If I was God, would I do things different?

[gospurs]

Compassion is a feeling, not an act. If i refused to act, that does not mean i don't feel for the kid.



Okay. Lets say we saved everyone, and i mean everyone, that was suffering because of X reason, where would that leave us?



here you go:

I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am. -Joseph Baretti

That's where we were, we are, and will be.

Compassion (from [COLOR=#0000ff]Latin[/COLOR]: "co-suffering") is a [COLOR=#0000ff]virtue[/COLOR] — one in which the emotional
capacities of [COLOR=#0000ff]empathy[/COLOR] and [COLOR=#0000ff]sympathy[/COLOR] (for the [COLOR=#0000ff]suffering[/COLOR] of others) are regarded as a part of [COLOR=#0000ff]love[/COLOR] itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and [COLOR=#0000ff]humanism[/COLOR] — foundational to the highest [COLOR=#0000ff]principles[/COLOR] in philosophy, society, and [COLOR=#0000ff]personhood[/COLOR].
There is an aspect of compassion which regards a quantitative dimension, such that individual's compassion is often given a property of "depth," "vigour," or "[COLOR=#0000ff]passion[/COLOR]." More vigorous than [COLOR=#0000ff]empathy[/COLOR], the feeling commonly gives rise to an active [COLOR=#0000ff]desire[/COLOR] to alleviate another's suffering. It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in what manifests in the social context as [COLOR=#0000ff]altruism[/COLOR]. In [COLOR=#0000ff]ethical[/COLOR] terms, the various expressions down the ages of the so-called [COLOR=#0000ff]Golden Rule[/COLOR] embody by implication the principle of compassion: Do to others what you would have them do to you.[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][1][/COLOR][/SIZE]
The English [COLOR=#0000ff]noun[/COLOR] compassion, meaning to suffer together with, comes from the [COLOR=#0000ff]Latin[/COLOR]. Its [COLOR=#0000ff]prefix[/COLOR] com- comes directly from com, an archaic version of the Latin [COLOR=#0000ff]preposition[/COLOR] and affix [COLOR=#0000ff]cum[/COLOR] (= with); the -passion segment is derived from passus, [COLOR=#0000ff]past participle[/COLOR] of the [COLOR=#0000ff]deponent verb[/COLOR] [COLOR=#0000ff]patior, patī, passus sum[/COLOR]. Compassion is thus related in origin, form and meaning to the English noun [COLOR=#0000ff]patient[/COLOR] (= one who suffers), from patiens, [COLOR=#0000ff]present participle[/COLOR] of the same [COLOR=#0000ff]patior[/COLOR], and is akin to the [COLOR=#0000ff]Greek[/COLOR] verb πάσχειν (= paskhein, to suffer) and to its [COLOR=#0000ff]cognate[/COLOR] noun [COLOR=#0000ff]πάθος[/COLOR] (= [COLOR=#0000ff]pathos[/COLOR]).[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][2][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][3][/COLOR][/SIZE]
Ranked a great virtue in numerous [COLOR=#0000ff]philosophies[/COLOR], compassion is considered in all the major [COLOR=#0000ff]religious traditions[/COLOR] as among the greatest of [COLOR=#0000ff]virtues[/COLOR].



Another hypothetical; If Hitler had said he 'felt' for the jews who suffered, would that have made him a compassionate man?? Hitler had a lot of power, maybe not as much as god, and he allowed horrible atrocities to occur which he could have prevented. Just like god. im not saying god is hitler or vica versa, just that they both lacked compassion (a feeling that commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate anothers suffering)even if some people thought they were good.

[gospurs]

Religion is bullshit not life. The meaning of life is what we make it! Why does some imaginary entity have to give life meaning??

Yes, ultimately, one human life is meaningless which is why we must make as much meaning during our lives as possible. In order to live a meaningful life you have to get along with the other inhabitants of this planet and that's where morals come from. I treat other people the way I'd like to be treated. Why is that so difficult to understand?

Dismal? On the contrary, I value this life not some promised afterlife. I don't spend my time worrying about what some celestial dictator will think of me. I live to live. Christians live to die.

Great point. I have a cousin whos a jehovas witness and believes he will go to paradise after he dies. He cant wait for armegedon to come and bring gods justice to the rightous and wicked.
I once was telling him about a nice song by Juanes which basically says life is just for a brief moment so lets love and be closer to each other while we are alive. His reply, 'Maybe its gonna be a moment for you, but Im gonna live forever'. Hes kinda cold and judgemental to those not in his church and because of his beliefs, he will probably continue that way all his 'mortal' life.

[Anguspure]

Compassion is a feeling, not an act.

Here we go, semantics again because the English language doesn't express the necessity of connection between a motivation and an action properly.
Perhaps you are right about "Compassion", but what good are your feelings?
Is it by feeling about somthing that you or any one else will get fed or is it by putting food in the mouth?
Your feelings without action are in fact a mockery of the concept you purport to uphold.

[trobd]

Suppose you are sitting in the forest and you see a rabbit. Then you noticed a hidden fox, about to pounce on the rabbit, so you throw something at the rabbit to save him from the fox. You probably feel like you did something very kind, but the reality is that there is a fox that is starving because of you.

God did not make the world as a gift for us. God made the world to teach us how to handle free will.

Sometimes medical professionals perform procedures that are very painful. However, they always have your benefit in mind. So it is with god. He allows us to suffer, both physically and emotionally, as a way of teaching us how to handle our free will.

The starving child that became a vultures dinner has eternal life. The day will come when this child will tell his story to us, and in doing so teach us important lessons. he will show us some of our shortcomings. So his suffering was beneficial for us, but that in turn is beneficial to him, since it leads to a more perfect humanity, which ultimately benefits all of us.

That does not relieve us from responsibility of helping our fellow human. Actually it does just the opposite. Humanity is being tested, but we are being tested as a team.

[Peter]

Suppose you are sitting in the forest and you see a rabbit. Then you noticed a hidden fox, about to pounce on the rabbit, so you throw something at the rabbit to save him from the fox. You probably feel like you did something very kind, but the reality is that there is a fox that is starving because of you.

God did not make the world as a gift for us. God made the world to teach us how to handle free will.

Sometimes medical professionals perform procedures that are very painful. However, they always have your benefit in mind. So it is with god. He allows us to suffer, both physically and emotionally, as a way of teaching us how to handle our free will.

The starving child that became a vultures dinner has eternal life. The day will come when this child will tell his story to us, and in doing so teach us important lessons. he will show us some of our shortcomings. So his suffering was beneficial for us, but that in turn is beneficial to him, since it leads to a more perfect humanity, which ultimately benefits all of us.

That does not relieve us from responsibility of helping our fellow human. Actually it does just the opposite. Humanity is being tested, but we are being tested as a team.

So god acts as if he isn't there to teach us how to deal with free will. Hmmmm. That's very convenient for christians since it also accounts for an absent god. Also, I wonder if you have children. If so, do you teach them like the christian god is teaching us? If you did you would be charged with child abuse.

[gospurs]

(sarcasm)
Thank you god for letting that starving child get his flesh ripped off by a vulture while he was probably still alive. He should be grateful since 'his suffering was beneficial for us, and in turn is beneficial to him..' That childs painful death really helped 'teach us how to handle free will' and i know you had our benefit in mind. Please let us benefit from more suffering, god. Maybe a world war 3 or a new terminal disease that would make aids look like chicken pox, or another big tsunami killing a new record number. Not here though, at some third world country would teach a better lesson. You know who really benefited from learning a lesson on how to handle free will? All those kids who were repeatedly raped by their pedophile priests. Their parents and them must be SOOOO grateful to god. Thank you Lord Allmighty!!! We are lucky to have you looking out for us. If we didnt, things could become unpleasant.

[mbc85]

Compassion (from [COLOR=#0000ff]Latin[/COLOR]: "co-suffering") is a [COLOR=#0000ff]virtue[/COLOR] — one in which the emotional
capacities of [COLOR=#0000ff]empathy[/COLOR] and [COLOR=#0000ff]sympathy[/COLOR] (for the [COLOR=#0000ff]suffering[/COLOR] of others) are regarded as a part of [COLOR=#0000ff]love[/COLOR] itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and [COLOR=#0000ff]humanism[/COLOR] — foundational to the highest [COLOR=#0000ff]principles[/COLOR] in philosophy, society, and [COLOR=#0000ff]personhood[/COLOR].
There is an aspect of compassion which regards a quantitative dimension, such that individual's compassion is often given a property of "depth," "vigour," or "[COLOR=#0000ff]passion[/COLOR]." More vigorous than [COLOR=#0000ff]empathy[/COLOR], the feeling commonly gives rise to an active [COLOR=#0000ff]desire[/COLOR] to alleviate another's suffering. It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in what manifests in the social context as [COLOR=#0000ff]altruism[/COLOR]. In [COLOR=#0000ff]ethical[/COLOR] terms, the various expressions down the ages of the so-called [COLOR=#0000ff]Golden Rule[/COLOR] embody by implication the principle of compassion: Do to others what you would have them do to you.[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][1][/COLOR][/SIZE]
The English [COLOR=#0000ff]noun[/COLOR] compassion, meaning to suffer together with, comes from the [COLOR=#0000ff]Latin[/COLOR]. Its [COLOR=#0000ff]prefix[/COLOR] com- comes directly from com, an archaic version of the Latin [COLOR=#0000ff]preposition[/COLOR] and affix [COLOR=#0000ff]cum[/COLOR] (= with); the -passion segment is derived from passus, [COLOR=#0000ff]past participle[/COLOR] of the [COLOR=#0000ff]deponent verb[/COLOR] [COLOR=#0000ff]patior, patī, passus sum[/COLOR]. Compassion is thus related in origin, form and meaning to the English noun [COLOR=#0000ff]patient[/COLOR] (= one who suffers), from patiens, [COLOR=#0000ff]present participle[/COLOR] of the same [COLOR=#0000ff]patior[/COLOR], and is akin to the [COLOR=#0000ff]Greek[/COLOR] verb πάσχειν (= paskhein, to suffer) and to its [COLOR=#0000ff]cognate[/COLOR] noun [COLOR=#0000ff]πάθος[/COLOR] (= [COLOR=#0000ff]pathos[/COLOR]).[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][2][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][3][/COLOR][/SIZE]
Ranked a great virtue in numerous [COLOR=#0000ff]philosophies[/COLOR], compassion is considered in all the major [COLOR=#0000ff]religious traditions[/COLOR] as among the greatest of [COLOR=#0000ff]virtues[/COLOR].

what?! i gave up reading this after the third /color /color. sorry. :p

Another hypothetical; If Hitler had said he 'felt' for the jews who suffered, would that have made him a compassionate man?? Hitler had a lot of power, maybe not as much as god, and he allowed horrible atrocities to occur which he could have prevented. Just like god. im not saying god is hitler or vica versa, just that they both lacked compassion (a feeling that commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate anothers suffering)even if some people thought they were good.

Difference is, hitler facilitated the killings, god just sits back and lets it happen. That's a difference.

And if he did felt bad for the jews, he was compassionate, but stuck to his plan. If you ask me, that's good determination.

[mbc85]

Here we go, semantics again because the English language doesn't express the necessity of connection between a motivation and an action properly.

Perhaps you are right about "Compassion", but what good are your feelings?

IDK. To make "you" feel.

Is it by feeling about somthing that you or any one else will get fed or is it by putting food in the mouth?

what? Feelings have nothing to do with feeding. And the feeling of hunger makes you get up and find food, so there can be a connection.

Your feelings without action are in fact a mockery of the concept you purport to uphold.

So every time one feels something, they must act according to what they feel, or they are making a mockery of the concept that they purport to uphold?

[mbc85]

(sarcasm)
Thank you god for letting that starving child get his flesh ripped off by a vulture while he was probably still alive.

We don't know if he was eaten alive. And that could be easily fix by killing all the animals in the world. there, happy? Or i can save the little child if you want me to, where do i put it? At your house? On a foster home? or i could make him immortal, no need for food, or water, that sounds good for you?

He should be grateful since 'his suffering was beneficial for us, and in turn is beneficial to him..'

God likes the way you twist words :)

That childs painful death really helped 'teach us how to handle free will' and i know you had our benefit in mind. Please let us benefit from more suffering, god. Maybe a world war 3 or a new terminal disease that would make aids look like chicken pox, or another big tsunami killing a new record number. Not here though, at some third world country would teach a better lesson.

Japan is not a third world country, so there, i evened it out.

You know who really benefited from learning a lesson on how to handle free will? All those kids who were repeatedly raped by their pedophile priests. Their parents and them must be SOOOO grateful to god. Thank you Lord Allmighty!!! We are lucky to have you looking out for us. If we didnt, things could become unpleasant.

I never said i was looking after you. Where did you get that from? 0.o

[mbc85]

So god acts as if he isn't there to teach us how to deal with free will. Hmmmm. That's very convenient for christians since it also accounts for an absent god. Also, I wonder if you have children. If so, do you teach them like the christian god is teaching us? If you did you would be charged with child abuse.

do explain the "child abuse" part. I am out of the loop on that one.

[Peter]

do explain the "child abuse" part. I am out of the loop on that one.

Seriously? How about an analogy.

You're god with a couple of two year old kids in the house. You've set up a wonderful playroom for them and you spend hours watching them frolic and play but after awhile it gets boring so you spice things up by throwing a book of matches into the center of the room and you tell the kids not to play with the matches. Then you put an older kid in the room that understands matches and likes to get other kids in trouble. Your kids will be convinced to play with the matches and you know this but when they set the house on fire you get pissed off and tell them they're disobedient little bastards and you throw them out into the street. You curse them and their progeny for all time unless they can bring themselves to believe in you and love you. If they do that they can come back and live in the house again.

This is just the beginning but I'm sure you get the picture.

[Peter]

(sarcasm)
Thank you god for letting that starving child get his flesh ripped off by a vulture while he was probably still alive. He should be grateful since 'his suffering was beneficial for us, and in turn is beneficial to him..' That childs painful death really helped 'teach us how to handle free will' and i know you had our benefit in mind. Please let us benefit from more suffering, god. Maybe a world war 3 or a new terminal disease that would make aids look like chicken pox, or another big tsunami killing a new record number. Not here though, at some third world country would teach a better lesson. You know who really benefited from learning a lesson on how to handle free will? All those kids who were repeatedly raped by their pedophile priests. Their parents and them must be SOOOO grateful to god. Thank you Lord Allmighty!!! We are lucky to have you looking out for us. If we didnt, things could become unpleasant.

ROFL, christians are such masochists. Isn't it amazing that christian beliefs are set up to not require a shred of evidence. On the other hand what would one expect from a belief system that's been fine tuning itself for a couple millenia.

If humans must invent gods for various reasons can't we do better? Animals in a zoo are treated better than mankind by any of it's gods. Maybe god needs a beer and a blowjob so he can chill out.