A thought that tickled my brain

I personally think Ego is the one behind all the suicide incidents happened around the world.
Ego is most likely the main reason why some people hate themselves.

Btw I found these two interesting links about Ego:

Jesus fighting ego in desert: www.spiritofthescripture.com...

OT is all about slaying Ego: www.spiritofthescripture.com...

In the first link, the author explained why Ego is actually Satan in bible.
In the second link, the author believes that the killing of canaanite, and some other tribes represents the killing of Ego. Interestingly, he also showed a hint where we can find God.

Maybe Bible isnt that evil after all. Only evil if it is in the wrong hands.

@Akragon: sorry if this post is not related to the topic.

Note: dominicus also posted the same thing about Ego being Satan: www.abovetopsecret.com...

If someone hates themselves then they cannot love god, if they don't love god then they do not love their neighbors. Not loving yourself breaks both commandments, so anyone who hates themselves is lost and needs finding, in my opinion.

reply to post by Akragon

Originally posted by Akragon
I've got an interesting question for the religious community...

The two commandments Jesus gave were:

Love God...

And love your neighbour as you love yourselves...

But....

What if one does not love him/her self?

In fact, what does said person do if he/she actually hates themself?

Interesting question…

Just going by the standard definition of what that verse implies, I think it’s kind of a catch 22, in that most people don’t love themselves because they’re in turn, not close to God.

Although personally, I don’t think that verse means to love yourself, exactly like you love all other people. I see it more of case of being about knowing that you are free, and respecting that freedom within others.

This in turn is connected to the commandments of God, and when you begin to see in others, positive traits that you also posses, you find that love is right there, waiting for you.

Also others, help to complete us (Enter Jerry McGuire) and without them, our walk towards God, would be a lonely road.

- JC

Originally posted by backcase
Man does not define God, nor is God so clueless and lonely that man must be made.
"do they dispise themselves first and foremost?"
Yes, we should, when faced with our own sin. If we catch ourselves judging or swearing then we should despise what of us is corrupt, but love it knowing that it is through these sins that we may conquer the Kingdom of Heaven, by denying them and becoming love fully.
It is also humble to know that we are sinners, and we should always compare our worst faults to Jesus' perfection in order to grow in humility.
The last questions you should find for yourself.

So, is it Mankind in totality that is clueless; or just some of them. Which catagory do you fit. There is one you failed to mention; the one called the Enlightenned Ones. I am always curious about "The Yoke of the Sin Society" (self fladulation) in that they seem very angry that they manefested/and surprise!! were born as human.
Were you not born perfectly as a babe? What corrupted you? You have the idea of conquering the Kingdom of Heaven-your words through denial of your humaness and somehow pull the LOVE card; a high Ace that because you love your sins (into oblivion) you win. If you are a sinner, own it. Humility is the act of a rich man (Warren Buffet) pretending to be blind squatting with his dog on 5th Ave and telling everyone "no alms, today is my day off, here is a hundred dollar bill for your concern".

As to your Kingdom of Heaven, hope its the right address and your key card is current.

reply to post by Akragon


you should try harder Akragon.

reply to post by Angle


Not interested in advice from a so called "high priest"...

thanks though

reply to post by Akragon


Or what if one's definition of love is different from everyone else. For some men, love means a wife that cooks and cleans and pampers them. For others, love is found in the bonds of alcohol or drug addictions. Some parents believe that love is truly expressed in the beating of their children as a means of discipline.

I guess we should figure out what love is, eh?

Originally posted by jiggerj
reply to post by Akragon

 

Or what if one's definition of love is different from everyone else. For some men, love means a wife that cooks and cleans and pampers them. For others, love is found in the bonds of alcohol or drug addictions. Some parents believe that love is truly expressed in the beating of their children as a means of discipline.

I guess we should figure out what love is, eh?

That sounds like self gratification to me... which is selfishness...

I have a very simple theory as to what love actually is...

Love = Selflessness

In which there can be no hate, or jealousy... or anger, or deceit...

Its said a person can only serve one God... it can be the self, or the all...

reply to post by Akragon


I agree, love is a universal law that applies the same way with everyone. Someone who beats their child doesn't love them, and someone who is addicted to alcohol does not mean they love alcohol, only that they are addicted to it.

Originally posted by Akragon


That sounds like self gratification to me... which is selfishness...

I have a very simple theory as to what love actually is...

Love = Selflessness

In which there can be no hate, or jealousy... or anger, or deceit...

Its said a person can only serve one God... it can be the self, or the all...

We can call it anything we want, Ak, but that doesn't change the fact that 'love' means different things for different people.

As for Love = Selflessness, that's not humanly possible. To do something selfless means to get nothing out of it. No sense of pride for being a good person while helping someone out, no belief that if I help others then others will be there for me when I need help.

Humans are completely devoid of the ability to do something utterly selfless.

reply to post by jiggerj


Interesting you say that...

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

reply to post by jiggerj


Says you. What makes doing something for someone because it's right so impossible to you? If you don't believe in selflessness then you are selfish, plain and simple.

Have you ever helped a family member just because they asked? Even if you didn't want to? I have, and I didn't do it because I thought I would get a reward in the end, I did it because I loved them and I thought it was the right thing to do.

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
reply to post by Akragon

 

I agree, love is a universal law that applies the same way with everyone.

Oh, I bet if you created a thread asking people to define love and how they express it in everyday life, you'd have yourself one LONG thread!

For instance, is it showing love when your child is obese and you say nothing because you don't want to hurt their feelings? Or is it showing love when you force your obese child to eat only small healthy portions of food and make them exercise everyday (and the child HATES you for it)?

reply to post by jiggerj


Your child's diet has nothing to do with love. You're starting to bring in completely unrelated things to the discussion.

Love is love no matter who you are. The love for parents and the love for children is the same for everyone.

reply to post by jiggerj

For instance, is it showing love when your child is obese and you say nothing because you don't want to hurt their feelings?

I believe that would be neglect...

Or is it showing love when you force your obese child to eat only small healthy portions of food and make them exercise everyday (and the child HATES you for it)?

Its just a child... that's why we have parents... to guide them

A child will hate his parents if they take away their favorite toy... but if that toy is a knife... is it right to let them have it?

Originally posted by Akragon
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Interesting you say that...

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Hold up a minute. I was addressing this part of your OP:

And love your neighbour as you love yourselves... But.... What if one does not love him/her self?

This is why I wrote: or what if everyone's definition of love is different. If people can NOT love themselves, then they can certainly love themselves in ways that you or I would not consider love at all.

reply to post by jiggerj


So someone who doesn't love themselves means they love themselves in other ways? If they don't love themselves then they don't love themselves. It doesn't make sense that someone can not love themselves but love themselves in different ways at the same time. That's like saying since they hate themselves then they love themselves by hating themselves, it's illogical.

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Says you. What makes doing something for someone because it's right so impossible to you? If you don't believe in selflessness then you are selfish, plain and simple.

Have you ever helped a family member just because they asked? Even if you didn't want to? I have, and I didn't do it because I thought I would get a reward in the end, I did it because I loved them and I thought it was the right thing to do.

edit on 21-1-2013 by 3NL1GHT3N3D1 because: (no reason given)

You attack me, and then offer no proof of a selfless act. Do you know what selfless means? You say you "did it because I loved them" and "it was the right thing to do". This is not selfless thinking.

How about this:

You want to write a check every month to save animals on the endangered species list (good for you!). Only, to make sure this is a selfless act we have to find a way of guaranteeing that you don't feel good about writing that check. So, every month, when you put that check in the mail, Mike Tyson is going to punch your lights out.

Come on, you want to help the animals, right? How many hits will you take before you stop writing those checks?

reply to post by jiggerj


You're assuming that everyone always does good only so they can get that "good feeling" in the end, which is not always the case. The good feeling in the end is not always the reason someone does something good, in fact a lot of the time that good feeling is only a side effect of what they did.

Originally posted by Akragon
reply to post by jiggerj

 

A child will hate his parents if they take away their favorite toy... but if that toy is a knife... is it right to let them have it?

All depends. What century are you talking about? If love is the same for everyone, then surely you'd agree that love has meant the same throughout time. What did good, loving parents give their ten year old boys back in the 1700's? Answer: Hunting knives and guns.

Would you let a 30 year old man molest your 13 year old child? Of course not. But, back in the day, and as a loving, caring father you would have let a financially well-to-do man MARRY your 13 year old daughter and let her have his babies.