Are we blessed for doing good?

[Scott C.]

Do you believe that when someone is good in their heart, their motives, their thoughts and/or their actions, that they reap good things in return? I'm not speaking of what I would call the natural results of good behavior, such as if I do something nice for you, you may decide to do something nice for me. Rather I'm talking about receiving good things from a higher power or source, such as Karma or blessings from God, etc. I'm also not suggesting that bad things don't happen to good people. Nor am I addressing what our motivations should be for doing good. Nor am I defining what good is. I want to know if you believe that your life choices influence how life treats you in return. Again, I'm speaking of spiritual forces or whatever you want to call them in your belief system. My answer is yes. I would assume the atheist answer is no, since they perceive of no such spiritual power or influence.

 

[Quintessence]

A few thoughts:

• There's quite a substantial difference between "good" (subjectively defined as it is) thoughts/motives and "good" actions in terms of the consequences
• It would be silly to deny that effects have causes; the challenge is in drawing the correspondence and the nature of such correspondence
• With respect to drawing correspondence, at the end of the day it is about what story you want to tell yourself. Many humans like the idea of cosmic fairness, because it brings comfort or reason to their lives. I, however, am not a fan, because all notions of cosmic fairness simply do not square with my observations about the world. That said, having a positive outlook is demonstrably better for one's mental health than a negative outlook. If one believes in "good" one will likely see more of it in the world.
• Yes, I'm a theist, inasmuch as that word actually means anything (which IMHO, it really doesn't without making a boatload of assumptions).

 

[Deathbydefault]

I doubt it.
If there was a version of good and evil enforced by a super-powerful or supremely-powerful entity, I guess it would make sense.
But how would you test that, exactly?

 

[Thief]

I think it is written somewhere....
Blessed, is the servant found doing as he should

 

[idav]

Yes I think there is a lot of truth to the statement "you reap what you sow" but it may not be right away and could fall to your children but its inevitable.

 

[George-ananda]

Are we blessed for doing good?

I will go with 'Yes' but of course it is not simple and direct and immediately obvious (I believe in progress on spiritual realms and reincarnation too). Our efforts to be better actually make us better.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Do you believe that when someone is good in their heart, their motives, their thoughts and/or their actions, that they reap good things in return? I'm not speaking of what I would call the natural results of good behavior, such as if I do something nice for you, you may decide to do something nice for me. Rather I'm talking about receiving good things from a higher power or source, such as Karma or blessings from God, etc. I'm also not suggesting that bad things don't happen to good people. Nor am I addressing what our motivations should be for doing good. Nor am I defining what good is. I want to know if you believe that your life choices influence how life treats you in return. Again, I'm speaking of spiritual forces or whatever you want to call them in your belief system. My answer is yes. I would assume the atheist answer is no, since they perceive of no such spiritual power or influence.

Yes. I read online on a site about honoring one's ancestors. It said, "do actions in the name of your ancestors." That got me thinking of how what I do influences what the Spirits and my family do for me in return. It more observation, listening, conversation, and sometimes following what you receive from the Spirits (souls of the deceased collectively). They give me warnings, blessings, and I see consequences for my actions (results of my karma) for not taking their advice. It's interesting especially when you become more sharp to signs of their presence where you'd think wasn't there.

I wouldn't call the Spirits higher powers. I don't know if many polytheists do. They are kin by blood, history, land, and former religious family. Souls maybe a better word but in general, when our physical body dies, we are still ourselves as souls or spirits. We take care of our next generations and we call what we receive as blessings, warnings, et cetera.

What we do is what some people call witchcraft but basically we interact with the spirits. Within them, we learn more about them more. It's the practice of necromancy and spiritualism. High value on ancestor veneration and seeing the "spiritual forces" as related to you by kin, history, land, or religious family.

 

[roger1440]

Are we blessed for doing good?Turn the question around and you are half way there.

 

[Unification]

Do you believe that when someone is good in their heart, their motives, their thoughts and/or their actions, that they reap good things in return? I'm not speaking of what I would call the natural results of good behavior, such as if I do something nice for you, you may decide to do something nice for me. Rather I'm talking about receiving good things from a higher power or source, such as Karma or blessings from God, etc. I'm also not suggesting that bad things don't happen to good people. Nor am I addressing what our motivations should be for doing good. Nor am I defining what good is. I want to know if you believe that your life choices influence how life treats you in return. Again, I'm speaking of spiritual forces or whatever you want to call them in your belief system. My answer is yes. I would assume the atheist answer is no, since they perceive of no such spiritual power or influence.

Indeed. Firsthand witness. I can call them natural "spiritual forces" or natural "gravitational laws/forces of attraction" as words do not offend.

 

[Unification]

I doubt it.
If there was a version of good and evil enforced by a super-powerful or supremely-powerful entity, I guess it would make sense.
But how would you test that, exactly?

Doubt is not how you would test anything, I'd presume.

 

[roger1440]

It is because a person is blessed they do good. It's not the other way around. You are asking, can blessedness be earned. The answer is no. It is not by doing, it is by being.

 

[Deathbydefault]

Doubt is not how you would test anything, I'd presume.

The testing will be done by the people who care about it.
I don't, and its truth or falsity wouldn't change a thing about me.

 

[sun rise]

Do you believe that when someone is good in their heart, their motives, their thoughts and/or their actions, that they reap good things in return? I'm not speaking of what I would call the natural results of good behavior, such as if I do something nice for you, you may decide to do something nice for me. Rather I'm talking about receiving good things from a higher power or source, such as Karma or blessings from God, etc. I'm also not suggesting that bad things don't happen to good people. Nor am I addressing what our motivations should be for doing good. Nor am I defining what good is. I want to know if you believe that your life choices influence how life treats you in return. Again, I'm speaking of spiritual forces or whatever you want to call them in your belief system. My answer is yes. I would assume the atheist answer is no, since they perceive of no such spiritual power or influence.

My answer would be yes. It is one of the universal themes of every major religion whether expressed as Karma/Reincarnation, the Biblical sowing and reaping or in other scriptures using other words.

I don't think it's totally simplistic such that if I murder someone I will be murdered in return in a future life. I might, to make up an example, give my life to save the person I had murdered in an earlier life.

 

[ukok102nak]

~;> He that speaks truth shows forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
A prudent man conceals knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad.
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor: but the way of the wicked seduces them.
The slothful man roasts not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.
In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.


:ty:




godbless
unto all always

 

[psychoslice]

To my way of thinking there is no one to be blessed or not blessed, we are nothing more than a mind body organism, we are not this body, so who is it that is blessed.

 

[ukok102nak]

~;> eversince humans learn to care
for their little children and for their surroundings they were been blessed

imagine if theres no one would nourished even a single child from the womb of every female human
who would live a long life since even in the womb they begun to took the lives of those little children

as they say
blessed are those who preserved the lives of every livings in this reality


:ty:




godbless
unto all always

 

[Scott C.]

It is because a person is blessed they do good. It's not the other way around. You are asking, can blessedness be earned. The answer is no. It is not by doing, it is by being.

I understand where you're coming from and partially agree. "Being" Christlike is the goal. Good works follow "being" that way. God blesses us to become more like Christ as our lives progress. But we have to put in the effort to be better people in our Christian thoughts, walk, and talk. When one feels blessed by the grace of God, good works should follow naturally. The motivation to do good should be love of God and fellowman without the goal of reward. Nevertheless, the Bible is replete with promises that blessings follow doing good. I wouldn't call that earning blessings. But there is a divine cause and effect. As far as I'm concerned, the grace and blessings I feel from God are far beyond anything I deserve or have earned through my efforts to be good.

 

[Scott C.]

A few thoughts:

• There's quite a substantial difference between "good" (subjectively defined as it is) thoughts/motives and "good" actions in terms of the consequences
• It would be silly to deny that effects have causes; the challenge is in drawing the correspondence and the nature of such correspondence
• With respect to drawing correspondence, at the end of the day it is about what story you want to tell yourself. Many humans like the idea of cosmic fairness, because it brings comfort or reason to their lives. I, however, am not a fan, because all notions of cosmic fairness simply do not square with my observations about the world. That said, having a positive outlook is demonstrably better for one's mental health than a negative outlook. If one believes in "good" one will likely see more of it in the world.
• Yes, I'm a theist, inasmuch as that word actually means anything (which IMHO, it really doesn't without making a boatload of assumptions).

Regarding cosmic fairness, I'm grateful that God's mercy can override his justice so we can receive far more than we deserve. Also, while I believe that who and what I am, and how I behave, impact blessings received, it's not possible to prove this. I see it and acknowledge it in my life. Sometimes blessings occur in a way that even a non-believer would need to take pause at how things went down with seeming divine intervention. Other times, it's not as obvious and could be written off as coincidence. But I see these things as real.

 

[viole]

Yes. I read online on a site about honoring one's ancestors.

It said, "do actions in the name of your ancestors."
.

By transitivity, you should say: "do actions in the name of some ancient protozoah".

By the way, I hope people like Katrin Himmler are excused for not doing that.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Unveiled Artist]

By transitivity, you should say: "do actions in the name of some ancient protozoah".

By the way, I hope people like Katrin Himmler are excused for not doing that.

Ciao

- viole

What's a "protozoah"?

Doing something in the name of my ancestors is like if my father passed away and to give him honor since he is a writer, I write a book for him and dedicated to him. Since there is no deceased, doing things for family are no different.

What do you mean by your post?