I am surprised and a little disappointed when I hear about some believers in God behaving no different ethically than the society at large.So here comes another research study saying that certain views of God result in self-approved cheating. When I think of cheating, I see a range of behaviors including spousal unfaithfulness, cheating the I.R.S.,taking credit for someone else's work, and copying another's research paper or blog post.
The title of this study is "Mean Gods Make Good People: Different Views of God Predict Cheating Behavior." It was published recently in the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. The story was covered in the Los Angeles Times. The study found was that those who believe in a loving and forgiving God were more likely to cheat. On the other hand, those who see God as judging and punitive, who gets angry at cheating, will tend to toe the line.
A couple of observations may be on order. The first is that we tend to create the kind of God we need. While the biblical God has specific qualities, His followers have selected certain ones to honor and discarded the others. The second point is that the good news in all of this is that both views about cheating are attempts to work from God's character. In other words, they take God seriously even though their results are not the full picture of the biblical God.
Interesting post Grandpa. If I may....
ReplyDeleteI personally, feel that my own ethics come from a place of genuine heart..not having anything to do with (what I feel is) "God". It fulfills me to be kind to others, to see people succeed, to have a respectful and honest relationship with friends and family.
In my humble opinion, behaving in accordance with what one thinks God "wants", hinders their potential to be spiritually mature. If indeed, God wants anything, it's for us to behave compassionately and just...and to celebrate our lives! Be good to yourself, and be good to others..pretty simple :)
Thanks Manda for your thoughts. I agree that your expressions of actions taken toward others are very valid, especially when coming from deep within.Yet I do believe that a commitment to God does not hinder maturity but empowers it.
ReplyDelete@Humandaquin: I share your feelings on the importance of being kind to others, rejoicing with others on their successes, and having a "respectful and honest relationship with friends and family." I believe that those are godly traits.
ReplyDeleteThere have been people inside and outside the church that have misrepresented God and authentic Christianity. From a historical standpoint, the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition immediately come to mind. In current times, I think we all know of people who have given God a bad name.
The God I serve allows me to share the same ethics as you do while continuing to grow spiritually. In my humble opinion, your last line reflects what God looks for in "His people."
@Dirk: What a compelling topic! The post made me think. I think the last line of your post sums up the issues quite well.
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ReplyDeleteBy the way, I fall into the category of people who believe in a loving and forgiving God. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's all about vernacular in my opinion. If the God who fosters spiritual health and maturity is best defined by Christianity, then so be it! It's all right if it comes from a positive place. To put a name to these ideas which are so beyond our earthly words, is a challenge (a fun little philosophical one for me!). Thankful to have such intelligent and compassionate grandparents, who give Christianity a good name by walking the walk :)
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