Having trouble with judgemental attitude

Awesome replies, thanks everyone, I have much to think about it, and alot of the back and forth I see here I have already been through in my head.

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
reply to post by aching_knuckles

 

Small tangental question. But wouldn't true neutrality mean indifference and not love or hate?

True neutrality has always been another difficult concept to grasp to me. As you say, if it is merely indifference, doesnt that mean basically living a human life without humanity? Or, to the other extreme, is neutral feeding a beggar, then kicking him in the nuts afterward? LOL 1 good act, 1 bad act, balances out to 0 or neutral.

reply to post by aching_knuckles


I would argue indifference.
2nd line.

reply to post by aching_knuckles


Your feelings are right, and his attitude is wrong and shameful.

I aswell am also very spiritual, but fortunately, havent gotten twisted in the moral relativism and nihlism of eastern thought.

So a person like Hitler, and Eichman, and Joseph Mengel, theyre just the converse of mother theresa, eh? I cannot accept that. There is no reason on earth why a Hitler or any man of such wickedness and evil should be tolerated, or regarded as not being evil. What kind of thing does this etach? we dont have any free will? Nobody is responsible for their behavior? if thats the case, wets just let everyone "Be" and well do away with the penal system. Why punish those who naturally are? Why "Judge" them?

That man is a complete idiot. Anyone who peddles that corrupt philosophy is lacking the most important spiritual faculty that we have: a conscience.

reply to post by hawkiye


I completely agree. Star for you

reply to post by NewAgeMan


star for you too,

It is absurd and bad theology, period, to think such horrible wickedness has to exist to allow for the existence of goodness.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


As the Rabbinic sages say "judge yourself, lest you be judged"

In other words, be very careful and favorable in your judgements of others. And most importantly, guard yourself from hypocricy.

In the case of Hitler though, there is no amount of judgement that is too much. He was a horrible wicked man. The very act of judgement itself gives strength and validity to the truth of Good.

True goodness is indignance when injustice goes uncondemned.

Originally posted by dontreally
As the Rabbinic sages say "judge yourself, lest you be judged"

In other words, be very careful and favorable in your judgements of others. And most importantly, guard yourself from hypocricy.

Interesting interpretation of the old Rabbinic saying my friend. I have a bit of a different interpretation. Judge no one BUT yourself, and you will not be judged.

Even Hitler acted out of what he thought was "Good" for what he considered HIS people. It is easy to look back through the lens of history, and even as one on the other side of his judgement, and declare he was evil. What we can never do is enter his heart and know the sincerity of his actions. That, is for the Father to know and to judge. As his endeavor was not successful and his empire was struck down, I see the father judged him as unworthy to rule the world, thus my judgement is not needed.

When I look at men like Hitler, I do not judge them, I love them and pity them for not having a grander view of embracing the whole human family as one under God. Had he done so, he may have done far greater things.

With Love,

Your Brother

reply to post by IAMIAM


Heres a relavant Hitler quote

“They refer to me as an uneducated barbarian. Yes, we are barbarians. We want to be barbarians, it is an honored title to us. We shall rejuvenate the world. This world is near its end.”

He embraced Barabarism, and wickedness. He was a man who fully understood and knew the nature of his actions; and he loved it.

I like this topic quite a bit. There is a lot of interesting view points going on here. Personally, I agree more with the old man you were talking with. I have always, just naturally, seen "evil" as a balancing effect over the great "good" humanity creates. I'm not saying it's right. What I don't think that old man was was neutral. I believe he was just compassionate. Neutrality does indeed imply a sense of indifference. Compassion implies a sense of understanding what is going on from all aspects of the situation. Trying to understand where the "evil" originated and how it got to that stage.

For those of you who enjoy a good sci-fi book, Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" has a good example of this. The civilization in that book that comes into contact with humanity doesn't necessarily believe in indifference, more compassion to the point of not coming to a decision about the situation until all aspects of the situation can be observed. Another would be "Ender's Game", when Ender gets to understand his "enemy" so intimately to the point that he can destroy them without question, but he is also at an understanding where he chooses not to because he fully realizes why the "enemy" is attacking.

I think one of the reasons why people are so against neutrality and compassion in some sense is due to the fact that it implies a lack of movement. It's completely natural to want to act, and quickly, when something "bad" is happening. I'm not saying I wouldn't stop someone getting mugged, but I also wouldn't beat the crap out of the person acting in the mugging because the "evil" deed has been nullified and there is no need to turn it into an a poor act.

These are just my thoughts, and mine alone. I always welcome any words though.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


NewAgeMan, sounds like you had an incredibly understanding mother. Frustrating I'm sure when asking questions such as you did, but still, she sounds like she was a really neat woman.

Originally posted by dontreally

“They refer to me as an uneducated barbarian. Yes, we are barbarians. We want to be barbarians, it is an honored title to us. We shall rejuvenate the world. This world is near its end.”

He embraced Barabarism, and wickedness. He was a man who fully understood and knew the nature of his actions; and he loved it.

My friend, it is interesting that you bring up Hitlers quote about barbarism. Barbarism was a term used by the Roman empire to denigrate those northern neighbors who would not submit to Roman rule. They were called barbarians because the "civilised" culture of Rome shaved their facial hair, while the wild neighbors to the north did not. The root of barbarian being Barba simply meant beard. So, Hitler was being quite literal with the quote.

Today, the word means something much different.

With Love,

Your Brother