Guest guest Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 On Monday, January 27, 2003, at 03:20 PM, wrote: > *****Allison wrote..... >>> ...main tenet of Christianity > is the fear of the afterlife...<< > > Huh? I always thought it was " love thy neighbor as thyself. " Shows what > I > know... rofl! Good one! I thought it was JUDGE THY NEIGHBOR. > > >>> ...Whatever makes, or helps, > someone to be a moral and kind > person is fine with me.<< > > That would be fine, if it stopped there. How many wars have been fought > in > the name of religion or some other belief? Seventeen, counting Dr. Nefarious. > > > --- " dave <dave4sale " <dave4sale > wrote: > >>> ...I don't understand why people > feel the need to believe in things > like karma. in essence karma doesn't > seem all that different from > believing in a heaven and a hell...<< > > How many people who believe in karma have you discussed this issue with? > What did they say? What did you find that " didn't work " for you? An understanding of it beforehand helps on all sides of the discussion, too. *sigh* > > >>> ...only reason a christian is obligated to behave ethically is to avoid > damnation / be rewarded in the afterlife.<< > > This is a very cynical view of Christianity. What faith are you? Xtianity is a desert religion, along with Judasm and Islam. All are hostile toward the world and focus on the afterlife they imagine, or portray in their dogmas. All are based in fear and use fear as a control device. > > >>> Why can't moral people just avoiding harming others because they >>> generally > care about people (and animals)?<< > > We all act according to a " belief system " If only it were so. Most act out of unexamined instinct and obsessive/compulsive behavior cues, most of the time. > which we each device and that > contains all of our " truths, " traits, habits, behaviors, and emotions for > who we are. Any one of those factors makes each of us incredibly complex. > > Morality is another wholly different domain of who we are. Morality is based on dogma, whereas ethics are based on actions. Morality differs according to differing dogma. Ethics varies according to social mores. > > >>> In my opinion this is one reason the world is so chaotic right now- most > of us are raised to not do something because we'll get in trouble not > because it could hurt someone.<< > > And, your suggestion to fix this chaos would be? World's always chaotic. Accept its true nature and stop trying to impose order and all will be much easier all around. > > >>> The result is a world where people will behave unethically whenever it > benefits them and they think they can get away with it (e.g. Dubbya and > his > cronies war plans).<< The C3 secular religion, combining Christianity, Consumerism, and Conservatism, actually teaches in its dogma that their God rewards the good, so if you're rich, you're blessed, and thus MORE RIGHT than others, etc. Of course such a crass view leads to suffering. > > I suggest that your view of life is way too limited. People " always " act > in > a way that most benefits them. Not all people, not all the time. Altruism even exists among animals. > More than one Nobel Prize has been won for > exploring just this single concept in a number of its different forms. True but then, the Nobel Prize has also gone to Henry Kissinger and Yassir Arafat. > > However, you speak about it off-handedly and yet fail to grasp the nuances > that make sense of what so easily confounds you. If speaking off-handedly, nuance wouldn't enter into it. > > You don't understand, so you call it unethical rather than seek the > answers > that gives you perspective. How do you know what is in another's mind or heart? > > Do the " war plans " make sense? Hell NO!! But, they are not unethical, > they > are simply addressing a need which you fail to understand, agree with, or > may be unable to explain in any other terms. The plans have existed for years, long before the electoral coup. Further, they are about imposing a Pax Americana on the world because now's the best chance in this big game of immature Risk they're playing. > > >>> ...obviously there's lots of people who don't care about others...<< > > And there's a " hell of a lot " who do!!! And none them make much difference to the apple as it falls from its tree. > > >>> ...and probably need some sort of consequences for malignant actions... >>> << > > Most of what I've read in your email is full of serious " logical flaws. " > Rather that state your case, you state the perceived case of a mysterious > " straw man " . I have only one suggestion. > > Speak for yourself, and give others the chance to do the same. Arf! *wag wag* > > >>> ...but what about the rest of us?<< > > It's simple, speak your own heart and trust that others will do the same. As Sinnead O'Connor has said, " Speak your mind today, dig your own grave. " > > Dave (the other one...) > > " To yield is to remain whole " - -- Laozi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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