Mahsa Amini, a 22 year old woman who was murdered one year ago in Iran by the morality police, while being arrested for her “immodest” hijab.

nrzzrn@lemmy.world to pics@lemmy.world – 867 points –
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Organized religion helps keep you accountable, so you don't just change your beliefs in response to your wants. Everyone's susceptible to cognitive dissonance without a concrete root.

The trick is to not follow legalistic religion*. You don't become moral by following rules, you follow rules because you're moral.

*This comment is not directed at Islam in particular. I don't know enough about them to say whether they're legalistic in general.

You say this like it's not possible to be moral without religion.

I'm saying everyone’s susceptible to cognitive dissonance without a concrete root.

Religion with a concrete root is better than religion where you just follow your heart. That's what I'm saying. Atheism is a different animal.

How much sinning do you need to see very religious people do before you figure that what you're saying is bullshit?

Is it not cognitive dissonance when you've got people harassing others for who they are in the name of a hippy that was all about acceptance and letting God be the judge of people's character?

Yeah, that's what happens when it's legalistic. Following the letter of the Bible doesn't make one moral (especially not if you're picking and choosing what parts to listen to.) The change of heart through salvation has to come first. Without it, nobody can fulfill all of God's commandments.

Those who go around hating on people are proving that they don't have it. I wish they'd grasp it, but I can't remember the last time I met any such person. The churches I've attended are places where they understand the doctrine of love.

so you don’t just change your beliefs in response to your wants

You do that anyway all the time. It's just that crappy people want to believe in what you do.

You do it all the time unless you have a concrete root to keep you accountable. You can't get away with "oh, a little stealing's not a big deal" if you're committed to a written moral code that says any stealing is wrong.