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17,102 Posts
I wanted to this to be away from the sexy poses and the men who don't like them discussion, because it goes so far beyond that. It applies to the crusades, to the middle east, to assholes burning down "black" churches, and women I'll never meet cutting mean looks at me because they think I'm going to snub them.
Your standards belong to you, as you get older and learn lessons that are exclusively yours, you'll find your standards are sculpted by those experiences.
We may all learn that fire burns and broken glass can cut us, but the more esoteric stuff is different for all of us.
When we try to apply our standards to other people, it doesn't usually end well. When we try to force others to live up to our standards, it usually ends with us committing a terrible wrong against that person, even as we are trying to be right, or righteous.
Years of holy wars have proved nothing. War is not holy, and hurting people is not the hallmark of a person whose heart is in the right place.
Outside of moral absolutes like "murder is wrong" that grey area is where we all get to play, to discover who we are, and develop ourselves. It's my belief that this freedom of choice is given to us so that we may show God who we really are. You might believe it is spare time in which to make a snack. I have no place judging your beliefs, or the way in which you choose to live your life.
WHy does it seem so hard to understand? Why do entire nations just not get it? You can't force others to live by your standards. You can't measure someone elses worth or progress by your own moral beliefs. It doesn't work.
You can observe that someone's standards are incompatible with yours, but that isn't a value judgement, it's just a way of making it through this world with companions we can get along with.
The attempt to force or coerce others to fall in line with our own beliefs is the cause of wars, murders, and hurt feelings.
How long is it going to take to figure it out?
You can be right for you, and wrong for me, and that's OK, nobody has to change. We don't all have to agree.
Sorry for the big long rant.
Your standards belong to you, as you get older and learn lessons that are exclusively yours, you'll find your standards are sculpted by those experiences.
We may all learn that fire burns and broken glass can cut us, but the more esoteric stuff is different for all of us.
When we try to apply our standards to other people, it doesn't usually end well. When we try to force others to live up to our standards, it usually ends with us committing a terrible wrong against that person, even as we are trying to be right, or righteous.
Years of holy wars have proved nothing. War is not holy, and hurting people is not the hallmark of a person whose heart is in the right place.
Outside of moral absolutes like "murder is wrong" that grey area is where we all get to play, to discover who we are, and develop ourselves. It's my belief that this freedom of choice is given to us so that we may show God who we really are. You might believe it is spare time in which to make a snack. I have no place judging your beliefs, or the way in which you choose to live your life.
WHy does it seem so hard to understand? Why do entire nations just not get it? You can't force others to live by your standards. You can't measure someone elses worth or progress by your own moral beliefs. It doesn't work.
You can observe that someone's standards are incompatible with yours, but that isn't a value judgement, it's just a way of making it through this world with companions we can get along with.
The attempt to force or coerce others to fall in line with our own beliefs is the cause of wars, murders, and hurt feelings.
How long is it going to take to figure it out?
You can be right for you, and wrong for me, and that's OK, nobody has to change. We don't all have to agree.
Sorry for the big long rant.