30-Apr-2012, 11:24 PM
Quote:and if your motivation for doing good is to score brownie points with God so you'll get into heaven, that's a *very* bad reason.
It may be surprising to some, but Christians agree with this as well, perhaps the most strongly of anybody. Deeds done for the sake of reward or acclaim are quite roundly condemned as shallow and hypocritical by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and it is also explicit that people relying on those good deeds before God at judgment will find them meaningless as Pearly Gates credit. I still fall into the trap of seeking my own interests sometimes, but I always feel much better when doing good because I believe a Christian is called to do good, and I find goodness manifesting further in both my life and the person I assisted in some way. Every step brings me closer to God and other individuals. As James has stated in our conversations, eliminate the theistic parts and we're practically identical.
(oh, and thanks for resurrecting this thread...didn't want to think it had gone to hell, literally.
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