Ponder These …
Heavy fare for a sunday night…
1) Compassion doesn’t enter into the equation. A person can be either for selfless or selfish reasons. Liberal or conservative are terms far more applicable to the train of thought used to accomplish those selfless/selfish motivations, not the motivations themselves.
2) No, not all wars are alike. In some wars, the good guys win; in some, sadly, they don’t; and in some, it’s just bad guys competing for territory.
3) Dangerous question, and it could lead to equally dangerous situations…
4) Anything beneficial man accomplishes “for the world” will have some sort of reciprocal effect on man as well. You gave us a Catch-22-esque question there. Bad Turman.
5) I say it’s absolute, but you can turn around and say that’s just my perspective…
OK, good to be back. Wife and I were in northwestern Nevada visiting family for the paste six days. DUSTY and COLD. I prefer nice green trees and flat land of Virginia.
The questions:
Conservatives are on the whole more compassionate, although I would give Liberals points for compassion (care for fellow humans), but a flunking grade in the way that compassion is translated into action. I think “tough love” is the best. If you see a hungry man, give him a fish AND teach him HOW TO FISH! Dont’ just make him dependent on your handout.
All wars are definitely not equal. Some are fought for right and some for wrong. In the end though, people on both sides lose (their lives), just more on the losing side (usually). If your having a good time, then it’s not a war.
One thing for all mankind - The existence of God PROVEN. (that means irrefutably). I think this would go a long way.
Morality is universal - see question #3. As a Christian, I am of course biased here. God, as he was revealed to mankind in the person of Jesus and before that in the prophets of ancient Israel, has told us in no uncertain terms that he has a Law that is universal. There is right and wrong, good and evil.
Thatisall
Responses:
1. The conservative is more compassionate because he believes that an individual has worth and is able to succeed on his own.
2. All wars are not alike, some are actually fought for high moral reasons—American Civil War, WWII—to defeat evil political/social systems others are fought for greed, i.e. 3rd Punic War, Indian Wars. However, regardless of their moral stature, wars do settle things—National Socialism and Imperial Japan were certainly dealt with.
3. My wish for mankind is an epidemic of common sense.
4. Shiner Bock Beer and the various Sam Adams Beers have benefited the world by bringing happines to mankind.
5. There are universal truths that may encourage individual morality—the choice is always up to the individual.
Posted by MAJ Mike
04/18/2005 at 08:27 AM
1. Conservatives, definitely. On the whole, we conservatives see the worth of each person, and work to improve each person’s chances of success, whatever that looks like.
2. I defer to the answers already posted.
3. 2 wishes: a. I second MAJ Mike’s idea, and b. that Jesus would return soon and finish it all.
4. <homer>MMMM, beer! </homer>
5. God is absolute, so any morality based upon His law is likewise absolute. Morality apart from God is just twisting in the wind.
1. The conservative seems more ‘deeply’ compassionate, but the liberal seems more ‘broadly’ compassionate. In other words, the conservative is probably more compassionate with those generally considered to be more deserving, and the liberal is probably more compassionate with those considered to be less deserving. Either way, that compassion can be misplaced.
2. No. Religious wars have the potential to last much longer than political wars because they are less subject to the vagaries of public popularity. The war in Vietnam was perceived as political, but the wars in the Middle East are perceived as religious. Young men will die far more readily for gods than they will for congressional representatives.
3. .. Wish for mankind. That we would all get what we deserve.
4. Nothing.
5. We may have democratic morality. On the surface, it appears that morality is relative to the individual, but where there are enough individuals who think alike, for whatever good or bad reason, they conceive principles of conduct whereby they seek to influence the behavior of all. It’s a little like our presidential elections. We all get to vote, but the best man doesn’t necessarily win. The one who gets the most votes does.
Posted by Phoenix
04/18/2005 at 10:25 AM
I think ...
1. Compassion is an individual trait. It is like asking which is ‘greedier’or ‘hateful’ ... a herd of cattle or a flock of geese.
2. Some wars are shorter.
3. A painless end.
4. This one’s easy ... Neutron Bomb.
5. Hmmm ... morality resides in the individual and is often expressed collectively ... usually with poor results.
What? Why are you all looking at me like that?
Posted by Steel Turman
04/18/2005 at 04:15 PM
Steel, publish #3 and #4 again. The answers aren’t working. Except for the beer ones.
#4 - The question precludes mankind entirely. Too many answers have ‘mankind’ in the picture.
#3 - It seems many want peace. In order to have peace, you have to have all of humanity unwilling to take up arms under any circumstance. In any group, a natural leader emerges - this is a truth. That natural leader could be a monster, and if no one is willing to fight, then… well, you can see where that could lead. It’s awful to think about, but in effect absolute ‘peace’ is an impossiblity.
For those who want THE GOD of GODS to present himself, humanity would still make claims and determine the laws of worship, hence: Control.
I don’t think morality ‘resides’ in the individual. The individual accepts the given moral codes of any society… or he does not. It IS, however, true that the individual has the choice to accept or deny whatever collective morality he is part of - and here we get into moral relativism. Still, we are not all of one culture.
Universally, it comes down to ‘what is the difference between good and evil?’ YOU give it power.
In any culture, any society, moral behavior is set by whatever concepts of good and evil exist. That culture determines those concepts; as well, the moral code determines much of the culture. And these codes will never be universal.
Posted by Phoenix
04/18/2005 at 05:32 PM
# 3. If you had one wish to be granted to mankind what would it be?
We already have it. Free will.
I think without free will, all of the other questions become null concepts.
Chris,
“We already have it. Free will.” True.
Too bad most of humanity doesn’t.
Posted by Phoenix
04/19/2005 at 12:09 PM
