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The Forum > Article Comments > Compassion and the evils of the armchair > Comments

Compassion and the evils of the armchair : Comments

By Donna Jacobs Sife, published 13/4/2006

What exactly are the Christian values that Peter Costello speaks of?

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Good for you, Donna, and good for many of the Posters supporting you. How much today's people controlling our world need so much of your reasoning Donna. We might call it reasoning for today's world needs so much of it to cure the hatred that is consumimg us. It might be said that it is a hatred that is being practised from both sides consumed by a misguidance of true faith. And we might add the sound reasoning from which comes wisdom and understanding.

Islam is said by some thinkers to be in a Dark Ages similar to what Christianity was before Peter Abelard and St Thomas Aquinas saw the light in the 10 to 11 centuries AD.

Should we be ashamed that Abelard and Aquinas had to be shown the light of true understanding through Golden Greek reasoning that sadly both modern Islam and much of modern Christianity have now thrown out. How tragic it is that many Lutheran and Roman Catholic bishops remained quiet during the more recent horrors of Nazism and Hitlerism.

Donna, it is so wonderful that you have brought forth expressions from many of our Posters not so much about Christianity, but more the teachings of the young Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount being so typical and so much needed in our world today. Helping to bring thoughts about sharing the blame with our neighbours, and even the famous saying of Socrates, "Out with the Gods and in with the Good", because surely a Good God would not like what many of us are up to these days. Both sides of this rotten world conflict, at that
Posted by bushbred, Sunday, 16 April 2006 12:37:47 AM
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Well written, Ms. Jacobs. I call myself a Satanic Feminist. I'm sure that moniker speaks differently to all. I grew up in the deep south of the United States. The home to Southern Baptists, Jehovah Witness, Pentecostal, all labeled Fundamental Christian sects. What I observed about the Christian religion made me turn away as I saw more hypocrisy that compassion, more bigotry than forgiveness, more fear than trust.

My values came from living life and having a desire to be a better human being. No religion or god can do that for an individual. When I look at the world and the conflicts caused by the battle over religious ideology, I want to cry. The waste of time and resources is a crime against humanity.
Posted by Patty Jr. Satanic Feminist, Sunday, 16 April 2006 5:45:03 AM
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Dear Brushy
your posts are always warmhearted, which is relfective of your age. As my own years advance, I tend to 'feel' similarly, but I believe we must distinguish between this, and other realities which are not so willing to submit themselves to our aging generosity of spirit.

One such reality is Islam.

While you refer to the transformation you claim took place in Acquinas re Christianity, it is crucial to point out that this alleged transformation did not change the impact of the fundamental truths of the faith, or their correctly interpreted shaping of behavior.

I see nothing in Aquinas alleged change which will alter "Love your neighbour" or..the teaching or example of Christ. When Jesus said to the disciples... (Luke24:44ff)

["This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."]

He showed the specific focus of this in the next verse:

[45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things"]

In the same way, no 'enlightenment' in Islam will change "Fight them wherever you find them" "Slay the idolaters" etc...

The reason is, both are tied intimately to Jesus and Mohammed. You see, 'fight them' in Islam is not 'contextual' it is abiding. It would not be an 'enlightenment' to depart from this, it would be apostasy.

Jesus gave us "Love God, Love your neighbour, through a relationship with the Father through me"

Mohammed gave us "Worship Allah, Accept me as his messenger, and here is the RULE BOOK of Law, on which your society must be based and militarily defended and extended" (The 'extension' is more from his 'Sunnah/example')

Can you (and others) see the difference here and how this would impact on followers of each faith today ?
Posted by BOAZ_David, Monday, 17 April 2006 7:03:19 AM
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Great article.. compassion is what we need, and I guess if some religions encourage that, then that's good, but no one religion owns the concept. Indeed, fundamentalists often seem to be remarkably short on it. Also interesting to see how our religous posters here stack up on our immigration policy.
Posted by hellothere, Monday, 17 April 2006 1:58:21 PM
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hellothere,
I am not sure what you mean by your comment: "Also interesting to see how our religous posters here stack up on our immigration policy."

I support the legal immigration of skilled migrants and our refugee intake from compatable countries. In fact I live in an area of a large Sudanese intake and we have several churches supporting them.

Also in the congreations I attend we have a large intake of Koreans and Asians. One of my closest friends is a Papuan family who lives nearby. Our Church supports a local man now working in the Refugee camps in Austria teaching language and distributing supplies to newcomers. We support families teaching farming in Indonesia, and nursing in the remote areas of the Philippines. Generally speaking I support the principle that Australia must retain its culture otherwise it will become a third world culture as unskilled people become the majority. We must be exporting skills and expertise to developing countries to assist them to push back the desert. Rather than us merely becoming a 100 years hense another poor desert country.
Posted by Philo, Monday, 17 April 2006 4:09:17 PM
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Thanks for the compliments, Boaz, but it is so interesting that I have been complimented much more since trying to finishg schooling in my old age. Looks like in that time I have changed from a possibly ignorant smart-ares bushie into a bleeding heart - almost a greenie, I guess.

But though a few years of study in retirement got me a post-grad in the general social sciences, including honours in International Relations dealing with Third World problems, I must say that I might have become thoughtful enough to believe that as our society advances - hoping by means of the good not the greed, there is the urgent need to mix faith with reason as both Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas attempted to do, really pointing the West towards the liberal democracy we are trying possibly too hard to over capitalise right now. As the 18th century German social philosopher Max Weber quotes in his "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", though capitalism needs freedom for success, it also needs lawful guidance to control the greed that is the natural impetus for that success. Meaning, of course, in capitalised ompetition.

Adam Smith later said almost exactly the same thing.

So there again we see the need for reason, Boaz, as the young Jesus surely used it in the insight that helped him produce the Sermon on the Mount. Possibly we might say that strong insight comes from Above, but surely a bit of nose to the grindstone helps besides.

Anyway, cobber, thanks again for the welcoming remarks. Always helps.

George C, WA - Busbred
Posted by bushbred, Monday, 17 April 2006 4:59:07 PM
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