A religion called "Empathy"

http://imgur.com/XyavRrQ

Beautiful. Peace to all those who have been touched by malice today. May they know peace.

Lol its called Jedi ism? Funny we know what we need yet we focus on what's happening rather than fixing it. Thanks Jestor, if Jedi incorporated that idea in their meditation there would be a flame unstoppable. Dare I say if every one incorporated it in their existing, wow, we could change the world!

I accept the challenge!

Yes!

I still like my colorful fables, though.

That's part of you! lol that's the idea!

It is often easy to interpret some tenets of any given religion as promoting all kinds of atrocious behaviour, and in far too many cases no mental gymnastics are even needed to that end.
I am by no means above criticizing the content of a doctrine and raise moral objections do their darker or easily twistable parts.

However...

It is not solely and not strictly the content that enables what we so much despise about the contributions of religions to suffering. The Myanmar Buddhists refered to in that comment are an example of this. Every position, without exception, if elevated to the levels that religions enjoy, i.e. such that it be adhered to without reservation, without further thought but with utter devotion instead, is dangerous for that reason alone. As much as I would like to call for more empathy in the world, and as much as I would promote and defend it any other day, I would still put it on a foundation of critical thinking first.
Hardly any traditional religion thinks of itself as the promoter of evil, and even the most demonstrably destructive political or economical ideologies all refer back to values most of us would - to some extent or another - agree with. Yet it is not until our deep thought pushed us on a quest for peace, that the goal becomes truly paramount to us. It is then likewise not without the horses of discovery and the wheels of reason that our carriage of compassion can roll toward the land of peace.

I also happen to disagree with the kind of empathy this gentleman suggests. First, this is a directive form of the ethic of reciprocity, which I find a lot less helpful than a prohibitive one, but also this one concentrates, as they do traditionally, on how we would ourselves like to be treated as opposed to the target considered. I propose, rather than treating others as we would like to be treated ourselves, we ought instead seek to not treat them how they wouldn't want to be treated.

Gisteron wrote: I propose, rather than treating others as we would like to be treated ourselves, we ought instead seek to not treat them how they wouldn't want to be treated.

I think (and, I say this in a pondering tone, not one of authority of any kind) that, the author was thinking on how well we treat ourselves, versus how we treat others... Currently...

YOu make a very valid point, and for people who consider these things, you are more correct than the author of that blurb...

However, people generally are not like that, I think...

I treat myself pretty good, I think most of us do... And, Id like to think that I treat others 'better than average', but, I have not numbers to verify this....

I think, (still ponder-ish tone) that perhaps the author was instead trying to call the attention of those who are not as aware of the plight of others, and instead, only worry about themselves...

idk, cant ask them lol...

Gisteron wrote: As much as I would like to call for more empathy in the world, and as much as I would promote and defend it any other day, I would still put it on a foundation of critical thinking first.

Agree, 100%...

Part of 'paying attention to the NOW', should be the 'thinking before acting'...

We should always do that, reflective responses aside...

I shouldnt have to decide to pull my hands out of the fire before doing so, lol...

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

hiddeninthesnow wrote: Beautiful. Peace to all those who have been touched by malice today. May they know peace.

I know of no nobler sentiment than this. Thank you for sharing it!

,,Religion at root of violence''

A Christian terrorist would live the Christian religion not as intended, a Christian terrorist would live it as a ideology. Then how can violence and religion be linked? :ohmy:

~ Aqua