The problem with this guy called Jesus of Nazareth
This man who lived 2,000 years ago is one of the most clear demonstrations of the long range power of ideas
His concepts modified the history of the World for the last two Millenniums, and specially during the last two Centuries due to the strong influence of the United States of America on the so called Western civilization.
Almost all the Christian commandments are harmful in one way or another to the Mind, the Reason, the Progress and the Self-steem of men but two of them are specially evil in modern times:
1-"You shall love your neighbor as yourself"
2-"You shall not kill"
The first one gives place to consider altruism or un-selfishness as one of the alleged highest virtues of our society, and is often stretched to the even more insane "You shall love your neighbor more than yourself" as the pinnacle of virtue
But who is "your neighbor"? The commandment doesn't mention anything about your relation with him: Is he your friend? your relative? someone you admire? someone unknown? someone known but despised by you? your enemy?
Does your neighbor deserve to be loved by you? Is he wise? idiot? honest, thief, criminal? brave or coward? helpful or useless? hard-worker or lazy? nice or indifferent?
The commandment doesn't specify anything, so we should assume that we should love everyone, anyone.
This commandment is deeply affecting the politics and economics of the World because no one dares to defend Capitalism on moral grounds, simply because it goes against this commandment which is taken as some kind of axiomatic truth, some revealed supreme virtue that everyone seems to agree with...
Why? Simply because it resonates deeply in our brain, in our soul where we have genetically hardwired thanks to our evolution as species other virtues like kindness or compassion or sympathy which are (were at least) essential for our survival as group and individuals because these virtues allow us to live in tribes and societies which in turn has the potential to greatly improve our chances of survival and our standard of life
But I say it is not possible to love your neighbor as yourself, it is an evil ideal impossible to comply in real life and thus created only to make people feel guilty. I say it is not right to love your neighbor as yourself without knowing who your neighbor is, without knowing if he deserves your love or your indifference or scorn or even your hate or your fear or whatever he could deserve according to your own values and to his virtues, his vices, his merits, his faults or his crimes...
The second one "You shall not kill" is a blind blank check extended to your current or potential enemies in order to allow them to harm you, is an invitation to become a sacrificial lamb for anyone that doesn't share the same ridiculous principle
You shall never kill? Not even in self-defense? Or in defense of your loved ones? Or to defend your property, your village, your country?
I hate pacifists almost as much as I hate ecologists. What kind of man offer the other cheek to his aggressor? A coward.
The "combo" of these two commandments exempt people from the responsibility about their own safety, and from the need to analyze more carefully the World and the people living in them, the need to discriminate between others, the "neighbors", on the naif belief that if one is good everybody will somehow love or appreciate us and nobody will finally or seriously harm us, or the mistaken idea that there will be always some one there to defend us. These commandments also encourage anyone else to act with impunity knowing that we are sacrificial lambs ready to be their next victims.
Labels: Christians, commandments, Jesus
posted by Antonio the Outlander at
6:14 PM
1 Comments:
Im going to test my luck, the waters or whatever.
First off lil about myself, I identify myself as an humanist and an agnostic. Ive very little fondness of christianity. As a matter of fact I think most of it is a massive decpetion, filled with complete nonsense and utter garbage. Its intentions in my eyes, were/are to exploit and prey upon the weak and impressionable.
Thats just some background about me. My intentions are to come here to support humanism and those ideals. I imagine you might think of humanism as a form of altruism.
First off, realistically the ten commandments are ideals to live up to. Just like any well established philosophy or beliefs, they are lofty and nearly unattainable. The inherent impossible to live by standards of these beliefs pushes people to sacrifice what they are, for what they can become.
That being said your arguement against the 2nd commandment is largely based on somantics. Only the more corrupt religious sects want a person to aquiesce and be a sacrificial lamb.
Lets be realistic, most modern day parishioners and clergy would not admonish someone for defending their own life or even accidentally killing someone. Your statements are more applicable if applied to days of yore when peasants dared to rebel against nobility.
Many in the US government want us disamred and helpless far more than the christians. To that end the government is colluding with churches to accomplish this disarmament.
In response to your criticism of the first commandment, again it is not a law this is only an ideal, no man, christian or not, can live up to that statement. However imagine the kind of person that can, that kind of "altruism" would take far more moral strength than posessed by you or I.
That in my eyes is not so evil, Id be in awe of one who posessed anywhere near that level of benevolence.
Empathy and charity are not as obsolete as you may think. Many of us fall on hard times and need help. You may not, but many are not so fortunate. This is where in my view objectivism fails.
Natural disasters strike, children are orphaned, the economy becomes depressed, people get in car accidents or become ill, etc.
(To clarify, I do not advocate federalized social welfare as i believe it is a way to enslave taxpayers to the US federal reserve revenue system)
I think that it is rather glib to assume that people dont defend capitalism because of the christian commandments, I think you give christianity to much credit. Id like to read an explanation about how capitalism is being hindered by the 1st commandment. There are much more influential issues crippling our nations economy right now.
I am curious as to why you do not love others easily and why people must "earn" or "deserve" your love? It is a foreign concept to me, to not be kind and respectful of other people.
I do agree with your last line that if a person is ignorant that it makes them much easier to exploit. However I have realized it takes a stronger man to not exploit such weaknesses in others.
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