I need to reflect on this some more before I can reply.
Rational Certainty
- Thread starter ggazoo
- Start date
I need to reflect on this some more before I can reply.
noOh wait, I've found it now. You directed me to the wrong part.
So tendency to sin is strongly tied to geography, yes?
but birth is
But where does sin fit into that?no
but birth is
Why are so many sinful people (re-)born in Africa and Asia, and comparatively few in the West?
redarmy
”
IOW the general tendency of the conditioned living entity is to swing like a pendulum from acts of piety (performed in the absence of adequate facility for sense gratification) followed by acts of impiety (performed quite carefreely in the presence of great facility for sense gratification). That is the basic story of mundane religiosity.
But actually there are all sorts of ways that one can get struck down by sinful reaction - geography is one way - others include physical appearance, intellectual capacity, vigor/health, social community etc etc - so its not like the west is immune to suffering.
Alternatively, there are all sorts of ways to get the right hand with pious credits.
right there
”
today's westerners are tomorrow's africans (provided they get the human form of course)
IOW the general tendency of the conditioned living entity is to swing like a pendulum from acts of piety (performed in the absence of adequate facility for sense gratification) followed by acts of impiety (performed quite carefreely in the presence of great facility for sense gratification). That is the basic story of mundane religiosity.
But actually there are all sorts of ways that one can get struck down by sinful reaction - geography is one way - others include physical appearance, intellectual capacity, vigor/health, social community etc etc - so its not like the west is immune to suffering.
Alternatively, there are all sorts of ways to get the right hand with pious credits.
babies don't get to choose their place of birth any more than parents get to choose their children
Well, it's tough being a delusional, psychopathic stock analyst, sure - but I can't help thinking that there's a certain geographic imbalance in the distribution of global suffering. The unavoidable implication is that certain regions are reserved as dumping grounds for the impious. It seems as good a reason as any for keeping them that way.
actually WHO regularly does surveys on which populations are most happy. The winners all seem to come from third world economies (eg Bangladesh, mexico, etc) for some uncanny reason .... I guess that says more about being pious in the presence of physical calamity than being impious in the presence of physical facility
lolThe unavoidable implication is that certain regions are reserved as dumping grounds for the impious. It seems as good a reason as any for keeping them that way.
generally, whether we are a worm in a stool or a deranged stock broker, we like to think "I've got it pretty good here"
No, not purely, but in terms of averages. And certainly the more impressive and melodramatic divine interventions, such as
tend to be visited only upon the worst of the worst.
I don't know .....
with all our modern technology and social philosophy we are quite innovative in creating problems
Many of these regions have been created or made worse by humans.
A couple of examples:
Las Vegas - built in the middle of a desert, just like that: made by humans.
The hunger situation in Africa: to a large extent made worse by humans. Were it not for the attempts to help and to "eradicate hunger", there would be a lot less people born there, and as such, a lot less people to suffer there.
Humans normally do not settle in circumstances where survival would be extremely difficult and full of suffering from the beginning on. E.g. humans usually do not start settlements at the foot of an active volcano or in the immediate vicinity of rivers that are known to flood and change their course.
Actually, secular Scandinavia consistently comes out top in such endeavours. See?
Buddhists also score highly on the happiness scale - regardless of country of origin/residence.
But of course: most of us aren't Buddhists and, when we're lying like worms in filth, we tend to notice it.
If humans created the bad, so the good.I don't know .....
with all our modern technology and social philosophy we are quite innovative in creating problems
Pick an explanation and stick to it, yes?
Such as Las Vegas?
As far as nature is concerned, that area there is suffering drought. Were it not for human-built water supply, the city would dry up in a few days and die.
Not awfully common in Western society though, is it? Comparatively speaking.
Besides, it's their own fault for gambling so much. :mufc:
Last edited: