Re:RE: virus: pale religious lechery

joe dees (joedees@bellsouth.net)
Sun, 07 Mar 1999 20:23:02 -0500

This is true in Christian principle; however, more often than not, christians in practice restrict their Goodwill to those whom they know or assume to share their faith.

At Sun, 7 Mar 1999 17:10:43 -0800, you wrote:
>
>In fact, one of the strongest components of Christian faith is sometimes
>known as Goodwill. It is not, of course, limited to Christianity. Goodwill
>is faith that it's worth being good to others even if you don't expect
>anything in return. It's much nicer to be around people of goodwill than
>people of ill will. That means if you have goodwill people will like you
>more, which may lead to an enjoyable life.
>
>True goodwill, though, persists even in the face of overwhelming evidence to
>the contrary. It's simply a choice that one must make. If you make it on a
>case-by-case basis, you don't have it.
>
>You might already be likening this to the Prisoners' Dilemma and be ready to
>argue that goodwill is a rational choice in certain situations. But true
>goodwill is faith without reason, good acts for their own sake. It's an act
>of Faith. And it's certainly useful in dealing with everyone, not just those
>who share it.
>
>Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/
>Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
>http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
>Free newsletter! Visit Meme Central at
>http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
>Of KMO
>Sent: Sunday, March 7, 1999 4:37 PM
>To: virus@lucifer.com
>Subject: Re: virus: pale religious letchery
>
>
>joe dees wrote:
>
>> While reason is useful in dealing with both one's "fellow" humans and the
>common world we share, the utility of any particular faith is limited to
>dealings with people who share it, as a social/cultural lubricant.
>
>I dissagree pretty strongly with this statement. I find that the
>beneficial effects of my own faith are most evident when I am engaged in
>solitary creative work.
>
>-KMO
>
>
>
>
Joe E. Dees
Poet, Pagan, Philosopher



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