RE: Knowing everything and allowing evil
March 13, 2012 at 3:34 am
(This post was last modified: March 13, 2012 at 3:37 am by genkaus.)
(March 12, 2012 at 11:14 pm)chipan Wrote: Don't believe in a good sameritan? I think there have been tons of books on the subject of doing good for goodness sake. Check them out.
I have. They all either blank out on the explanation or give unsatisfactory ones. The most common ones go as follows:
1. You should be good for the sake of being good because it'll make you feel good about yourself.
Unsatisfactory. The resulting emotion is not universal and it is not independent of the cost of the help provided. So, if the help is not going to make you feel good, then you should not help.
2. Because god/Karma/deity of your choice commands you.
Unsatisfactory. Ignoring for the moment that any such entity does not exist, why should you obey its commands?
3. Because you should be good.
Blank out.
Which of these do you subscribe to? My guess is the second one.
Further, putting aside any lack of suitable explanation, you have incorrectly equated "helping others" with "being good" and, by deduction, "helping yourself" as "being evil". This is the corrupt practice of Christianity, seeking to setup others as a standard of good and self as a standard of evil.
(March 13, 2012 at 1:37 am)tackattack Wrote: I believe what genkaus was trying to point out was that if that were the case your reasoning would look like this:
1. Someone needs help.
2. You are available and desire to help them.
3. They accept your help.
4. You help them.
Or something of that nature.
No, Genkaus is trying to point out that
1. If he's acting according to his desires, he is not being selfless.
2. Why is his desire to help others is automatically - without any explanation - considered good?
and 3. Acting on your desires without consideration of reason is irrational.
