*OT* Max, It's my opinion that "human nature" consists of doing the easiest thing available.
According to this train of thought, the christians in your story did what they did because putting their own lives at risk was easier than living with themselves knowing that they had such an opportunity and chose to do nothing. They say as much in their answers to the researcher: "What else could we do?" It's not as if they didn't have options, the options simply couldn't hold a candle to doing what was right. The decision was easy.
Is it easier to go to work wet, dirty, and late, or is it easier to spend the day at work picturing the old lady standing in the rain next to her car with a flat tire? It may be that neither is attractive, but I say every single person will side with what's easiest for that person.
So what makes it easiest for someone to do right at the risk of his own well-being? Beats me, but religion, philosophy, nature, nurture, and lack of same, all play a role.
And what makes it easiest for some to clip the general public for their life savings, on Wall Street or elsewhere? Same thing.
Doug |
