About human condition

Love your neighbour....doesn't work in today's society. Sometimes it is best to accept you are alone on your journey and you can't trust anyone. The joyous times spent together get replaced with feelings of resentment...that is why we need to relish in Lord, let his light wash away our earthly poison

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Mamapolo2016 · F

I disagree. Depending on your particular religion, we are told to be open, loving, kind, generous… you know - return good for evil, forgive 70 x …

In my opinion, God is not a fan of withdrawing from others. When we receive those gifts from our higher power, we are told NOT to hide our light under a bushel, but to let it shine.

The strength to forgive and to be humble comes from elsewhere.

Really · 80-89, M

@Mamapolo2016 being open, loving, kind, generous is not dependent on religion. Religions have typically practiced the opposites of these qualities.

Mamapolo2016 · F

@Really You won’t find an organized religion fan here.

And I agree. I believe in a higher power. That’s between me and my God.

Zeusdelight · 61-69, M

@Really You'll probably rant. But please provide the basis of your statement that "Religions have typically practiced the opposites of these qualities."

Really · 80-89, M

@Zeusdelight It's based on my own lifetime experiences and my interpretation of the history I've read. If you don't have knowledge, or a similar 'reading' of the same history, so be it.

Mainly I'm rejecting the suggestion that being 'open, loving, kind, generous' is dependent on religion.

Zeusdelight · 61-69, M

@Really I have no problem with "I'm rejecting the suggestion that being 'open, loving, kind, generous' is dependent on religion." There are many people in the world who exhibit those traits without a Religion basis.

My main issue is with "Religions have typically practiced the opposites of these qualities." This violates the many people who are religious and spend their lives exhibiting these traits.

In any large institutions there will be people who do not exhibit these qualities at all levels.

However, to smear all religious people with this is to deny many millions of people who work tirelessly to exhibit these traits to many people, a lot of whom do not know their motivations.

Really · 80-89, M

@Zeusdelight

...many people who are religious and spend their lives exhibiting these traits....

I'm sorry you assume that I don't understand or beleive that.

Zeusdelight · 61-69, M

@Really You made a blanket statement indicating that their typical effect was the opposite.

Really · 80-89, M

@Zeusdelight I already know what satement I made - and i agree with you that there are 'many people who are religious' (or not) 'and spend their lives exhibiting these' (societally beneficail) 'traits.'

Really · 80-89, M

@Zeusdelight Coincidentally I came across this and thought it an appropriate comment on my "homely" statement about the historic effects of religions on social stability.

"It is hoped that no one will find his sense of literary or scientific fitness offended by this recourse to homely facts, or by what may at times appear to be a callous freedom in handling vulgar phenomena ... insufficiently backed by authority and data". - Thorstein Veblen in 'The Theory of the Leisure Class.'

I feel sure you know perfectly well the sorts of religion-backed horrors I'm thinking of, even though I did not try to point out specific exceptions.