Are you a good person? How can you tell?

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

A Marist Poll out last week found “being a better person” is the most popular New Year’s resolution for 2018. It was also the No. 1 resolution last year, marking a shift from the previous decade in which “losing weight” topped the list 80% of the time (it tied this year)........

The reason we ultimately diverge on so many moral issues, experts say, is because we rank our values differently. Cultural psychologists have found political variations, for example: conservatives place importance on values such as loyalty and authority, while liberals prioritize care and fairness.

To read more:

http://religionnews.com/2017/12/26/are-you-a-good-person-how-can-you-tell/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I'm in ethical culture.

You would have to start by defining "good" and "good person". Then you would need to explore Plato's philosophy on what makes a good person in a variety of situations. And in comparison to what?

And "good" in which contexts? And "good" according to your subjective standards, your family's, your religion's, society's?

[guillaumeb]

2. And what is good is defined by each culture.

As one example, some cultures have valued plural partner marriage.

But most societies do establish certain guidelines. Often these guidelines are called laws and are enforced by civil and/or religious authorities.

A thought provoking response on your part.

[Voltaire2]

17. Some cultures think it is good to brutally subjugate women or execute prisoners.

I'm pretty sure that cultural relativism is not a great way to define what is good.

[guillaumeb]

18. Good is a relative term. As my example illustrated.

The US subjugates women and executes prisoners. So the US, by your terms, is a bad country?

[Voltaire2]

19. I'm saying cultural relativism leads to some rather uncomfortable consequences

for deciding what is "the good".

[yallerdawg]

3. I want to be a good person but I know I frequently fall short.

I do some good things - but I could do more.

Like so many, in 2018 I will be resolving to "be a better person."

And lose a few pounds.

[guillaumeb]

4. I think that we all share what you expressed in your first line.

Donald Trump excepted. Being perfect, he has no need to wonder.

[yallerdawg]

7. Years ago, I met some Christians who shared a group home downtown Houston, TX.

They had invited a "couple strangers" to share Thanksgiving dinner with them, and it sounded like a fine idea.

They told us how they also owned a goat farm. They raised goats to give to poor villages in Latin American communities. Goats are a hardy, easily-cared for animal, and the milk and cheese could transform the health of the community and expand in ever-widening ripples as the goats thrived and multiplied.

The Christians in Houston pooled all their money from a variety of good, professional jobs to sustain the home, pay minimal bills, they "begged" food from supportive grocers to save money (gave surplus food to soup kitchens) and sent all the rest of the money to the goat farm for goats and the Christians who would take the goats and instruct the villagers.

They did not proselytize. They shared, food, prayers, the Word. It was their life.

They thanked us for the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with us, and we said our goodbyes. They wanted nothing from us.

Sometimes you run into "good people." By this measure, I will always fall short.


By the way, I regularly enjoyed eating the Sunday Feast at the Krishna Temple in Houston! But that's another story!

[guillaumeb]

8. A very nice example.

But the right wing, mega church television stars and the pedophile predators receive most of the coverage.

[wasupaloopa]

5. We are all good. In Buddhism it is said we all have a Buddha nature

Last edited Wed Dec 27, 2017, 10:51 PM - Edit history (1)

We don't always live it but we all have the potential. It is up to us not some religion or culture or philosophy.

Being good means to be good to and for ourselves and others.


That's my way of seeing it

[guillaumeb]

6. An excellent way to express it.

Sometimes that potential is ignored as we concentrate on our material desires.

[doc03]

9. I think I am and because I don't

Last edited Thu Dec 28, 2017, 01:04 AM - Edit history (1)

participate in any organized religion I am not exposed to their hypocrisy. I find that the people that profess to be "Christians" are the most prejudiced close minded people I know. Years ago when in the hospital a person came to visit my roommate. Well they go through all this praise the lord bullshit. Then my roommate tells the visitor that he had been all around that floor and he was the only Christian there.

[guillaumeb]

10. Hypocrisy is a human trait.

Agreed? So if humans are part of the equation, it stands to reason that some are hypocrites.

[trotsky]

12. It is indeed.

And religion doesn't prevent it at all. In fact, it seems to make it worse because it gives someone a reason to justify their hypocrisy.

[trotsky]

11. Well, according to some versions of Christianity,

you are a good person if you are screaming at gay people and telling them they're going to hell.

So I don't think religion is all that great of a tool to decide.

[MineralMan]

13. Self-assessment is a poor way to measure that sort of thing,

I think. The mirror shows a false view of oneself, with right and left reversed. We cannot see ourselves as others see us without considerable effort.

Robert Burns said it best in his poem, "To a Louse:"

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!

Read the entire poem here:

http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/poems/louse-seeing-one-ladys-bonnet-church

[MineralMan]

14. "None is righteous, no, not one."

Romans 3:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Grumpy old St. Paul...

[Irish_Dem]

15. What does it mean to be a decent human being, and to have a moral core?

Last edited Thu Dec 28, 2017, 01:43 PM - Edit history (1)

If we cannot agree on what this means, then we have identified part of the problem
in our evolution as moral creatures?

Edited to add:

For example, if people cannot see the difference between Obama and Trump, then I guess
we have a long way to go.

[MineralMan]

16. It's a fluid definition for both items.

Like a lot of fluids, those definitions can be carefully kept in a container or spilled to run all over the floor and dry up.