Graham I like your analysis. Toward the end you stated that the motivating factor for the Christian to practice altruism is prospect of going to heaven and being admired by one's peers. I agree that a lot of people in Christendom are motivated by these 2 factors. However, as a Christian myself those 2 factors rank very low on my list of reasons to serve my fellow man. I would differentiate Christendom from biblical Christianity, the former being the outcome of its adherents and their mistaken notions of what God requires of them. If you search the Bible itself for all the reasons to practice unconditional love, going to heaven is merely a fruit or an outcome of making peace with the God of the Bible. My personal motivation for altruism is that "God has blessed me with every spiritual blessing under the heavens" and out of thankfulness for those blessings I am compelled to bless those around me. Altruism without a loving God eventually breaks down to selfishness. Think of the great virtue signalers of our time. They are making themselves feel better about themselves by serving at the soup kitchen or driving their Prius to Trader Joe's for some quinoa and tofu. Sorry, that was insensitive of me to over generalize like that. A messianic rabbi I have studied with once asked the Torah class, "what is the prime message of the TANAKH?" Some answered, "to give us the Law so we would know how to act" or "to reveal himself as a unique God among false gods or fallen angels (Mollech)." Rabbi Silverman's answer was this. "YHWH wants to bless his creation. If you receive his blessings with a humble heart you can't help but to be a blessing to others." When Jesus was asked by the high and mighty Pharisees, "Teacher, what is the most important commandment?" Of course they knew the answer as always that it was the Shema, which Jesus acknowledged. However, since they were only trying to trip him up he turned the tables on them and said, "but don't forget, the Law also says to love your neighbor as yourself."
So my second motivation, after God blessing me to bless others, is that Jesus himself put a high premium on forgiving others and loving others unconditionally, even your enemies. "Father, forgive them. For they have no idea what they are doing."
As a reviewer, I'm simply saying what's in the book. Quite a bit on Judaism. The question is not so much whether believers are altruistic as how one defines altruism.
Graham, I don't understand what Wilson means by this: "Religion portrays all actions as win-win or lose-lose." Would you mind shedding some light or giving an example here?
Religion teaches that "virtue is its own reward" and "the wages of sin are death." Win-win, lose-lose. Of course, life isn't like that. Sometimes the bad guys win.
"Sometimes the bad guys win". And sometimes the virtuous are vanquished and live in misery. Sure. But that is only in reference to the material world, this life. I realize you don't believe in the supernatural and the afterlife, so I won't argue the point; however, religion does offer mitigation and extenuation to the absolute, recognizing that no one is perfect.
Not all religions believe in the afterlife. Most stress the need for humility. As you say, recognize that nobody is perfect. Recognize that we all owe something to the society that nurtured us.
Graham I like your analysis. Toward the end you stated that the motivating factor for the Christian to practice altruism is prospect of going to heaven and being admired by one's peers. I agree that a lot of people in Christendom are motivated by these 2 factors. However, as a Christian myself those 2 factors rank very low on my list of reasons to serve my fellow man. I would differentiate Christendom from biblical Christianity, the former being the outcome of its adherents and their mistaken notions of what God requires of them. If you search the Bible itself for all the reasons to practice unconditional love, going to heaven is merely a fruit or an outcome of making peace with the God of the Bible. My personal motivation for altruism is that "God has blessed me with every spiritual blessing under the heavens" and out of thankfulness for those blessings I am compelled to bless those around me. Altruism without a loving God eventually breaks down to selfishness. Think of the great virtue signalers of our time. They are making themselves feel better about themselves by serving at the soup kitchen or driving their Prius to Trader Joe's for some quinoa and tofu. Sorry, that was insensitive of me to over generalize like that. A messianic rabbi I have studied with once asked the Torah class, "what is the prime message of the TANAKH?" Some answered, "to give us the Law so we would know how to act" or "to reveal himself as a unique God among false gods or fallen angels (Mollech)." Rabbi Silverman's answer was this. "YHWH wants to bless his creation. If you receive his blessings with a humble heart you can't help but to be a blessing to others." When Jesus was asked by the high and mighty Pharisees, "Teacher, what is the most important commandment?" Of course they knew the answer as always that it was the Shema, which Jesus acknowledged. However, since they were only trying to trip him up he turned the tables on them and said, "but don't forget, the Law also says to love your neighbor as yourself."
So my second motivation, after God blessing me to bless others, is that Jesus himself put a high premium on forgiving others and loving others unconditionally, even your enemies. "Father, forgive them. For they have no idea what they are doing."
As a reviewer, I'm simply saying what's in the book. Quite a bit on Judaism. The question is not so much whether believers are altruistic as how one defines altruism.
Graham, I don't understand what Wilson means by this: "Religion portrays all actions as win-win or lose-lose." Would you mind shedding some light or giving an example here?
Religion teaches that "virtue is its own reward" and "the wages of sin are death." Win-win, lose-lose. Of course, life isn't like that. Sometimes the bad guys win.
"Sometimes the bad guys win". And sometimes the virtuous are vanquished and live in misery. Sure. But that is only in reference to the material world, this life. I realize you don't believe in the supernatural and the afterlife, so I won't argue the point; however, religion does offer mitigation and extenuation to the absolute, recognizing that no one is perfect.
Not all religions believe in the afterlife. Most stress the need for humility. As you say, recognize that nobody is perfect. Recognize that we all owe something to the society that nurtured us.