Deputy Dog:
Forgive me for asking it this way, but, can an atheist have any righteousness other than self-righteousness? If so how?
Well, for one thing, I wouldn't call my life "righteous" or even "self-righteous". That's a label with religious overtones and I wouldn't use it with reference to myself. As I said, I think I'm a "good" person, a "decent" person, someone with "values" and "morals". But don't try to pin the "righteous" label on me, it's definitely not "moi".
Do you think true Christians are " trying to win God's Approval"?
I'm not sure what you mean by the term "true Christians". And to be honest with you, what "true Christians" and "counterfeit Christians" do really doesn't matter to me. But the concept of 'winning God's Approval' is the framework I'm familiar with - both from the JW context and the people I know who wear their Christianity on their sleeve. Don't get me wrong, most of these people are really nice sweet people (when they aren't telling me that they're praying for me or trying to proselytize me on company time) and very good at what they do professionally. I just wonder if they are good people because they think they have to be a walking billboard for Jesus, and what they would be like if they weren't trying to shove religion down my throat when they get an opportunity.
I don't need to have the "gift", "promise", "reward" or "bribe" of Salvation™ in order to be a good person and live a good, moral, decent life.
Is that what you think real Christians need?
Again, you're qualifying by calling them "real Christians". And seriously, I do wonder whether a lot of people who hold to all kinds of different belief systems (not just Christianity) that makes promises and offers "gifts" for belonging to that particular group, need that religious "crutch" in order to make them behave in a way that the belief system defines as acceptable. Would the Muslim suicide bomber offer to martyr him or herself if there was no hope of a reward in "Paradise" for them? Would the JW tolerate persecution and derision if they didn't believe that there was a hope of having their suffering provide some "meaning" for them at a later time? Would the JW go door-to-door and attend all those meetings if there wasn't a carrot dangling in front of them?
Other people believe they've been Saved™, and live as though nothing they do is going to take that away from them. They can be drunks, they can be addicts, they can be in the Mafia and give large sums of money to the Church, and that's la-dee-dah ok with God™.
Is this how you see most Christians?
No, but I know of some who do. "Christians" are sometimes the worst advertisements for their belief system. What it boils down to, is that 25 years of being a JW has turned me off of ALL religions. It's nothing personal. I'm just jaded and cynical. And I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire life.
