Thinking about God may make you less upset about making errors...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on August 4, 2010 at 11:44am

That isn't what the article said. It just says that believers will not have a coronary when they make a mistake. It the diiference between saying "my life (or career) is over" or , "oops"

Permalink Reply by Luis Miguel Luna on August 4, 2010 at 11:47am

Ah. Good point. I didn't read the article very closely so my mistake.

Permalink Reply by Eldon McMath on August 4, 2010 at 11:55am

I know George W Bush is happy with the mistakes he made. Hundreds of thousands live's lay destroyed or lost because of his mistakes. Our economy almost collapsed because of his mistakes. He says he would do it all over again the same way if he had to. The reason religion helps one feel better about their mistakes is because one feels comfort in the lie's that some how God is responsible for our mistakes, so it's OK.s

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 4, 2010 at 4:02pm

This demonstrates a major inconsistency in theism. If theists are really in it for the purpose of being good then why are they not more rather than less concerned about their mistakes? Good people feel badly when they make mistakes. A good person feels all the more badly when he thinks he is being forgiven (by a supposed god or otherwise) for his mistakes. What then does the conclusion of this study mean except that theists are in it for a reward instead of to be good?

Permalink Reply by Hugh Kramer on August 4, 2010 at 9:50pm

Understandable. It's a lot less stressful to think that any error you commit is part of God's plan and thus, not entirely your own fault.

Who wouldn't feel better if they abdicate some of the responsibility?

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on August 24, 2010 at 3:34pm

I'd have to agree that a big part of it is not taking full responsibility for your own actions. It's part of god's plan, the devil made me do it, the Atheists/gays/people of other religions are holding me back.

Quite sickening when you think about it.

Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on August 24, 2010 at 4:11pm

This is simply a form of externalizing one's failures and deflecting one's responsibility for bad decisions. It's a cheap cop out and a get out free card for one's stupidity. Religion is a convenient out for Xtian fuck ups.

Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on August 24, 2010 at 4:27pm

Funny a few months ago, I read an article that said American parents are too lax with their children when they do poorly on tests. IE getting a child an ice cream to make them feel better after getting an F. Whereas Chinese mothers tell their children they didn't try hard enough, go over the test with their children, and point out where mistakes where made. The children all took the same test again and the Chinese children did significantly better than their American counter parts. So being all relaxed about screwing up on a test is not necessarily a good thing.