[minimalME]

@SunCMars, is there something specific that brought all this up for you? 🤔

 

[SunCMars]

@SunCMars, is there something specific that brought all this up for you? 🤔

I like this question.
I do.

I thought the same thing.

Obviously, the political climate was a factor.
Active Demons were particularly active in the US, in the Far East, and in Russia, these last 4 years.

Note:This is often the case!
We live in troubled times can be a broken record, always repeating itself.

There is more to add.
Let me formulate a cogent response.

Much of what I think and write comes from places arcane.

Thanks...

 

[LisaDiane]

Good people do good things, bad people do bad things. Religion is one of the ways that good people can be manipulated into being bad and it does that, IMO, by using superstition to blur the distinction between right and wrong.

Religion is also one of the ways that bad people can be INSPIRED to be good.

 

[LisaDiane]

I think, for humans, what is evil is refusing to acknowledge the humanity in others - refusing to honor it, respect it, care for it.

SO MUCH evil has been done to others using this method alone...

 

[Laurentium]

life is suffering.
How depressing - and one-dimensional.

Indeed, it would be, if there were only one Noble Truth.

For humans life is also joy, also triumph, also contentment etc. etc..

For sure!

Of course suffering is also an inevitable consequence of our unsought life - but it is only a part - and for those more fortunate - often not a very big part.

Then we agree. "Unsought life" - I like that. But, for some of the fortunate at least, there is a suffering, pain even, in seeing the plight of others less fortunate.

All I can tell you in response is that for me, personally, contemplating the four noble truths has made me happier, not depressed. But your mileage may vary.

 

[SunCMars]

Religion is also one of the ways that bad people can be INSPIRED to be good.

Yes, and the absence of religion makes for more crime and pain.

People need rules, and rules of behavior.
The village and the government fails at this, massively.

And they need to be constantly reminded and reinforced, as to the rules.

In fairness, I can say that religion and its many divisions make for more tribalism, and less worldwide unity.

Christianity preaches peace and forgiveness. For this reason, it does more good than harm.

Religion and its rules and Commandments are mostly good tenets.

Yes, Church Leaders and practitioners, can also be sinners.
No one is truly free of torts.

Sinners who are religious can also be counted in the hypocrite category.
Adding the hypocrite badge to a sinner makes for good press, and certainly harms the religious organization (usually Christian).

But, many (separate) badges can be pinned on other sinners who are non-believers in any religion.
Why bother doing this. Doing wrong is doing bad.

Weakness is not unique to any group.

People are floundering.

And, some really odd ones believe in Leprechauns.
Can anyone believe that?

 

[SunCMars]

Indeed, it would be, if there were only one Noble Truth.

There is only one Nobel Prize Committee.
And, politics and bias has greatly diluted its worth.

Fewer and fewer noble truths now come from that bunch.

Attaching Noble to any man is a major challenge.
Especially, if it is put up to a popular vote.

Noble are the humans who do good deeds to their own detriment.

In truth, being Noble and being Foolish can be a joint endeavor.
Sacrificing for the good of others, while harming yourself, might wear well in history, but fit painfully in that day to day life.
IMO!

 

[SunCMars]

From Wikipedia-


In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths Pali: cattāri ariyasaccāni Sanskrit: catvāri āryasatyāni; , "The four Arya satyas") are "the truths of the Noble Ones", the truths or realities for the "spiritually worthy ones" The truths are:

• dukkha (suffering, incapable of satisfying, painful) is an innate characteristic of existence in the realm of samsara.
• samudaya (origin, arising) of this dukkha, which arises or "comes together" with taṇhā ("craving, desire or attachment").
• nirodha (cessation, ending) of this dukkha can be attained by the renouncement or letting go of this taṇhā.
• magga (path, Noble Eightfold Path) is the path leading to renouncement of tanha and cessation of dukkha..

The last one is Magga.

Hmm, is this one more reason to continue wearing MAGA Hats?

Smile, Folks!

 

[RandomDude]

I think, for humans, what is evil is refusing to acknowledge the humanity in others - refusing to honor it, respect it, care for it.

SO MUCH evil has been done to others using this method alone...

Huh? But that's what I do lol

Well, only to some 'people' Maybe this is what is called - a necessary evil?

 

[SunCMars]

Necessary evil?

Any evil act committed, was necessary, using archaic and cruel rules.
Chew on that....

 

[RandomDude]

Necessary evil?

Any evil act committed, was necessary, using archaic and cruel rules.
Chew on that....

And rules are determined by men? Or by the situation/environment men are exposed to?

 

[SunCMars]

And rules are determined by men? Or by the situation/environment men are exposed to?

Evil acts by men, or those 'other' big picture forces acting on men are cruel, and uncaring.

 

[RandomDude]

Evil acts by men, or those 'other' big picture forces acting on men are cruel, and uncaring.

In other words, the world can be evil!

 

[SunCMars]

Evil kan be evil, but not so Evel Knievel,

 

[cp3o]

....We can be programmed and are.
By our parents, by our friends, and schools, and the village.
One's programming is one's culture and norms.......

Thanks for the clarification.

AIUI most active research neuroscientists think along similar lines. You have to go a long way to find one who thinks that "free will" is part of our make-up. There is extensive published and peer reviewed data, much of it using fMRI scanning, which indicates that our reactions are decided deep in our brain - that we have no influence over those decisions because they are the inevitable result of our unique blend of nature and nurture. We tell ourselves that we are making a decision because we want to be in control - in reality the brain has commenced issuing orders whilst we still think we are cogitating.

What you refer to as "programming" is the "nurture" component of our character. And every event influences us, some much more than others. But our reactions are constrained by our "nature". For example - those who have an ineffective amygdala cannot have empathy or a conscience whatever they are exposed to (they can and do learn to imitate others, but it is shallow and mere manipulation).

The good news is that further inputs can sometimes rebalance the effect that our nurture has on our behaviour - the bad news is that, until we really understand the complexity of the DNA/RNA/protein system which activates our cells there is no prospect of effective genetic reprogramming - any benefit from rebalancing "nurture" is limited by our "nature".

Hence "good people do good things and bad people do bad things............"

There will be intense opposition to the idea that free will is just another illusion - just think of the effect that its acceptance must have on our judicial/penal systems - let alone religion!

 

[cp3o]

Some myths become reality when Science admits of it.

No sir - they were always "reality" - it just takes the use of science to demonstrate the fact

 

[cp3o]

Religion is also one of the ways that bad people can be INSPIRED to be good.

I'm not sure that this is correct - examples perhaps?

I will accept that religion is used to frighten people into behaving other than they would do in its absence - changes that may be "good" on the small scale but, I submit, on the grand scale are always "bad".

 

[cp3o]

Yes, and the absence of religion makes for more crime and pain.

AIUI - this is contrary to the evidence.

Freely available studies from the likes of Pew Research strongly indicate that societies which have lesser levels of religious belief have citizens who are healthier, wealthier and less likely to be the victims of crime than those where religious belief is common. (I do, however, accept that the correlation is not perfect - there are ostensibly very religious societies where theft is punished by amputation).

The UN also publishes data which suggests that less religious societies tend to have better public health care, better educational achievement, higher mean standards of living, fewer abortions etc. etc..

 

[LisaDiane]

I'm not sure that this is correct - examples perhaps?

I will accept that religion is used to frighten people into behaving other than they would do in its absence - changes that may be "good" on the small scale but, I submit, on the grand scale are always "bad".

Jail ministries...for any religion. I know and have known quite a few people who's lives were turned around by embracing religion in prison. I know several Christians and Muslims who were NOT "frightened" into anything, they embraced the forgiveness that they believed was offered to them from God, and have chosen to live a good life out of GRATITUDE for that forgiveness, NOT fear.

 

[LisaDiane]

No sir - they were always "reality" - it just takes the use of science to demonstrate the fact

The problem with science is that it has been proven wrong or it's conclusions modified in situations where clearer understanding and newer information becomes available...believing in scientists' conclusions takes a great amount of FAITH as well.