What the world needs and the best that can happen to anyone

[jimhabegger]

So basically, a book on being moral?

There might be more to it than what "being moral" means to most people. It's about learning attitudes and behavior that help make the world better for everyone, because you want to. I think Hal David and Jackie DeShannon nailed it: "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. That's the only thing that there's just too little of. What the world needs now, is love sweet love, no, not just for some, but for everyone." Not just smiles and sweet talk, either. Really valuing all people everywhere, and caring what happens to them.

Disney has taught kids more about morality than Jesus or the bible ever could...

Maybe so. I might have learned some of my morality from Annette, and from the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and maybe even from "Gerald McBoingBoing."

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What the world needs is a 60% reduction in the human population and for humanity to stop acting like children and grow the hell up.

I agree with stop acting like children and grow up, although in some ways I'd like to see people acting more like children. I'm not sure about the 60% reduction in population, but you might be right about that too.

---

Don't listen to the Valkyrie Jim.
She's trigger happy with nukes!  

She didn't say anything about nukes, and I was trying to pretend that she didn't mean it that way.

[The Valkyrie]

So basically, a book on being moral?

There might be more to it than what "being moral" means to most people. It's about learning attitudes and behavior that help make the world better for everyone, because you want to. I think Hal David and Jackie DeShannon nailed it: "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. That's the only thing that there's just too little of. What the world needs now, is love sweet love, no, not just for some, but for everyone." Not just smiles and sweet talk, either. Really valuing all people everywhere, and caring what happens to them.

Disney has taught kids more about morality than Jesus or the bible ever could...

Maybe so. I might have learned some of my morality from Annette, and from the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and maybe even from "Gerald McBoingBoing."

---

What the world needs is a 60% reduction in the human population and for humanity to stop acting like children and grow the hell up.

I agree with stop acting like children and grow up, although in some ways I'd like to see people acting more like children. I'm not sure about the 60% reduction in population, but you might be right about that too.

---

Don't listen to the Valkyrie Jim.
She's trigger happy with nukes!  

She didn't say anything about nukes, and I was trying to pretend that she didn't mean it that way.

Oh yeah.

"Nukes".

[jimhabegger]

I don't think that a person needs to believe that anything in the gospel stories ever actually happened, or believe in any god, or even believe that any such person as Jesus ever actually existed, in order for God to grant them that kind of faith.

Then why do we need to get it from the story of Jesus ...

That was just an example of how it *might* happen. I'm not really sure it ever does happen that way.

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Why then do we need the jesus fantasy story? After all, man created the god(s)/jesus story, not the other way around.

I'm not saying that everyone needs it. That's just an example of how it *might* happen.

If all it takes is a good fantasy, how about Superman morality? Maybe Silmarillion morality?

I'm not sure that the faith I'm talking about could happen that way. I'm not sure it couldn't. I would have more confidence in the Jesus story, for most people.

I'll stick with the morality provided by humans and society, no fantasy needed.

Okay.

[Astreja]

I think that a certain kind of faith in God is the best thing that can happen to anyone...

Not for me, thanks.  For me it would be an utter psychological and emotional disaster, an act of wilful bad faith in that I would be lying to myself, and would know that I was lying to myself.  I am incapable of faking it till I make it, and incapable of believing without a good reason -- for example, empirical evidence.

[Joods]

So basically, a book on being moral?

There might be more to it than what "being moral" means to most people. It's about learning attitudes and behavior that help make the world better for everyone, because you want to. I think Hal David and Jackie DeShannon nailed it: "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. That's the only thing that there's just too little of. What the world needs now, is love sweet love, no, not just for some, but for everyone." Not just smiles and sweet talk, either. Really valuing all people everywhere, and caring what happens to them.

Disney has taught kids more about morality than Jesus or the bible ever could...

Maybe so. I might have learned some of my morality from Annette, and from the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and maybe even from "Gerald McBoingBoing."

---

What the world needs is a 60% reduction in the human population and for humanity to stop acting like children and grow the hell up.

I agree with stop acting like children and grow up, although in some ways I'd like to see people acting more like children. I'm not sure about the 60% reduction in population, but you might be right about that too.

---

Don't listen to the Valkyrie Jim.
She's trigger happy with nukes!  

She didn't say anything about nukes, and I was trying to pretend that she didn't mean it that way.

Ignoramus was joking. Our mod, Valkyrie, here, is a gruesome gal. She likes sharp things, explosive things, things that one would need an alibi for.

But she's very loving. In her own special way.

[The Grand Nudger]

I think that a certain kind of faith in God is the best thing that can happen to anyone, and what the world needs most of all, for human progress, and to right the wrongs and repair the damage. Rather than trying to explain what kind of faith I mean, I'll start by giving an example of how it might happen. I'm not sure it can happen this way, but it's the best way I can think of to illustrate how I think it might happen. A person might read the gospel stories in some Christian Bible, and learn to love and trust Jesus enough to want to follow Him, and learn from Him how to live a better life. I don't think that a person needs to believe that anything in the gospel stories ever actually happened, or believe in any god, or even believe that any such person as Jesus ever actually existed, in order for God to grant them that kind of faith.

Maybe I missed something...but..the certain kind of faith in god you;re referring to up above.... is the kind of faith where no one has to believe in magic book or gods?

I think theres already a word for that, and it isn;t faith.

[Crossless2.0]

But she's very loving. In her own special way.

Just don’t fall for her ‘I want to show you something cool in the basement’ routine.

[Minimalist]

But only if its your god, eh Jim?

Thanks but no thanks.

[ignoramus]

t's about learning attitudes and behavior that help make the world better for everyone, because you want to.

That's the problem Jim with corporate religions.
If it's because we "want" to, then no god needed.
Most do it for the free gift in the afterlife reward! lol. (mostly fear of hell!).

Also, the Valkyrie is our resident medic. She's taken an oath to put people out of their misery!!!
Of course she's interpreted her oath metaphorically. Why not? All theists do it

[Wyrd of Gawd]

There's nothing moral in the Bible.