(January 18, 2016 at 11:48 am)TrueChristian Wrote: Look, I didn't mean that all those poor people were well off.

I meant that those who choose poverty can have great wisdom.

Although it is better to not have depenedents when you make the choice, I agree!

And some can be stupid as shit too. Unfortunately poverty and lack of education go hand in hand. I most certainly have known and do know poor people who have better morals than say Trump and the Cock brothers. 

But religion, not just yours, but all, have the bad side affect of breeding too much ignorance which in turn causes people to value horrible conditions as if it were a virtue. Certainly there are empathetic religious people who do care, but they ignore the divisions religion cause which leads to bad conditions.

Religion makes it easy for power to dangle a utopia to the masses that leads them to go against their own self interests.

(January 18, 2016 at 11:53 am)Brian37 Wrote:

(January 18, 2016 at 11:48 am)TrueChristian Wrote: Look, I didn't mean that all those poor people were well off.

I meant that those who choose poverty can have great wisdom.

Although it is better to not have depenedents when you make the choice, I agree!

And some can be stupid as shit too. Unfortunately poverty and lack of education go hand in hand. I most certainly have known and do know poor people who have better morals than say Trump and the Cock brothers. 

But religion, not just yours, but all, have the bad side affect of breeding too much ignorance which in turn causes people to value horrible conditions as if it were a virtue. Certainly there are empathetic religious people who do care, but they ignore the divisions religion cause which leads to bad conditions.

Religion makes it easy for power to dangle a utopia to the masses that leads them to go against their own self interests.

Religion helps us care for the poor. What do you think food drives are for?

(January 18, 2016 at 2:08 am)TrueChristian Wrote: Is there a merit in poverty? Is there any goodness or "power" in choosing to take on the life of a poor person? Can Poverty create virtue?

Several great luminaries of the age found joy and goodness in being poor.

1. Diogenes, a humble man who took to living in a clay jar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope

2. Francis of Assissi, great sage of Italy who married "Holy Lady Poverty" http://communio.stblogs.org/Allegorgy%20...Giotto.jpg

3. Buddha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

3. Gandhi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi

There is a whole philosophy.. of how to live simply, to live without possessions, to be... at peace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_living

I just feel that being poor, having little to no money or food can bring one blessings and clarity of thought. When people choose to have very little money, food or possessions ( or perhaps none at all) they can often pay more attention to things and ideas that really matter.

The more I read about the benefits of poverty.. the more I feel a new approach to the poverty issue should be taken. Instead of seeking to change or alter poverty.... perhaps we should teach that it is an acceptable or even desirable alternative to being rich and famous?

The arrogant snobby hollywood elites are so proud of having money yet it's pretty apparent how empty and shallow they are as people .

What will it take for us as a culture... to love and embrace poverty? Maybe we should elect Bernie Sanders to help make us all poor ?

Fine for you. Give everything you have to the poor, clean out your bank accounts and toss all that cash into the street from a high building, and get ready to live on the street. Then you can tell us about the real virtues of being poor!

(January 18, 2016 at 11:59 am)TrueChristian Wrote:

(January 18, 2016 at 11:53 am)Brian37 Wrote: And some can be stupid as shit too. Unfortunately poverty and lack of education go hand in hand. I most certainly have known and do know poor people who have better morals than say Trump and the Cock brothers. 

But religion, not just yours, but all, have the bad side affect of breeding too much ignorance which in turn causes people to value horrible conditions as if it were a virtue. Certainly there are empathetic religious people who do care, but they ignore the divisions religion cause which leads to bad conditions.

Religion makes it easy for power to dangle a utopia to the masses that leads them to go against their own self interests.

Religion helps us care for the poor. What do you think food drives are for?

No, you don't need a religion to do good. Yes that is what you have been sold, sure. But there are plenty of non religious charities that do the exact same thing. There is no good act a believer can do, that someone with a different religion, or no religion could not do.

Buddhism has the same motif of caring for others. Islam's pillars also claim the same thing. And here is a list of secular charities many founded by atheist orgs.

http://thaumaturgical.com/a-big-list-of-...charities/

http://atheists.org/relief

http://freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Secular_charities

Now again, nobody is saying religious people cant do good. What we are saying is that your goodness is in you, not a book. Our species ability to be cruel or compassionate is in our evolution, not our labels.

Empathy is a trait of our species evolution. It helps us survive. It is not however, religion caused. Humans like to think it is, but our empathy is universal, not the religious clubs humans invent.

Checkmate again TC.

Current score:

Me: 7 sets
You: 0

Don't fret it's a best of 1,000 sets series.