

[nettieheartful]

actually not all true believers are fooled by false prophets,which there are many that gives you ammnuition against the biblical christians which isnt right that we should be the fall guys for the false bretheren!

[xcellken1]

I used to hitchhile alot when I was a teenager. You wouldn't belive the number of people that would pick me up, and then preach at me the entire time. I guess they did it cause Jesus told them to.

[zen699]

lol, someone is bleeding to death on the side of the road, but I'm having a bad day so I'm just going to drive on by lmao

[Pantera4LifeXTX]

@zen699 A flat tire is not the same thing as someone bleeding to death. Typical religious idiot, of course you don't get it. Be gone TROLL!!!

[zen699]

@Pantera4LifeXTX no it's not but I'm having a bad day so I can't tell the difference lol

[Absortus]

What is the name of that music?

[HybridD91]

@Absortus Ted Haggard is completely heterosexual

[Absortus]

@HybridD91 Had found it already, but thanks ;P

[1RadicalOne]

I had Martin's tire experience...but on I80 in the middle of Wyoming. ;)

[bttrflykiss7701]

I was taught by my father to never pull over and assist a driver that was needing help. I think my dad was worried about those who would falsely act in need of help and take advantage of women... and that is logical... because people could do that... but I have always felt a pang of guilt not helping someone.... because i was afraid they were a person who would take advantage of me...

[MyPisceanNature]

I actually had a blow out once, and a preacher stopped and helped me change the tire, then invite me to his church in pretty much the way Dillahunty described.

[Twiggy269]

lame lame lame.

I love most of the vids that these guys do. There usually bang on. But this video is contradictory. They sit here and rag on God in every video, and in this one, they try to explain why they don't need God to find out what is "Good", and preech his value system of altruism at the same time!

Usually these guys are awesome, but they failed hard in this vid.

[AHPMB]

Altruism is not "God's value system," it is a feature of social animals that was co-opted by the religious.

[Twiggy269]

its not a feature of social animals.

It's a perversion of human nature intended to confuse and distort your rational mind. The only reason altruism still reigns today is because of religion. Can you honestly say you are a true altruist? Do you even know exactly what the word means? Altruism is so contradictory, you'd need God to pass it off to people.

Altruism wasn't co-opted by God, it simply fit together perfectly. How can you rule people who are self interested?

[AHPMB]

I wouldn't call myself an altruist, but I, and most people do altruistic acts. Helping people, and cooperating is a necessary part of social cohesion. The notion that altruism exists because of religion doesn't do a lot to explain secular charities does it? In fact, it is observed in nearly every social animal on Earth. It's a common feature, unless of course you're a sociopath, in which case maybe fear of hell will keep you out of trouble. But that would make you weak and abnormal.

[Kinkspace]

Altruism is in the reptilian part of our brain, it is one of our most basic survival instincts as it is in all other animals in one form or another.

However re the self interest part of your comment.

Due to environmental factors like religion and the industrial economic models of the past 2000 years we have been artificially evolving...

cont...

[Twiggy269]

An example of a TRULY Altrust act

Your child is sick and needs the care of a doctor, without this care, he will die soon. Your next door neighbors child is also sick with the same condition, instead of taking YOUR child to the doctors and saivng his life, you use all your money to take your neighbors child to the doctor saving the neighbors child and sacrificing your own child

This is Altruism

That is 100% the OPPOSITE of basic human surivial instincts.

Now tell me you're a good Altruist.

[Kinkspace]

Wrong: Def...Altruism is a well-documented animal behaviour, which appears most obviously in kin relationships but may also be evident amongst wider social groups, in which an animal sacrifices its OWN well-being for the benefit of another animal.

No woman in her right mind would sacrifice her own child.

Indeed the only occasions this appears to occur in our species is within extreme religions cults where brain washing has resulted in artificial evolution has occurred.

cont...

[Kinkspace]

Behaviour which takes account of the interests of others, usually treated as in opposition to egoism, selfishness, and individualism. There are extensive theoretical & empirical research literatures in social psychology, economics, political behaviour, and sociobiology (as well as sociology) on altruism, its sources and consequences & on whether altruistic behaviour is ultimately reducible to & explained by egoistic motives. Eg: one seeks to improve their own social standing ect ie motive/agenda

[Kinkspace]

Research on altruism is also relevant to exchange theory and rational choice theory, public policy-making, and the voluntary sector. Studies have focused on blood donation; acts of bravery in wars and other conflicts; spontaneous acts of helping strangers in public situations compared to help offered to family and friends; the willingness of citizens to tax themselves for the benefit of others; participation in voluntary non-profit organizations.

cont...

[Kinkspace]

Anyone who would sacrifice their own child or indeed another human being is not practicing altruism. They are acting out of character of our species under the influence of others manipulation and agenda.

[Twiggy269]

Kink I'm sorry but your argument is very simple to dismantle. Lower animals have no ability to go against their nature. They have no ability to choose destruction over life. They simply do what was either taught to them by their parents (i.e. lions and polar bears) or they simply do what is hardwired into their nature (i.e. plants, and amoebas) Humans are different. We must CHOOSE to act in a manner which is of value to our life. We have no automatic code of values which tell us what to do.

[Twiggy269]

"as anything else is personal motive driven and has no place in the survival chain and would be illuminated from the gene pool one way or another. " So many False Dichotomys you present in these posts. Such as this. Why do you disconnect what is good for an individual from what is good for a group? Why do the 2 have to be at odds with each other?  This may only be true if you're not talking about rational animals.

[Twiggy269]

I hold that the rational interests of men do not clash—that there is no conflict of interests among men who do not desire the unearned, who do not make sacrifices nor accept them, who deal with one another as traders, giving value for value.

The idea that what is good for me, is destructive for the "Group" is a fairy tale written by tyrannical control freaks, who couldn't come up with a rational thought if you banged them over the head with one. Just read some Auguste Comte and you'll see.

[Kinkspace]

@Twiggy269

Read it again... :)

[Kinkspace]

I defined altruism for you as I saw you had problems understand its true meaning. However it is apparent that the accepted definition which somewhat differs from yours is still challenging for you.

One could deduce from this that not all humans are rational.

May I suggest reading it again.

[Twiggy269]

"One could deduce from this that not all humans are rational."

I agree not all humans act rationally, but this is far different from saying that humans cannot act rationally.

Also, you saying that by me not accepting your false premises when dealing with the idea of "Altruism" is not an example of me acting irrationaly. What is irrational, is you trying to create a false definition of a word, then telling me I'm irrational for not accepting it.

[Kinkspace]

We have been artificially evolving due religion and the political economic industrialization, which has lead to indoctrination which has taken some, not all, but those that believe in those systems into a realm of artificial evolution where they replace their natural instincts with false ones to suit the system they believe.

Humans are not different in any way other than they are the one of the "Artificially evolved" domesticated species like chickens, dogs, cats, sheep etc...

[lipoicacid]

Stop your body producing serotonin or oxytocin and see what your mind tells you to do next.

[Kinkspace]

Indeed the purpose of altruism in all species is focused on the survival of the species. Altruism in amoebas, biological altruism among social amoebas of the species Dictyostelium discoideum. When these organisms begin to starve, they release a small molecule known as cAMP, which attracts other amoebas. Chains of hundreds of amoebas move up the cAMP concentration gradient and merge into a mound,

cont...

[Kinkspace]

and then elongates into a slug, which crawls as one multicellular body across the forest floor toward heat and light, and away from ammonia. The individual amoebas that formed the front 20 percent of the slug arrange themselves into a stalk, laying down tough cell walls of cellulose. The amoebas that form the stalk die, but the spores, elevated by the self-sacrificing stalk amoebas, are thereby put in a good position to stick to passing insects or other organisms.

[Kinkspace]

In nature anything that is not for the good of the species is not altruism, as anything else is personal motive driven and has no place in the survival chain and would be illuminated from the gene pool one way or another.

[Kinkspace]

Then could you explain its existence in all animals including single sell organisms that date back 3.8 billion years?

[CanadiaNecro1]

I stop to help people on secluded highways so I can kidnap them >:)

[CollardPeople]

Its all about our self esteem and what part of our brains we are governed by, if we feel good about ourselves we tend to want to share it with someone that isn't if we are pro social rather than anti social who are miserable people who would rather go war blow up THEM! The more Reptile the brain (less evolved) is the more likely they cant do the right thing bc its the right thing to do!

[ZaraMikazuki]

(continued)

Is the person who took the dog to the hospital because he wanted the money and feared the sniper more moral than the person who took the dog to the hospital because it pitied the dog?

I've basically stuped every creationist I've met who throws the moral argument at me with that.

[ZaraMikazuki]

I really liked an analogy that ZOMGitsCriss used about a wounded dog on the road. Basically, it said:

There is a wounded dog on the road. Would you stop and take it to the hospital? What if there was a sign next to it that said that if you took it to the hospital, you'd get $2000--would you take the dog to the hospital? What if there was a sniper waiting around the corner to instantly kill you if you don't take the dog to the hospital?

(continued)

[crackerkiller89]

I was watching this show and the same day i saw a guy who was pulled over on the side of the road. at first i really wanted to get to my destination, but i turned around and offered help. He thanked me and said someone was already on their way to help him.

[logicKey101]

BIBLE REPLACEMENT

THE TRUE TESTAMENT

you do not need a religion to dictate what is right or wrong, what is a sin or what is not. all one needs in order to live a life without sin is to have experienced pain and enjoyed freedom

[logicKey101]

The only sin any person is able commit is to intentionally cause harm or pain to another living sole, be it physical or emotional, the only sin is to do to another what you know to be against their wishes and is within their rights as another living sole to not be subjected to. To stand by and do nothing when another is suffering and it is within your power to prevent,ease or stop that suffering is no differnt than actually causing the very pain itself.

[crackerkiller89]

Couldnt have said that any better or even close to as good as you did lol

[logicKey101]

So do what you wish to yourself and with others who wish the same without conflict and you shall live entirely without sin regardless of what any religion may have to say about your choice of lifestyle

Barry Daniells

31/12/2005

[chaoszieg]

I want that song at the beginning.

[MarowakDidIt]

The fundies care about and love other people about as much as hungry cats care about the life and feelings of a mouse.

[mj9collins]

Well as Matt points out so often, pretty much EVERYONE is more moral than the desert god. So even if he is real, fuck him. I'm not worshiping a barbarian.

[hellasweet4twizzle]

christianity cares more about belief than action.You could be the most moral, caring person in the world, But if you don't "accept jebus" it won't matter. You could be the worst person ever, but as long as you accept jebus, you get some sort of reward.....

religion is logically backwards. but no one ever seems to question that aspect.

well, back to my wild turkey.....

[rdccdr801]

There is psychological proof for what Don was saying. When you are in a good mood, you are much more likely to help someone. They have done studies on this.

[silvercade]

It seems more noble for a person to help someone because they wanted to rather than helping someone because they felt like they had to because Jesus commands it. In other words, you can be good without the whole belief in some type of 'police officer in the sky' making sure you're a good person.

[maestr0poland]

You do a great job! Greeting from damn catholic Poland.

[thegodlessatheist]

best... intro... ever.

[Hairysteed]

...put the "men" in "amen" :D

[EarthlyDerision]

Nice discussion, its that old clash of sincerity versus insincerity. If you stop to help because god told you to then you are stopping out of obligation, fear or callousness: you see someone vulnerable and in need of help but view them as an opportunity to 'spread the word' - this shows no concern for them as a person.

[rationalskeptic7718]

All motivations are inherently selfish, even seemingly altruistic actions. Selfishness is often seen exclusively as negative but it can manifest itself in both benevolent and malevolent ways. What is the first thing you do when you meet someone? You try to find things you have in common. Why? Because if they're like me, if we have things in commone, they're ok. If they are different, can those differences benefit me in some way? When we do things for others it makes US feel good don't it?

[jhakana]

im surprised that i am not dead considering some of the sketchy situations ive found myself in, did god look out for me?, im sure it was just people in the end appreciated the help they got, but the more I read the media the more skeptical I am about helping people, has any one else heard the urban legend of gang initiation when flashing your lightsto help someone with theirs off?, these type of stories don't help.

[tarose71]

LMFAO ...keep drivin'

its a nice night...

the frogs are out...

the stars are out...

the car battery still has charge, there must be something on the radio...

i think i still have half an apple in the glove box...

keep drivin' ...i can wait...

[bearchewtoy75]

In my case, I am (unfortunately) often very cynical about people who need help or people who want to help me. I've been in many situations where someone needed help and I didn't because there was something "not right" about the situation (like is was part of a scam) and I've also turned down help from a stranger because I think they're going to want something from me. I hate feeling that way about my fellow person, but it's the way of the world sometimes.

[jonstewartfanboy]

I think in urban areas this is even more true. The idea of rural hospitality comes to mind, not that the country has a lock on "goodness". It just seems to me the higher density of people and resulting culture in urban areas tends to increase the proportion of opportunistic people prompting more cynicism, although I don't know if there is any data to support that idea.

[bearchewtoy75]

Funny that you mention this. I grew up in a very rural area of Indiana and moved to a few different big cities where I learned not to trust people for one reason or another.

[bdf2718]

The intros usually bore me and I would prefer they didn't happen. But this particular one with the Ted Haggard song was hilarious. This particular video is worth watching purely for the intro (in my opinion, your mileage may vary).

[daddyleon]

lol the song!! xD

Whaha, yes. lol it's super xD

Though, I think those intro's and outro's songs are also nice.

But this one was the best so far. xD

[bdf2718]

Oh my fucking non-existent entity! That Ted Haggard song was so fucking hilarious.

[MarowakDidIt]

"Oh my fucking non-existent entity!"

That's good, can I use that one?

[547212436]

like to the song?

[archimmes]

Who's doing the intro? Sounds like Stephen Lynch.

[sheepwshotguns]

roy zimmerman

youtube (dot) com/user/RoyZimmerman

[thien0995]

Are you kidding, that was freaking hilarious!!

[RentTheSpokeMan]

sometimes people help other simple cos they want praise often they lack self esteem and want that little boost

[RentTheSpokeMan]

you could be flaggin down a serial killer. If someone offers you help you should always be alert encase they have they have their own agenda

[gigantibyte]

Excellent points in this video.

[DeadlyChinchilla]

There is also a question of reality. This is all males talking, but what of women? If there's a scruffy guy with a blown tire on the side of a road, does a small, young college girl stop to help? If she doesn't stop, does that make her amoral... or realistic? There are places where stopping could mean her death... and places where its not so dire, stopping to help.

There are so many factors that a blanket 'moral' can't possibly exist.

[addmoreice]

I like to think that if we knew everything. every result of every action, every concept and idea, we could do the action in whatever situation that would provide the most good and the least bad....of course we don't, so we can't.

Instead we do the best we can, with the knowledge we have, trying to limit the evil, increase the good, and most importantly learn from the mistakes, and correct our problems.

with religion...we can't.

[kshackleton]

Excellent points. With most situations like this, we have conflicting feelings around our desire to do good, and our fear of being harmed [or it costing us something].

It's all about judging each situation on its own merits and acting as we deem appropriate.

[addmoreice]

exactly. learning our own personal foibles, biases, and inconsistencies is one of the hardest things to do. It takes a lot of work to not only notice when you tend to be unfair, but to then also pay attention when your actually IN those situations and act appropriately to remove those biases from the situation.

[bdf2718]

There are Darwinian reasons why we help others, even those who do not share our genes. Those urges are mediated by the hormone oxytocin (long known to be the cause of maternal love).

Other species share those urges (how could they not, since they are generally beneficial). Look up "evolutionarily stable systems" and "iterated prisoner's dilemma."

Most of us share those evolutionary urges. The ones who do not are labelled psychopaths (or Cheney).

[MarowakDidIt]

Or Becky Fischer

[wiskawind]

Where do you get that music, I would like to buy the CD if it is on one. (smile)

[FurieMan]

"If everyone did it, would it the outcome be good?". How very Immanuel Kant of him.

[chris3443]

omg the opening is hilarious!

[Prophiscient]

It's being good, not beeing, unless your are being as good as a bee. :)

[Anon1696]

And some bees are dicks.

So just be good.

[IzzyBunneh]

XD!!! some beeds are dicks XD

so true, but its funny when you use a kinda human adjective XD!!

[FFreeThinker]

Haha, thanks, I changed the title.

[Prophiscient]

You're as busy as a bee can be.

[FFreeThinker]

I've just realized that I forgot to credit you. Added the link to your channel in the sidebar now.