So I paid for the food of the person behind me in the drive thru tonight, and the cashier ruined it by making a concerted effort to be like "GOD BLESS YOU FOR DOING THIS! HAVE A BLESSED DAY!".... of all the times I've ever wanted to say "Thanks, but I'm an atheist"... I know she was just being nice, but it bugs me that it's just UNFATHOMABLE to so many religious people that others can do good without the expectation of some kind of cosmic reward.

Isn't it more noble to do good WITHOUT the expectation of reward?!

Why do you want to be more noble?

I dont get why paying for the next person in the drive thro is so great. If they were in the drive thro, they already had enough money to pay for their food, and so your gesture seems kind of useless. Why not give the food, or equivalent money, to someone who at least appears to need it, eg homeless person on the street.

Or is it more of a "spread happiness by small gestures" thing where you are making random people feel good about themselves and humanity, and not trying to providing physical help to the needy?

Because noble people are awesome.

First of all, I never said that I want to be nobler. I was pointing out that the mindset of many Christians is stupid because doing something for a reward isn't being good, it's just being selfish. You seem to have a very "christian" mentality, though - it's a useless gesture because they can afford it? Are you ****ing serious? Because being nice is UTTERLY USELESS unless a direct, quantifiable difference can be chalked up to my heavenpoints chart?

Secondly, I ****ing do give money, food, and my personal time to the homeless. I also volunteer at a local hospital in the ER. Just because I'm posting one random thing about a single nice thing that I've done doesn't mean that I don't do other nice things, dumbass. Also, it's after midnight - not a lot of volunteer work or homeless people to be found.

P.S. Thanks for proving my point though. Niceness without the expectation of reward truly seems unfathomable to you, neeeel.

Seems like if you expected literally no reward, then the cashier couldn't have 'ruined' it.

You're purposely using the retort as an example because I forewent the word "cosmic". Of course I want to feel good that I'm making someone's day better. What the **** is wrong with that? The original post, which you conveniently skipped, pointed to a cosmic quid pro quo expectation. If you don't see the difference between expecting an eternity in paradise in exchange for being kind to others, and getting a good feeling about being kind to others, I really don't have the time or the crayons to explain it to you. Or was that just your attempt at throwing a red herring into the ring rather than addressing the conversation like an adult?

Your feeling good is your reward and I doubt your act of kindness was ruined for the recipient in which case what there was of it wasn't ruined at all.

Well if you meant 'cosmic' in your remark to neeeel, then it seems like a bit of a reach to suppose the concept eludes him. It's not like he even mentioned a cosmic reward in his post.

For someone who cares about kindness you dont seem so kind.

I'm not sure how you got from the cashier's blessing comment to "it's just UNFATHOMABLE to so many religious people that others can do good without the expectation of some kind of cosmic reward.", given that they didn't know that you are an atheist. They were just acting in accordance with their beliefs and saying something to you that they thought was good, and made them feel good too probably. If your goal was solely to make people feel good, then it's a win all round right?

No, they have to feel good in the right way or else it's ruined.

Because of what a great guy OP is.

Caring about people and pointing out peoples' bull**** because they're trying to be *******s are two different things.

I'm going to find this amusing when OP suggests the contributors to this thread are only motivated by their religion.

Ah so calling someone a dumb ass is meant in a nice way. Well dubble dumb ass on you.

And I acknowledged this in my post, by asking if it was more a general "make some random person feel good" type of thing. So I can now assume that it was this, rather than a "try and make a difference to someone who is struggling" type of thing.

Which is fine. I admit that I was probably wrong, and such a gesture isnt useless.

My predjudices and conditioning still lead me to think that this OP is more about you, and how great you are, than about being nice.

The point is that her mindset links good with god. And yes, you're right it was a win. Obviously the title of the post was an exaggeration.

Because god is the source of all good, what's unfathomable about that?

From a purely consequential point of view, if the end result is that good is done, does it matter why?

This post was never about the gesture, it was about the assumption by religious people that others who do good must also be religious. I've obviously given off the wrong impression since this was posted out of frustration. It's not the best objective example of what I was trying to say in itself. However, in my daily life in the conservative Christian town I live in, this is just a small example of the mentality associating good with God.

At this point I am obligated to point out that I am the only person who has been nice in this thread. You should perhaps all think of me as a guru of silent, noble and peaceful comtemplation.

Are you just trolling here?^


You're right, it doesn't matter. My post was out of a greater frustration with the conservative town I live in, and how I've been discriminated against, excommunicated, and slandered almost every time I've mentioned I don't believe in gods to others.

Teach me not to lifetilt.

I already do

How do you know that the cashier didnt just keep your money and make the next people pay anyway?

Faith, Im guessing

As a rule of thumb only yell at people who deserve it. When it is yourself, do it when you are alone.

I can honestly say that I did not expect this answer.