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[wombat]

I believe that we should love our neighbor as ourself. 

This is a high bar to set. The world would be a better place if more people would at least try "tolerate your neighbor as yourself."  And I know, some days that's pretty damn hard as it is.

[Hobot]

I'm not religious, but I fully believe in the supposedly Christian precept of loving one's neighbour as oneself.  In my high school Ethics class, we studied the notion that only those who believe in a higher power can truly have guiding moral principles.  Most ethicists (whether or not you choose to believe what they say) agree that you don't have to be religious to be a good person; the subjective desire to do good in the world is no less admirable in those who don't believe in God.  I treat people with respect and lead a decent life because I think I should; not because I'm trying to get a ticket to Heaven.*






*Note: I am not suggesting that religious people do good deeds for this reason alone.

[jough]

I don't know about loving my neighbour as myself, but I'm all about loving my neighbour.  At least, that hot sunbathing neighbour...

[AlohaDawg]

I'm not religious, but I fully believe in the supposedly Christian precept of loving one's neighbour as oneself.  In my high school Ethics class, we studied the notion that only those who believe in a higher power can truly have guiding moral principles. 

My contention has always been that ethics and morals can be personal and be derived from ones own conclusions about how people should treat people, but that personal values are a precursor to teaching ethics and morals.  Values as a guiding principle, to me, are generally taught or instilled, hopefully from early on. I think that whatever values children are taught (through active teaching or modeling behavior) early really drive or derail their ability to function well in their socially. And so on with the group to other groups. It's a separate issue from religion - although many people within in a given religion draw values guidance from the teaching of their religion. It  seems to me that the same conclusions seem to be arrived at in terms of how best to relate to each other regardless of where the values come from.

And Jough, the problem is you just look at your neighbor while loving yourself.

[pmcd9]

What do you feel with your heart?

I feel it when it's beautifully put to music...

~Paul

Fear the hearts of men are failing
These our latter days we know
The great depression now is spreading
God's word declared it would be so

I'm going where there's no depression
To a better land that's free from care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in heaven
I'm going there

[side_show]

So I ignore the daylight saving(s) thread, and this is what happens.

You people.  You People!  YOU PEOPLE!

Gah.

Anyway, the closer I come to understanding my own personal spirituality, the less I am interested in explaining it, debating it, or otherwise discussing it with other people.  So, after briefly skimming this thread, I am now officially ignoring it.

[smick]

side_show, AlohaDawg, et al.

While I personally agree with side_show's sentiments about personal spirituality, I need to say this is the classiest I've ever seen this conversation occur on the internet.

104% class.   

3% classier than my conversation with the Jehovah's Witnesses that I spoke with Saturday morning.   That's saying a lot.   Usually I tend to avoid message boards because of just these kind of conversations.    They never end well, and someone has by the end sworn some kind of death oath.   At the very least, someone will have resolved to mash in someone else's nose by the time they get around to meeting them.

Well done, toumab. 

[pmcd9]

How come i'm the et al?  I mean, shit, I started the whole conversation and i've been the classiest of all.  Fuck you man, i'll kill you!!!

~Paul

[smick]

Hah, you were, but I edited it out, becuase I didn't want to call you Paul, when I don't know in any personal manner you beyond "pmcd9".

I also didn't want to look like I a mod suck up.  This has failed now that I've noticed side_show is a mod.   

[pmcd9]

Alohadawg is a mod too.

~Paul

[smick]

See, now I'm all "Life in Crisis." 

I have sensed that you are classy from your pictures in and around your car, aside from the one where you're flipping off your camera. 

I'm certain it had done something to upset you.

Please don't stab me.

[misterqueue]

I think I'll be the judge of who's getting stabbed around here thank you very much.



*readies my stabbing arm*

[theinevitable]

dang. all this religiosity. I was totally going to be jewish for a while. I had it all planned out.

the only part I can't do is believe in g-d. I know, that's a huge thing... but, really. All of the rules made sense to me. The rules that didn't make sense, I could convince myself that maybe that's what g-d wanted. I found that I could apply the morality to my everyday life. I brought up the torah in a debate in english class. everything was going well.
but I cannot make myself believe in g-d. I have spent too many years pooh-pooing the idea. maybe one day, I will be able to. meanwhile, I'm going to keep studying it. maybe that will help.

anyway. yeah.

[FlipConstantine]

**Tasteless, bad joke removed for humor's sake.**

[AlohaDawg]

Inevitable: how do you view the Torah? You said you brought it up in a class....is it just the words of men to you or does it have some stronger meaning? If it has stronger meaning, where does that come from? The histories of Israel as the Torah gives it - Abraham, Jacob and Moses' stories especially - I think put G-d in a pretty important and physically real role in the life and development of Israel as His people. So if the Torah is real and meaningful to you, maybe there's room for G-d to become real to you too.

Flip: the hell? try to be nice.