Quote:
Originally Posted by nekokami
I'm a bit more optimistic than that, both about religion and about humanity. But I agree we've got a long way to go toward learning to live with one another and the rest of life on the planet in any kind of equilibrium.
To me, strong identification with any small group (by which I mean "smaller than the sum of humanity," really) is where we get the problems. Anyone "in" the group is ok, and their flaws are overlooked (or they get thrown out of the group), and anyone "out" of the group is somehow less than human, and fair game for anything the group wants to do. This is by no means confined to religion. Political parties, economic ideologies, geography, and accidents of birth (i.e. "class") all have the same effect.
I have a working theory that if we tried to make the world a bit more "fair," with more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities (at least at birth and for children), much of the motivation for this kind of nastiness would go away, but oddly enough, I'm having trouble finding a way to test this theory....  |
Quote:
Originally Posted by nekokami
Erm. I think that's rather to what I suggested a few posts back about why humans don't get along... but I probably should have made it clear that I actually cast my "in group" wider than just humanity. 
I got a picture of the snapped utility pole today. I'll try to post it tomorrow. Must go back to stupid term paper now.
(Which isn't all that stupid, and is about critical thinking. Thank you SO MUCH Ricky for reminding me of what I'm trying to avoid right now.... ) |
Is that the post you were talking about Nekokami?? If so, then, yes, I think we were more or less saying the same thing. I don't know exactly how I missed reading that post ... but I did.
Anytime I can remind you about what you are supposed to be doing, then glad to help. The Dalai Lama has said a number of wonderful things about the importance of critical thinking. Especially as it relates to the science of the spiritual (and if that sounds a bit contradictory ... you'd have to read some of his writings, I'm not about to try to explain what I understand of it in a single forum post).
But ... in a word or three .... he's a big fan.