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posted by janrinok on Saturday November 07 2015, @11:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the thank-$DEITY dept.

Here's a discovery that could make secular parents say hallelujah: Children who grow up in non-religious homes are more generous and altruistic than children from observant families. ...

A series of experiments involving 1,170 kids from a variety of religious backgrounds found that the non-believers were more likely to share stickers with their classmates and less likely to endorse harsh punishments for people who pushed or bumped into others.

The results "contradict the common-sense and popular assumption that children from religious households are more altruistic and kind toward others," according to a study published this week in the journal Current Biology.

Worldwide, about 5.8 billion people consider themselves religious, and religion is a primary way for cultures to express their ideas about proper moral behavior — especially behavior that involves self-sacrifice for the sake of others.

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by marcello_dl on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:14AM

    by marcello_dl (2685) on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:14AM (#260178)

    other religions might vary but christians are defined by actions, mt 21:31
    So it's not about whether religion makes you this or that, but whether what you do defines you as religious.

    Of course a study cannot take this philosophical distinction into account.

    But, the study reminds me of the one stating that speed limits don't make roads safer, which is counterintuitive all the same. The problem is that the good driver(tm) will drive under the limits not to take unnecessary risks, because speed amplifies problems except few corner cases.

    I also don't see many religious family stops being religious so that their offspring can be more religious, yet it's not fault of the study.

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by kurenai.tsubasa on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:26AM

    by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:26AM (#260186) Journal

    I'm assuming you meant Matthew 21:31. Let's start at Matthew 21:12 (MSG).

    Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

            My house was designated a house of prayer;
            You have made it a hangout for thieves.

    Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.

    When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

    Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?”

    Fed up, Jesus turned on his heel and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night.

    To get to the parable, let's start at verse 18 (MSG). Jesus says:

    “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’

    “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.

    “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.

    “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”

    They said, “The first.”

    Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.

    This does not bode well for a lot of people who shout, “Imma Christian!” while defiling the planet and telling their brother, “I've got mine, fuck you!”

    Agree or disagree with the conclusion of the study, but it really does seem that people who understand the Bible as a philosophical guide rather than a rigid commandment endorsing genital mutilation, slavery, homophobia, transphobia, and all kinds of other things wind up with a better understanding of philosophy!

    • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:31AM

      by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:31AM (#260190) Journal

      To get to the parable, let's start at verse 18 (MSG).

      Argh! Should have been 28. Apologies.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:34AM

      by Gaaark (41) on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:34AM (#260193) Journal

      Nice! I give you 3 hail mary's and +5 religion (now where is my d20???)

      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Francis on Sunday November 08 2015, @02:13AM

      by Francis (5544) on Sunday November 08 2015, @02:13AM (#260209)

      Most people you can identify as Christian would be going to Hell if such a place actually existed.

    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 08 2015, @03:03AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 08 2015, @03:03AM (#260224)

      Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants.

      Communist! White Jesus would never perform such abominable acts, he'd be the heard merchant selling out the spaces in the temple to the merchants.

      • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Sunday November 08 2015, @09:07AM

        by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Sunday November 08 2015, @09:07AM (#260268) Journal

        Allow me to illustrate what AC is saying. Matthew 19:16–24 (MSG):

        Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

        Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”

        The man asked, “What in particular?”

        Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

        The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”

        “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”

        That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

        As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”

        Compare and contrast. Matthew 25:14–30 (MSG). Jesus says:

        “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.

        “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

        “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

        “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’

        “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

        “‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’

        Obviously, a literal reading will do no good here. It won't even make logical sense! That doesn't mean these passages don't mean anything.

    • (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Sunday November 08 2015, @10:32AM

      by hemocyanin (186) on Sunday November 08 2015, @10:32AM (#260289) Journal

      What is the difference between a thief and a crook? Jesus seems to hate thieves but love crooks.

      • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Sunday November 08 2015, @10:47PM

        by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Sunday November 08 2015, @10:47PM (#260545) Journal

        This cuts to the quick. I prefer The Message translation because of exactly this issue. I believe the term used in the popular New International Version and American Scholar's translation is “money-changer.” There a lot of bullshit and woo in the Bible, but I believe that if taken with other works, it can be a helpful guide to ethics and philosophy.

        The point is that Jesus became angry after seeing money-changers in a temple that was supposed to be dedicated to his father, Abraham's god. Yet, if a criminal reforms his ways, then Jesus has all the sympathy in the world for that person who has seen the error of his ways.

        So, to answer your question, as I understand the ancient document, the difference between a thief and a crook is little. However, the difference between a man who continues to profit off lies and a man who realizes the error of his ways is the difference between hell and heaven.

        Does that help?

        • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Sunday November 08 2015, @11:07PM

          by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Sunday November 08 2015, @11:07PM (#260553) Journal

          I wasn't clear. Consider Mark 12:13–17 (MSG):

          They sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait him, hoping to catch him saying something incriminating. They came up and said, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, that you are indifferent to public opinion, don’t pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

          He knew it was a trick question, and said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it.” They handed him one.

          “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”

          “Caesar,” they said.

          Jesus said, “Give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”

          Their mouths hung open, speechless.

          The issue of money-changers being in a temple for Abraham's god is that they were not rendering to God what was God's. Their presence created a lie, and they fully intended to keep on profiting by counterfeiting Caesar's currency for Abraham's god.

          This is not too different from the current situation. We have people living with the just world axiom who mistake what mammon values (compound interest, H1Bs, TPP, TTIP, TISA, enslaving the working class, stealing from the true innovators with abuse of the patent system) over what the Light values. (I believe there may be such a thing as the Light of Creation, but my personal beliefs are too unsettled. Perhaps the Light of Creation cannot exist without the Dark of Creation. I suppose that digresses into paganism.)

          • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Monday November 09 2015, @02:43AM

            by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Monday November 09 2015, @02:43AM (#260623) Journal

            (Full disclaimer: as an Amazon, I do not believe anything literally. I am hoping the the stories I've heard about the Jesus Buddha in the Good News [Gospel] are as true as the stories I've heard about the other Buddhas. The Gautama and Amida Buddhas have spoken. Next comes the Maitreya Buddha, who will most probably take female form, as far as she may project her presence in limited 3rd dimensional spacetime.)

            • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Monday November 09 2015, @03:01AM

              by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Monday November 09 2015, @03:01AM (#260632) Journal

              Sorry to reply to myself yet again, but we live in interesting times. Pope Francis I is the last pope as the prophecy has it. As an Amazon, I must dispute the reliance on water dowsing. The patterns seem to be coming together, however. The Dalai Lama intends to discorporate at the end of his current incarnation.

              The Maitreya Buddha won't come for another 10,000 years at least. (A short time in the dreams of the Brahman.)

              What is going to happen? They want to backdoor encryption. There's TPP, TISA, and TTIP. I am deeply concerned. I have had many disturbing dreams myself lately, mostly about buying a new house and being unable to transfer my possessions into the new house.

              Should I be concerned? Should I plan on discorporation before 2019?

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 08 2015, @03:28AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 08 2015, @03:28AM (#260229) Journal

    Speed limits are not intended to make the roads safer. Speed limits are revenue generators.

    Ever heard of the 85th percentile? http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/szn/determining_the_85th_percentile_speed.htm [txdot.gov] Your belief that speed limits make the roads safer is in itself a matter of faith. We have an entire religion devoted to that faith.

    Think about it.

  • (Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday November 08 2015, @12:33PM

    by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 08 2015, @12:33PM (#260320) Journal

    The Jehovah's Witnesses once gave me a little leaflet with a cartoon story in it that argued precisely the opposite, that a Christian is someone who believes really, really hard. Doing "good/God's work" is irrelevant. In fact it seemed to imply that actually trying to do good is counter-productive in personal terms when trying to get into Heaven.