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reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M
my guess is that, if there is a god, humans haven't come even close to understanding it. if some supreme intelligence created this whole universe I doubt very strongly that he is the petty dictator who needs to be worshiped and has the occasional anger fit where he murders vast numbers of people, like in the bible. I also don't think any behavior lead to some post-life punishment.
Lostpoet · M
@reflectingmonkey I hope it does because what's the justice in no punishment to those that have been done wrong to.
reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M
@Lostpoet punishment brings no justice, its just a deterent, victims get nothing from having their bullies punished. if someone acts good only because they are afraid of punishment then they are not good, they are evil forced to act good to avoid punishment. the most moral person is then logically a person who fears no god but still acts good because he actually wants to. Immanuel Kant said there are 3 reasons why people act morally: 1; to be seen acting morally 2: out of fear of autority 3: because they actually have moral autonomy. only the third person can be said to be a good person.
Lostpoet · M
@reflectingmonkey I agree with that and I still don't want to see evil people get away with crimes.
reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M
@Lostpoet I agree with you, and what I said was to argue against the idea that an eternal punishment is needed for us to be moral. as for human justice system, I do believe that punishment is a good deterent and I also believe that by emprisoning or even killing certain individuals we can protect innocent people. what I don't believe is the idea that they must suffer for their crime to satisfy some kind of revenge. I think compassion brings more peace in the heart than hatred. I think people corrupt their hearts when they rejoice in the punishment of others. I believe in love and forgiveness. to the bad person, instead of wishing that they rot in jail, I say " we love you and we would have prefered to live in peace with you but now we cannot risk that you harm innocent people so, sadly, we must put you in jail. " no hatred is necessary to aply justice, only love, in this case, love of the innocent forces us to isolate bad people or punish them in the hope that they will learn something from it.
