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Have you ever done a good deed and someone assumed it's because you're Christian?

I took in a child due to a bad living situation and a co worker asked if I was Christian. I said no. She was speechless, as I assume she thought only religious people could do good deeds. But, are their good deed really selfless? My good deeds don't come with a promise to go to heaven.

Alimacbean 7 Mar 24
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29 comments

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9

I try to lead by example whenever possible. I have been called a "good Christian" before. My response was "Well, I'm one of those two things."

Deb57 Level 8 Mar 24, 2018
5

People always assume I’m Christian because of my morals.

5

Basically all the time. I can't do a good deed without people assuming it's because of religion.

4

Regularly. I haven't been a Christian since childhood yet any time I help or do something suportive or considered good, I'm asked which church I go to or if I'd like to try theirs.

AmyLF Level 7 Mar 24, 2018
4

I've heard it before but quickly corrected them to which they said, you might not admit it but that's Jesus working through you. I prefer to help anonymously so people, and this happens often, don't come back asking for more than I'm willing to give. They act like I now owe them something. Now I've morphed into an altruism that if anyone comes asking for help, I don't but if someone I trust asks me to help someone else then I will. Anonbene stands for anonymous benefactor.

4

I have, and have been told "god bless" to which I just thank them and move on.

Ditto - it gets exhausting and mentally weary trying to fight against it for me.

@Dmej114 Yes. Since they don't know my belief, I am sure that they didn't mean to offend me and I wasn't there to start an argument, quite the opposite.

3

It has been my personal experience that the louder they hollar they are Christians, the most likely they are to turn the other way when someone is in need. I am not saying there aren't any good ones doing good work but in my experience most of them are just posers with a cause.

3

Gave young man some money to get food, he was begging and he saif God Bless You, I let im know all the Christians were driving by, (I was the only one that stopped) and I was not one of them but rather an atheist. He had a look of surprize because I also told him the Christians driving by believed he had brought his situation on himself and that may be but I want there to judge.

3

I'm not Christian-was raised Jewish- and I've taken in a single mother and sexually abused daughter in the past. I've also let people stay with me at little or no charge- my ex's addict brother and his estranged daughter.

2

Kudos. I think it’s also safe to assume you don’t act with malicious intent to avoid the punishment of hell.

2

If a Christian wants to "help" someone, they pray. They don’t get off their ass until it’s time to persecute someone.

2

I read of something similar... a man remarked to another man, "That was a very christian thing to do, he responded, it's also a very jewish thing to do".
Morals, good or bad are very human.

Tomas Level 7 Mar 24, 2018
2

I have provided food for a family in need at Christmas and when they found out that I was an Atheist they simply said "the lord works in mysterious ways" and thanked me. I was happy they excepted the meal.

I make vegetarian good donations because I was a Vegetarian for many years. Vegetarians can find it hard to eat at a "soup kitchen" or find proper nutrition at a good bank. I try to help that a bit.

2

Beautiful heart

2

I get so frustrated with the notion that only people of faith are good. Secular people do so much good,and we are not trying to get a ticket to heaven.

Agreed.

1

I'm sorry - but you can't POSSIBLY be a good person unless you know jeezus, and are all sinful, and guilty about everything !

I can not comment on that one. I am good and I do not believe in that man.

1

Her good deeds do come with that promise of heaven even though she will not admit it. This is why believers are doing good deeds. Their god will look kindly upon them for it.

I don't think that being rewarded is in the forefront of at least a few believer's minds. I've met as many ethically considered believers as I have non-believers.

1

You are a brave soul! 🙂

1

Nope, that hasn't happened to me (not that I haven't been good, LOL!). The pervasive presumption that only X-tians or the religious do good deeds sickens me. The attitude is so ingrained. This is one of the things the FFRF tries to change with their "good without god" billboard campaign.

1

All the time. I give money to the homeless and they say god bless you. I helped a guy jump start his car and he said I was doing the work of jesus. I constantly get accused of being a christian. People just assume if you are doing something nice and kind it is because of your faith then they look at you like you have two heads if you tell them you don't believe in god.

Jesus used to jump start cars?

Where it say that in the Bible?

1

I am told that every good deed I do is because I am secretly a Christian but am ashamed to admit it. ?

0

Good on you!

0

I've been told, after doing a good deed for someone, "God sent you to help me" or "You're a TRUE child of God!"

0

It's probably more of a Bible Belt assumption; I can't recall that explicitly happening to me. Still, I suspect that many people, particularly people I come in contact through my work life, assume that I'm a Christian because I check the ethical and behavioral and appearance boxes that they associate with Christianity. Also the success box, as they tend to believe God blesses the righteous and confounds the wicked.

I do not do anything to disabuse them of the useful assumptions they make concerning me. Nor do I do anything to take advantage of them because of those assumptions.

What you have to understand about evangelicals is they think they invented morality and that they are "the salt of the earth", that the world would literally become a moral hellscape without their "influence". So of course they're going to assume that if you appear as ethical as known Christians, you also must be a known Christian. They can't admit to any source of good behavior other than their own ideology.

If, on occasion, they DO find out that you're a godless hellspawn, though, they will simply trot out the verse that says "all our righteousness is as filthy rags to god". They'll tell you that your good works don't "count" precisely BECAUSE they don't come from following their beliefs / teachings / practices. They are simply counterfiet.

Christian fundamentalism is a funhouse hall of mirrors, they have some way of deflecting or explaining virtually everything.

0

Doing good deeds make you feel good about yourself. The power to do good is often more difficult that doing destructive things. So many people do destructive things to make themselves feel powerful...but the real power is the power to help others. But be careful here because there are those who appoint themselves benefactors only to shore up there feelings of being powerful resulting in unhealthy actions. Honesty and humility, respect of others is a good barometer. It has nothing to do with Christianity which often is used to permit bad deeds. It is often an insult and a dangerous hypocrisy. Some of my friends who are Christian, and lovely people, would agree.

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