4 ms·

I think you're putting an unnecessarily negative spin on these things, and perhaps taking them more literally than they're intended. Here's my take: 1. "love t

I think you're putting an unnecessarily negative spin on these things, and perhaps taking them more literally than they're intended. Here's my take: 1. "love thy neighbor" - Don't waste time hating people. Forgive and forget. 2. "don't be selfish" - Put others before yourself. Anyone who has been in a relationship will tell you this is a good idea, but it applies elsewhere as well. If you manage people at your job, put their needs above yours. It doesn't mean give up any ambitions of your own, but living a life focused solely on yourself doesn't yield happiness either. 3. "don't care about money/possessions" - The basic necessities, like a roof over your head and food on your plate, are fine. Spending your life in pursuit of material possessions isn't going to be satisfying. Having things is fine. Letting your life center around acquiring money and possessions isn't. 4. "don't judge" - You're not perfect, neither is anybody else. It's not about letting people get away with things, but not condemning them when they make mistakes.

Tycho 16y ago
I don't think I'm taking things too literally, although obviously I'm focusing on the negative impact, as per the original question. 1. Sorry, but the verse isn't 'try to get along with thy neighbour' or 'tolerate thy neighbour' it's love thy neighbour. I'm all for amicable and polite relations with people/strangers, but as far as i can tell the teaching really aspires to a sort of 'what would Jesus do?' level of care towards people wherever you find them. 2. I don't think putting others before yourself is a good idea, except in the case of close family or partners. Have faith in yourself, take opportunities where you find them, better yourself, don't feel bad about it - if you put others first you can't necessarily do those things, and whats more the others wont necessarily appreciate your action and/or see that it wasn't done in vain. Of course, you should still be honourable towards others. 3. Interior dialogue goes something like this - 'Well, what career should I choose? Medicine perhaps? Well, that makes lots of money, but I don't feel a natural calling for it. And since money isn't important, I ought to choose something else. I'll study English literature, which wont land me a high-paying job, but that's not what I care about.' Ten years later: 'Well writing isn't going to get me a job at all, so I'm not much different from an unskilled/uneducated member of the workforce. I feel I could achieve a lot and offer a lot to society, but now I'll just take a low paying office job. If I was a doctor, I could be having kids right now, buying a house, saving for their education, have long-term financial security and the ability to help other family members, going around the world on holiday having enriching experiences. Oh well.' Money gives you security and freedom, the idea of settling for the basic necessities is very dangerous IMO and not likely to lead to happiness. 4. Christianity at its core is about forgiveness, and in the end it leads to sacrificing justice for mercy, which leads to dysfunctional relationships or communities. Yeah 'nobody's perfect' is a good lesson but these teachings go further than that
- bg4 16y ago
  1. Start with empathy and compassion and go from there. 2. The rising tide lifts all boats. 3. "Rosebud" 4. Mercy leads to dysfunctional relationships and communities? I'd hate to forget to return a library book in your town... ;)
  - Tycho 16y ago
    1. My point is there needs to be a cap, otherwise it would take over your life and/or leave you with feelings of guilt 2. Historically, the tide of people demanding sacrifice for others' sake tends to be a bloody one. 3. It's not a binary choice. The advice should be something like 'pursue wealth until it gives you the freedom and comfort you need for happiness, but be careful about pursuing more wealth than you know what to do with whilst neglecting your spiritual wellbeing.' But instead the advice is that beyond basic necessities, you shouldn't care about worldly possessions. This is really bad advice, it says nothing about what money can do for you. 4. Not mercy in itself, but the neglect of justice, which comes about readily when people can't make confident judgments. Mercy is desirable, but at what price?

Tycho 16y ago

I don't think I'm taking things too literally, although obviously I'm focusing on the negative impact, as per the original question. 1. Sorry, but the verse isn't 'try to get along with thy neighbour' or 'tolerate thy neighbour' it's love thy neighbour. I'm all for amicable and polite relations with people/strangers, but as far as i can tell the teaching really aspires to a sort of 'what would Jesus do?' level of care towards people wherever you find them. 2. I don't think putting others before yourself is a good idea, except in the case of close family or partners. Have faith in yourself, take opportunities where you find them, better yourself, don't feel bad about it - if you put others first you can't necessarily do those things, and whats more the others wont necessarily appreciate your action and/or see that it wasn't done in vain. Of course, you should still be honourable towards others. 3. Interior dialogue goes something like this - 'Well, what career should I choose? Medicine perhaps? Well, that makes lots of money, but I don't feel a natural calling for it. And since money isn't important, I ought to choose something else. I'll study English literature, which wont land me a high-paying job, but that's not what I care about.' Ten years later: 'Well writing isn't going to get me a job at all, so I'm not much different from an unskilled/uneducated member of the workforce. I feel I could achieve a lot and offer a lot to society, but now I'll just take a low paying office job. If I was a doctor, I could be having kids right now, buying a house, saving for their education, have long-term financial security and the ability to help other family members, going around the world on holiday having enriching experiences. Oh well.' Money gives you security and freedom, the idea of settling for the basic necessities is very dangerous IMO and not likely to lead to happiness. 4. Christianity at its core is about forgiveness, and in the end it leads to sacrificing justice for mercy, which leads to dysfunctional relationships or communities. Yeah 'nobody's perfect' is a good lesson but these teachings go further than that

bg4 16y ago
1. Start with empathy and compassion and go from there. 2. The rising tide lifts all boats. 3. "Rosebud" 4. Mercy leads to dysfunctional relationships and communities? I'd hate to forget to return a library book in your town... ;)
- Tycho 16y ago
  1. My point is there needs to be a cap, otherwise it would take over your life and/or leave you with feelings of guilt 2. Historically, the tide of people demanding sacrifice for others' sake tends to be a bloody one. 3. It's not a binary choice. The advice should be something like 'pursue wealth until it gives you the freedom and comfort you need for happiness, but be careful about pursuing more wealth than you know what to do with whilst neglecting your spiritual wellbeing.' But instead the advice is that beyond basic necessities, you shouldn't care about worldly possessions. This is really bad advice, it says nothing about what money can do for you. 4. Not mercy in itself, but the neglect of justice, which comes about readily when people can't make confident judgments. Mercy is desirable, but at what price?