INFORMATION

This website uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are essential to make our site work and others help us to improve by giving us some insight into how the site is being used.

For further information, see our Privacy Policy.

Continuing to use this website is acceptance of these cookies.

We are not accepting any new registrations.

Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

For topics that are more about faith, religion and religious organisations than anything else.
Post Reply
Message
Author
tlish
Posts: 7
Joined: March 31st, 2016, 12:39 am

Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#1 Post by tlish » March 31st, 2016, 1:00 am

Christians believe that when we follow God's commandments, he empowers us to accomplish great things.

What would be a correlating humanist thought? Do you perhaps have a favorite quote about being empowered?

Maria Mac
Site Admin
Posts: 9306
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#2 Post by Maria Mac » March 31st, 2016, 1:28 am

Hi tlish and welcome. No, can't say I do. 'Favourite quotes' are a bit like bible verses. I don't think humanists really do them - I mean in the sense of remembering them and taking inspiration from them. I don't think any humanist thought correlates with being empowered by God. :)

User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#3 Post by Dave B » March 31st, 2016, 8:32 am

Hello, tlish, what does "empowered" mean in this context? Given authority to complete certain acts? Given permission to decide things for oneself?

As an aspiring humanist I beleive that any sane human has those qualities inherent. One hopes that compassion, empathy, ethics erc are part of the "toolkit" in that "sanity". Thus "The Golden Rule also applies.

External influence may be needed for those without the required personal "toolkit". Genes, experience and education play a big part in that picture.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#4 Post by Dave B » March 31st, 2016, 9:06 am

I should also have asked you to define "great things".

I see it as an integral part of Humanism that we do our best to achieve good things. Which, for me, usually means many small acts each day; offering a little charity by putting small change in the charity box, applying good manners by holding doors open, on the road etc. Even smiling at strangers.

Nothing to do with the supernatural but all small things that, if everyone applied them, would have a large effect.

One also has to remember that "believership" has also produced some very nasty people in history and, with "fundamentalism", in current times. An "extremist" or "fundamentalist" humanist would, by definition, be ultra-humane, a totally selfless, charitable person. They could be nothing else.

What one believes in is irrelevant, what one achieves is the only thing to judge a person by. "By your actions and conduct shall you be judged" is not an edict of your god but part of nature. Even wild animals abide by it.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

tlish
Posts: 7
Joined: March 31st, 2016, 12:39 am

Re: Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#5 Post by tlish » March 31st, 2016, 3:41 pm

Great questions.

I use the term empowered to describe the feeling of being inspired or finding new energy to complete a task. For example, I may become empowered when I watch a motivational video, or when I realize that I have not been living up to my potential and feel an urge to be better.

I believe that we always have permission to choose for ourselves. So I hope that the above paragraph adequately describes what I meant by being empowered.

So I suppose if I restate my question.

Is it in line with Humanist thinking that we can do almost anything as long as we have the right mindset? From where do we derive the power to do so? From within oursleves?

User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#6 Post by Dave B » March 31st, 2016, 5:22 pm

Your reply motivated me off the sofa, with the tablet, and onto the chair by the laptop! Better for manipulating bits of text . . .
tlish wrote:Great questions.

I use the term empowered to describe the feeling of being inspired or finding new energy to complete a task. For example, I may become empowered when I watch a motivational video, or when I realize that I have not been living up to my potential and feel an urge to be better.
My energy, mental, physical and "spiritual" (always a dicey word for atheists!) energy is motivated need, my own or that of another or others. That just about encompasses everything one can do I suppose . . . The motivation comes from inside but is not 100% altruistic. Some of it does come from simple reaction to a perceived need, where I will get no incoming award (except, maybe, "Thanks") but it makes me feel better, adds to my sense of self worth, self value. But this is an internal thing, I am not seeking good behaviour stars from some supernatural entity.

And yes, a video or other seen example may motivate me to make a charitable donation, tell a friend whom it will help achieve something for themselves, make some device that will help another or any number of other things.
tlish wrote:I believe that we always have permission to choose for ourselves. So I hope that the above paragraph adequately describes what I meant by being empowered.
Hmm, self-choice seems to be counter intuitive to anyone who, I understand, is expected to follow a set of arbitrary rules set out in a book 4000 odd years ago - with later addenda and additions. Humanists, and other atheists, claim they have a great access to "free thought" and "free will" than anyone who is constrained by doctrine and dogma. Both "freedoms" are fragile things that are modeled by complex factors.
tlish wrote:So I suppose if I restate my question.

Is it in line with Humanist thinking that we can do almost anything as long as we have the right mindset? From where do we derive the power to do so? From within ourselves?
Better form, yes, as alluded to above the mindset is what is important, "good people" can be religious or atheist, "bad people" can be members of both groups as well. It is the internal reason for action that is important, not the external motivating stimulus (if any) IMHO.

To force or browbeat another to accept any belief, religious or otherwise, is an "evil" action, regardless of motivation, and can do damage. Presenting another with an informed and balanced choice and giving subjective support, so that they may make up their own mind, produces a more balanced personality.

Phew, my brain hurts, time for a soothing cup of chamomile and spearmint infusion! :D
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Christians belief about receiving capability and power from God

#7 Post by animist » March 31st, 2016, 9:29 pm

tlish wrote:Christians believe that when we follow God's commandments, he empowers us to accomplish great things.

What would be a correlating humanist thought? Do you perhaps have a favorite quote about being empowered?
hi tlish, are you ticklish? Anyway, I don't know that your opening statement is correct either as a matter of fact about most Xians' beliefs (how many Xians do you know?) or, more importantly, as a reasonable POV about the likelihood that Xians ever accomplish great things when following God's commandments, whether or not they believe that they will do so

Post Reply