Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Don't Ask Rambi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KMT who wrote (10708)	5/23/1998 12:36:00 PM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 71178

Dear KMT, Thank you for posting your thoughtful response. SOmetimes we cover a lot of the same ground here- we've all known each so long- and it's good to get some new perspectives! You didn't come across as a right-wing whatever to me at all and here is why: your thoughts were well-ordered and based more on than a declaration that HERE IS TRUTH AND YOU EVIL PAGANS WILL BURN (which would have earned you a quick and probably somewhat rude showing to the door even by those of us who haven't declared which side of the fence they fall on). You gave your reasons why a lack of religious belief might be a factor in these behaviors from the psychological basis. Abortion: I'm not an historian but there are certainly instances in the Christian past which indicate a very low regard for human life, particularly for anyone who didn't believe as they did. I think man valued as an individual is a more recent development in all our cultures. Abortion has been around for a very, very long time, only it was done in desperate, nonsterile, often fatal circumstances. Ideally, we would bring every child into this world wanted, to loving parents, to a society which valued and nurtured its development. That's not the case. Is this perhaps a chicken or egg question? If we solve some of the other problems that plague us, would abortion demand drop? Is there a direct connection between the devaluation of human life in the womb and shooting your classmates? I don't know. I'm not sure there is--I think the violence is a response that goes far deeper than that. But you could be right. Evolution--here we part company. In the same way, I do not feel that I am responsible for the sins of the past (slavery, Children's Crusades, the burning of witches) whether I evolved from apes or sprang fully formed from the forehead of Jove is irrelevant to my moral behavior. I am responsible for my behavior, for finding the meaning in my own existence. I don't believe that a person has to be a Christian to value human life or to have a strong responsible, ethical and well-reasoned foundation for his behavior, or to value others' existence. Media. I agree. We cannot help but become calloused to the barrage of violence that inundates us. Margaret Atwood wrote "If you feed me garbage I will sing a song of garbage." Relationship: I was intrigued by this one. I had never thought of it in these terms before and it may actually be the answer to some of my confusion about the possibility of morality without a religious base. When I was (briefly) in grad school in counseling, we studied a model of effective disciplines. The combinations were: warm--strict cold-strict warm--permissive cold--permissive The least effective were the colds. I honestly can't remember which of the warms was most effective, but obviously warm implies a relationship between parent and child. Your example of the Israelites was actually a wonderful metaphor illustrating this (I hope I haven't insulted you by calling it a metaphor). I have several friends who are not religious but who are raising very ethical, disciplined, caring children. One of my sons' best friends is a Muslim and he, too, is a wonderful and highly moral young man. I believe that a Christian upbringing can be of great value to parents in raising a healthy child. I also believe it can be used (and often is)to create close-minded, intolerant individuals. I believe in a firm foundation; I just don't believe that foundation is limited to the Christian one to raise strong, healthy, compassionate, ethical children.