Kindness for the sake of it OR to gain religious rewards?

[MenInG]

Always wondered why people are kind to each other.

I know that whatever the reason, the end result is what counts.

But do you ask yourself why you are doing a good deed. Is it to please your creator or is it just instinctive?

 

[Moiza]

30% humanity 70% religion. Sometimes the beggars here really annoy you and I really want to let out some words but from the fear of Allah I don't.

I don't do it for reward exactly, I do it because I don't offer namaz regularly, recently its just been juma so I think might as well do something good in the name of Allah.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

I do a good deed cos I feel good.

Maybe religion shaped up my views reg this at a subconscious level but now I don't do good deeds to gain anything.

Don't pray for materialistic desires either (was told it wasn't preferable so stopped it).

 

[Rayyman]

I do it just out of the bottom of my heart. Of course the religious reward is nice, but I don't get that right now so why worry about it?

 

[Syed1]

Doing a good deed makes me feel good and that is why I do it.

I'm not an expert on religion but while growing up I was told that if you do a good deed while thinking "sawaab milayga" then the extent of sawaab you receive is reduced, so one should do good without caring about the extent of sawaab one will receive.

 

[yasir]

I don't think many people do it because of religion, that's a shallow thinking and not something natural...You do good deeds because you want to be treated good yourself, empathy is a natural instinct, developed because of evolutionary reasons...

This notion that if you don't believe in God, you will become devil of some sort, it complete and utter non-sense...Secular people do more good than non-secular...Religion in a way has negative effect, you outsource your intellect to somebody else, you can be manipulated to do bad things easily: As Steve Weinberg once said:

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Altruism is a fake concept

As people we only do good so we can feel better about ourselves or so that people can see us in a good light

 

[KingKhanWC]

Depends.

Sometimes to help someone in need.

Sometimes because God has stated it's required, i.e giving money to charity.

 

[Yossarian]

Kindness for the sake of it OR to gain religious rewards?

If someone hopes/expects that their act of kindness will result in receiving a (religious) reward, then it's not kindness but attempted bribery.

 

[The_KING]

If you do good to someone just to gain some rewards in the afterlife then you are a pathetic person. Sorry to say that. You should be good for the sake of it.

 

[PakLFC]

Random kind acts should be done by all human beings. It brings a feel good factor, not always a religious act in my opinion.

 

[Yossarian]

Random kind acts should be done by all human beings. It brings a feel good factor, not always a religious act in my opinion.

Kind acts should be doing something for others, especially those in need. It should not be done in the hope or expectation of a reward - and that includes to be able to "feel good". Feeling good should be a by-product and not an objective.

 

[KingKhanWC]

If you do good to someone just to gain some rewards in the afterlife then you are a pathetic person. Sorry to say that. You should be good for the sake of it.

Yes but there is doing extra good. E.g I give £10 to a poor person for the sake of doing good but my faith tells me I should give more, approx. 2.5% of my wealth. It may be an amount I wouldn't want to give but I do it for the sake of God, win win situation for all.

 

[The_KING]

Yes but there is doing extra good. E.g I give £10 to a poor person for the sake of doing good but my faith tells me I should give more, approx. 2.5% of my wealth. It may be an amount I wouldn't want to give but I do it for the sake of God, win win situation for all.

No, I meant if you only do good if you want the reward in afterlife and not because it's the right thing to do. I wasn't talking about religious requirements to do good such as Zakat/charity.

 

[Black Zero]

We have clear evidence that social animals (elephant, chimpanzee, etc.) show kindness to each other.

But there is also an evidence that human show kindness or inflict violence due to their beliefs.