Thought for the day.

[merrylander]

"What is hateful to thyself do not do to another. That is the whole Law, the rest is Commentary.” Rabbi Hillel

[noonereal]

Excellent.

[merrylander]

Well the Rabbi was a wise old man.

[Charles]

Pretty much puts in in a nutshell, huh?

And for the folks that can't get their arms around this...I have one.

You get what you want out of life. If you go looking for trouble, you WILL find it.

Chas

[OvenMaster]

If only everyone could live by these simple rules, I think we'd have a much happier planet.

[Charles]

If only everyone could live by these simple rules, I think we'd have a much happier planet.

Excuse my French, but what in the fuck is wrong with people? Do they love grief?

Chas

[OvenMaster]

A very thought-provoking question, sir.

I'm no psychologist (don't think I'd want to probe the murky depths of the human mind, anyways), but my observation is that people do indeed tend to obsess over and take note of the bad rather than the good. As to precisely "why", I really have no clue.

Look at the news on television. Not exactly a smilefest, is it. Every time I turn it on, there's never any good news. It's always "who died?", or "what's today's disaster?" or "how are we going to get screwed next?"

[merrylander]

Gordon Gekko nailed it "Greed is good", far too many people believe that and we can see the result. Examine if you will the simple Commandment to "Love thy neighbor as thyself". Does it not follow that if you do not love yourself how can you possibly love anyone else? So many religions teach us that we are worthless sinners and that is wrong. If you are a parent, father or mother, and your child disappoints you in some matter you don't stop loving them. So why would He stop loving us? I am sure I have disappointed Him on more than one occasion but just as I never doubted my own parent's love I do not doubt His.

[spasmo55]

"If it harm no one, do what you will"

Just trying to add a little balance, and maybe show that it is okay to be oneself, and love oneself.

[painter]

"Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry---Mark Twain

[merrylander]

I did not suggest that loving oneself was improper, au contraire if you don't love yourself you cannot possibly love another.

[Fast_Eddie]

"What is hateful to thyself do not do to another. That is the whole Law, the rest is Commentary.” Rabbi Hillel

"If it harm no one, do what you will"

Just trying to add a little balance, and maybe show that it is okay to be oneself, and love oneself.

Sorry, I'm confused. How does that lend balance? What is in the first quote that implies that it is *not* ok to be oneself and love oneself? In fact, it assumes that you do love yourself. Otherwise what kind of a yard stick is "what is hateful to thyself"?

[painter]

Sorry, I'm confused. How does that lend balance? What is in the first quote that implies that it is *not* ok to be oneself and love oneself? In fact, it assumes that you do love yourself. Otherwise what kind of a yard stick is "what is hateful to thyself"?

"What is hateful to thyself do not do to another. That is the whole Law, the rest is Commentary.” Rabbi Hillel


merrylander's quote...possible meaning..." Do unto others as you would have others do unto you".

[soundhound]

merrylander's quote...possible meaning..." Do unto others as you would have others do unto you".

exactly. same thought, different words.

[spasmo55]

The balance I am refering to is not the intent of the quote, but the source as in Judeo-Christian/Wicca.

Perhaps it my own experiance living in an area that is so Judeo-Christian dominated that no other religions are considered to have anything meaningful to say.

Sorry for any confusion.

[merrylander]

If it is any consolation Spas, we are christians - the small c is deliberate since we refuse to belong to any organized religion. The simple reason for this is that after a time the 'organization' becomes more important than the 'message'.

[Fast_Eddie]

Damn, you guys sure go out of your way to find thing to be affraid of. I'm a Christian of sorts, I guess. I think that Jesus guy had a lot of good stuff to say. I sure don't much care for what a large group of folks who call themselves Christians say most of the time and I sure don't see most of it in any teachings I've ever read from Jesus. But I sure don't give a rats ass about looking for hidden Christian messages in what are good thoughts. It's as nutty as those freaks who go on every year with "It's MERRY CHRISTMAS damn-it!" nonsense. I say Happy Holiday as much to piss them off as anything. What a crazy thing to get bent out of shape over in these trying times.

[spasmo55]

[QUOTE=The simple reason for this is that after a time the 'organization' becomes more important than the 'message'.[/QUOTE]

I could not agree more, enough said!