Virtue @ MindSay

1 He who tries the most to promote the countries virtue and won't suffer a man to be chosen into office who isn't wise and virtuous.
2 He wants it by Natural Aristocracy, by virtue and talents, not wealth and birth.
3 There is no other occupation which human virtue is held so closely to than that of founding new states or preserving old ones.
4 They like the pay-off but the pay-off used to be the honor given. They must also make sacrifice to be a good and wise leader.
5 The nation will be divided, have a distracted council, hurry into fruitless wars and come into dishonorable terms of peace.
6 They attended committees and meetings along with making pricipies, discovering what did not work and writing books that held great wisdom.

Whom do you serve?

Throughout the ages, there have been those who associated religious ferver with ignorance, a reflection of either low intelligence or limited education. Does that apply to morality or values, also? Is it really a matter of education?

Stripped to the root, if one doubts their worth, their abilities, and their innate value, how motivated will they be to seek education and meaningful employment? How healthy will their relationships be with others. How will they select those relationships?

Where do we find our value? Is it in simply being alive? Is our value a reflection of our relationships, or are our relationships a reflection of how we value ourselves? How do we live our own value? How do victims of abuse hope to recover? How do we demonstrate how we value others? Is value really dependent on appearance and accomplishment like our culture seems to say?

My perspective comes through faith, but the bottom line is that we are all made of flesh and blood. Our innate needs are the same whether they are satisfied or not. We are all created by the same hand. Why then, do we spit on the dignity of one another and demonstrate such base tendencies? Why are we satisfied to live by "jungle" rules: kill or be killed; rule or be ruled? Why are we inclined to ... settle?

You see, regardless of our perspective, the bottom line is that human nature pulls us toward self-gratification, even at the cost of others. We are self-serving in our thoughts, words, and deeds by nature, even though the potential for selflessness is born into us also.  As toddlers progress cognitively into school age children, the ability to see another's perspective begins to develop ... if exercised!  It must be worked at and developed like all virtue because it means esteeming others at least as highly as ourself. Goodness, for example, doesn't come naturally, and for us to pursue virtue, we must desire it. Do we desire to be morally upright? Do we want to be faithful to our life partners, or are we content to just do the best we can? Do we want to be women and men of integrity in our business lives AND our private lives, or are we satisfied to just go with the flow, keeping our transgressions to a minimum (no murders, no major thefts, only cheating a little)?

I happen to think that even our best efforts fall short. and so God, in his boundless mercy, made a way. After all, if humankind was able to be moral without divine help, wouldn't we already be there by now? Are we even moving in that direction? Or is our own self-serving taking us deeper and deeper into pain, war, hate, murder, anger? It's not a poltical issue. It's not an educational issue. It's a spiritual issue.

Whom do you serve?

 

~ B

Whom do you serve? 

 

Throughout the ages, there have been those who associated religious ferver with ignorance, a reflection of either low intelligence or limited education.  Does that apply to morality or values, also?  Is it really a matter of education?

 

Stripped to the root, if one doubts their worth, their abilities, and their innate value, how motivated will they be to seek education and meaningful employment?  How healthy will their relationships be with others.  How will they select those relationships? 

 

Where do we find our value?  Is it in simply being alive?  Is our value a reflection of our relationships?  How do we live our own value?  How do victims of abuse hope to recover?  How do we demonstrate how we value others?  Is value really dependent on appearance and accomplishment like our culture seems to say?   

 

My perspective comes through faith, but the bottom line is that we are all made of flesh and blood.  Our innate needs are the same whether they are satisfied or not.  We are all created by the same hand.  Why then, do we spit on the dignity of one another and demonstrate such base tendencies?  Why are we satisfied to live by "jungle" rules: kill or be killed;  rule or be ruled?  Why are we inclined to ... settle?

 

You see, regardless of our perspective, the bottom line is that human nature pulls us toward self-gratification at the cost of others.  Goodness, for example, doesn't come naturally.  It must be worked at and developed like all virtue because it means esteeming others at least as highly as ourself.  And, for us to pursue virtue, we must desire it.  Do we desire to be morally upright?  Do we want to be faithful to our life partners, or are we content to just do the best we can?  Do we want to be men and women of integrity in our business lives AND our private lives, or are we satisfied doing the best we can, keeping our transgressions to a minimum (no murders, no major thefts, only cheating a little)?

 

I happen to think that even our best efforts fall short. and so God, in his boundless mercy, made a way.  After all, if humankind was able to be moral without divine help, wouldn't we already be there by now?  Are we even moving in that direction?  Or is our own selfishness taking us deeper and deeper into pain, war, hate, murder, anger?  It's not a poltical issue.  It's not an educational issue.  It's a spiritual issue. 

 

Whom do you serve?

 

~ B