Friday 19 November 2010

Morning Scepticism: Charity

For all those who bring up history's greatest monsters as being atheists as proof of the immorality of atheism, do they have to inversely accept that atheism makes people more charitable because the two most charitable men in history have both been atheists? Perhaps an apologist would contend that its because of their upbringing in a Christian society that made them charitable, but by that logic then Stalin's atrocities can be attributed to his time in seminary school.

3 comments:

Walter Reinhart said...

I would not say that the amount of money makes someone the most charitable person but roughly the percentage. If someone give basically all their money bar what they need to survive on but some corporate guy gives three times as much as the first person without even noticing the difference. I would say the first person is being more charitable. Secondly, I also think it is important where the money from charity comes from, if you are some corrupt person giving your corruptly gained money away I don't think you are a brilliant example of charity either.

That said, I have no idea the two people you are speaking of and they well could be beacons of goodness and puppies and kittens and so forth. :D

K said...

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are the two I was referring to. Though its not so much about charity, just that canard about atheism being immoral because atheists committed atrocities.

Walter Reinhart said...

That logic doesn't really fly as I am sure there have been some crazy insane "Christians" who have committed many atrocities. Doesn't mean all Christians are atrocity carrying-out nutbags.