Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackrose
It has been said that it is the humain thing to be charitable and give to the poor and needy. Yet, would it not be better to make a person work for what they get.
Certainly it would, but what if a person is unable to provide for themselves. Drought ridden countries in Africa cannot feed themselves by any amount of work. Would you simply let them die?
Well, to answer your question, I have done nothing to feed them. Have you? Why should I worry about feeding people in another country, help educate them, and develope their technology? So, one day they can go to war with us? We helped out Iraq, and now we are at war with them. (granted there is alterior motives fueling that war, but still you get my point).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackrose
It has been said that we should "Love thy neighbor as thyself. "and again, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Yet, I think it much better to live by the creed of "Do unto others as they do unto you." For if everyone else is treating people the way they wish to be treated, why treat them as you would want to be treated when it might not be how they would want to be treated?
If we all treated others as we wish to be treated ourselves, there would be no hate, no war, no oppression, because none of us wish to be treated badly.
Alternatively, if we "do unto others as they do unto you" then every tiny offense would require retribution which would lead to a constant cycle of suffering on earth. He treats me bad so I treat him bad so he treats me bad so I treat him bad..... etc.
I disagree, their are people of all sort of differing temperments. Not all people want to be treated the same. Just as surely you would not expect a masochist to want to be treated the same as a sadist or vice versa. everybody is an individual and need to be dealt with on an individual level, according to their merit.
As far as your theory of an endless cycle of suffering, I do not see things that way either. Surely, it would result in survival of the fittest. That is the way things are in nature. Man with all the laws he has made to coddle the weak and inferior has managed to isolate people from the full brunt of the consequences of their actions.
Example: I have some young punks that live across the street from me. They think they are gangsters and can do whatever they want. They broke into our home and stole $2000-$3000 worth of our belongings. My girlfriend walked in on them as they made their escape. One of them taking a swing at her on his way out, so knows what they look like. She called the law. She was told that there was nothing they could do, their hands were tied.
Conversely, if I had handled things the way I wanted to, I would have went across the street kicked their door in and beat them within an inch of their meaningless lives, making examples of them for any that may in the future have ideas of invading my lair. And taking back the stuff they stole from us, which by now has been pawned sold or the like so we'll never see it again.
Thus, if I had did things my way, we would have our property back. They would think twice before messing with us again. And life could go on as normal as possible.
As things are though, there are so many screwed up laws passed by the bleeding hearts that the law is now on the side of the criminals. If I had done things my way, I would most likely be the one being locked up while the true criminals went scot free.
They know the hands of the law are tied and thus consistantly do things to try to provoke me and my girlfriend. Thus, there is endless harassment and still the hands of the law are tied.
When I have finally had my fill of it, I will show everyone my hands are not tied. Love thy neighbor? please, take your idealistic notions to somebody else that may buy into them. Myself, I am well aware that the world today is a jungle and it is made up of those that use and abuse, and those that are used and abused.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackrose
If humans ceased wholly to prey upon each other, could they continue to exist?
Can you give any reason why they could not?
See example given above.
