(July 31, 2013 at 11:59 am)Consilius Wrote: What I'm getting from you is that self-sacrifice is bad. You see, you didn't answer the question, and resorted to a backhanded comment.
I suggest you limit making unfounded extrapolations to your Bible studies. I don't consider things to be universally bad or universally good - so no, you are not getting from me that self-sacrifice is bad.
What you are getting, however, is that according to any rational and sane morality, self-sacrifice, in most contexts, is bad. As to your specific question - yes, in most cases, according to a rational morality, being irrational does result in something bad. But since it is possible to arrive at the same conclusion rationally and irrationally, that is not always the case.
For future reference - here's my position on the matter:
Descriptively, I accept that there are many different moralities out there, Christian morality being one of them.
Normatively, I subscribe to a rational, objective and comprehensive morality the contents of which are not fully known.
This rational morality would not issue universal commands like Christian morality does. Rather it'd guide you towards the right decision depending upon the context and situation you find yourself in.
It'd also not preach irrational concepts such as self-sacrifice/altruism being universally good. As a matter of fact, it would advise against in in most cases.
Christianity, however, does preach those concepts. And a host of other irrational tenets.
So, according to this morality, the Christian morality is irrational and immoral.
Which means, even in its beginning, Christianity had to practice controlling the masses if they had to get them to accept those irrational tenets as a good idea - and this is the point of the whole thread.
