Yeah yeah we can all go on and on about the great things we do or the wonderful persons we are because we all want to stand in line and receive a halo, but what it all boils down to is that our virtues are not really measured (IF they are measured at all) at certain moments when we take special effort to 'be compassionate'.

It is measured throughout our whole lives, also at those moments that we are not aware of ourselves being compassionate. Just live your life in the fullest, at your best, get over your mistakes and try to be better next time. We'll all be OK.

The whole of your character will be measured- not some conscious compassionate moments we might have.

this response is to Alan Gray regarding the bible reference of "thou shall not kill" -

I have a bible that I received for my Confirmation in 1971. I still have it, read it, and am now using it for a resource. It is a Saint Joseph New Catholic Edition, Illustrated, copyright 1963.

Now to my point. On the inside front cover, my bible lists 'The Ten Commandments' and #5 states (exactly): Thou shalt not kill

Hopefully the bible you use, as an obvious religious right, still have 'The Ten Commandments' listed. Everytime they are listed in a bible, #5 deals with not killing, regardless of the wording.

Even though one of the commandments is: "Thou shalt not kill", it's a fallacy that christianity is a religion based on love.

Doesn't God destroy cities, drown many in a flood, send plaques...

Some examples why 'thou shalt kill':

20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Both the Bible and the Koran are bursting with violence and murder.