How do people reconcile having no religious belief with having sympathy for suffering people such as in the present tsunami aftermath? This is a serious question, and not to be in any way critical of anyone's personal beliefs.
Logically, anyone who believes the universe and everything in it is simply a natural physical and chemical process, should not feel that human tragedies are anything more than a part of this process. If our bodies are just a bunch of chemicals held together in a complex self-moving form, what does it matter if they change their form and become inert? Non-belief in a superior being or God presumably means non belief in the soul or afterlife, and emotions such as love, anger, etc are just another part of the natural process which causes iron to rust or wood to burn!
As I said 'no offence meant to anyone', just curious!

Jeez, aramis! You just won't quit, will you ? Actually, I think that post was well designed and thought through nicely. That tsunami was a horrible thing to happen, no question. But believing in God isn't really a part of it, is it? Anyone with any faith knows that God (he, she, or otherwise) doesn't always make nice decisions. But, when things happen, it is our job as humans to step up. The Higher Power doesn't provide disaster relief, just hope. And, I suspect, the trust that we will collectively help our fellow man. In whatever way we can, wherever it happens. I have a Peace Corps mentality still. I may not be able to speak every language on this planet, but I know how to 'feel'. That's universal.

As a person who doesn't beleive in any higher power myself, I think I can answer you. Or at least answer you for myself and many non-believers with whom I am close.

I haven't ever found that a lack of belief in a supreme being effects my compassion. You are right, I believe in no afterlife, though not being atheist myself, but rather agnostic, I haven't made a final decision on the soul bit. And you are also right that I believe death, even tragic, IS a part of life. It happens, as horrible as it is. It's happened before, it'll happen again. I don't care whether it was just nature or God's plan or Satan's work or whatever. Doesn't really matter, does it? People die, for whatever reason.

I know that sounds cold, but here's the catch. Just because I believe death is natural doesn't mean I don't I don't feel keenly when a death touches me closely. It doesn't mean I don't understand human suffering. What does it matter if Love and Anger are just chemical reactions? Doesn't change the fact that I feel them.

Life doesn't need a purpose granted to it by God in order for it to have meaning. What I mean by that is, I don't need my life ot be infused with meaning by a higher power in order for it to have meaning, because the simplest interaction between myself and other humans gives my life all the purpose it need. I feel that way about all humans. I don't care whether you think your life has some God-given purpose. All the meaning it has to me is that it has touched my life in some way, and others as well, and that is more then plenty. All those people who perished in the tragedy had families who must mourn their deaths. They had friends, they had jobs, they had lives. What more meaning need their be for me to also feel the loss?

I guess what I'm trying to say is, all emotion is natural. I don't think it comes from God. But of course it exists. And compassion is part of it. An acknowledgement of other peoples' pain and some empathy, too.

I have no idea if I explained myself very well. Part of that is because I've never understood how believers could possibly think that a lack of belief must equal a lack of morals and compassion, and no matter how many times I'm confronted with such a sentiment I'm always a little surprised and am never prepared to explain.

Hi Gatsby, if only the right feelings were 'universal'! Apparently there are already many vile individuals and organisations exploiting the tsunami tragedy. Over a hundred websites, spam mails, and phone appeals have been identified today as false by British investigators. These claim to represent the Disaster Appeal but are in fact exploiting people's generosity for personal gain. Also, it is suspected that a number of newly orphaned children may have been kidnapped by child sex/slave traders. These include European children previously identified as survivors. Another report tells of relief vehicles being ambushed by black market profiteers. It seems the capacity for both good and evil in humans is limitless.

Dear Lothruin, thanks for your excellent reply, but please don't try to read anything into my question which isn't there. I gave no indication of my own beliefs, apart possibly from the signature quote which originates in the English Civil War (in which subject I am very interested), spoken by Sir Jacob Astley before the Battle of Edgehill.
I am quite aware there are many people who do awesome acts of kindness and personal commitment, who have no religious belief whatever. I'm just curious about the 'logics', and in fact have been for some time.

Aramis, I apologize for my implications. I didn't really read much into your question. That last paragraph was really a more general comment. The question you posed, regardless of your personal views, is the type of question I'm never really prepared to answer.

You're making a good bit of an 'air of sense' now, aramis! I may eventually come to actually understand you ! But maybe it would be right to not take the stories on the news or the web as 100% representative of what really is, or isn't, happening in the world? I'm not really sure. But I'm now willing to listen....

Aramis, I agree with what you said about the tsunami etc.

But, scientifically, there is no god. God is a thingy that just came out of someone's mind and the whole rumour spread until here.

1. If god is in heaven, why don't people in aeroplanes see him?
2. God did *not* create the world. the world was formed 4.5 billion years ago as clusters of dust, after the big bang.

The bottom line is: There is no such thing as God.

Wallarobba

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The bottom line is: There is no such thing as God.

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Wallarobba, although I am atheist, I would have to object to this statement. As far as religion and beliefs go, there is no true definitive answer, just individual beliefs. What you may believe to be true is not what others believe and neither is right or wrong. I share your beliefs but I still don't think there is a "bottom line" answer to religion.

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If god is in heaven, why don't people in aeroplanes see him?

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This question is just silly. If heaven and god were to exist, what's to say that they would be physical forms that we could see.

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God did *not* create the world. the world was formed 4.5 billion years ago as clusters of dust, after the big bang.

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I agree with that. The Earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago - all evidence points to that. But the Bible, especially the Old Testament, shouldn't be interpreted too literally. Just because it may state that God created the Earth 6,000 years ago, why believe that? While there are many Christains who take the Bible word for word, there are plenty who are fairly flexible in its interpretation. A belief in God can exist without a belief in Creationism, many priests now advocate that.

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While there are many Christains who take the Bible word for word, there are plenty who are fairly flexible in its interpretation. A belief in God can exist without a belief in Creationism, many priests now advocate that.

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Jews also. I mean, we were the first ones to follow said book, and have numerous commentary based off of our oral tradition. Anyways, when we say that God created the world in six days, what's a day? Using human definition, a day is twenty-four hours. Only problem, there were no humans until God created the world. One day could be 500 million years. Its all conjecture, but I don't think using the age of the universe is a good disproof for the existence of god. Since we are all venting our religious (or lack there off) opinions, I shall give mine. I do believe there is a higher authority that runs the universe. I also think that he/she/it/they do not control everything, because if that was true, you would have to throw free will out the window. God keeps an eye on the world, making sure things don't go to badly. Once again, just my opinion, have no proof or no idea that its true.