The Nature Of Compassion (split From Controversial)

[blazeingstar]

 

If you are referring to Luke 6:31 perhaps the context would help a bit better...

30"Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. …32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33"If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34"If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

No I was actually referring to what I was actually referring to, which is one of the two new commandments

[PhuturePriest]

Or I don't have to.  I could cherry pick just as much as you do...shake your sandals and that whole bit.

 

 

Yeah...why don't you come back in 10 years when you've had a bit more life experiance.

 

I know many people who are twice your age who always smile and are nice and welcoming to people. Don't equate your cynicism with age, and don't project it as a normal life experience. I know people like I mentioned, and I also know people younger than I am who are mean and cynical and hate people. 

[blazeingstar]

I know many people who are twice your age who always smile and are nice and welcoming to people. Don't equate your cynicism with age, and don't project it as a normal life experience. I know people like I mentioned, and I also know people younger than I am who are mean and cynical and hate people. 

I'm nice to people on my terms.  And you are still very young even though you think you are oh-so-grown up.

[NotreDame]

:popcorn:

[cruciatacara]

No I was actually referring to what I was actually referring to, which is one of the two new commandments

 
The two commandment are to love God and to love your neighbor.

Mark Chapter 12
30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31"The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

 

The emphasis was in the particular section I quoted - not mine.

 

So it doesn't say to treat our neighbor as ourselves but to love them as ourselves. Are you interpreting love to mean not caring how another feels?? I'm really trying to understand your theology here.

[PhuturePriest]

I'm nice to people on my terms.  And you are still very young even though you think you are oh-so-grown up.

 

What happened to when Jesus said be kind even to your enemies, because there's no merit in only being kind to those that are kind to you?

[HisChildForever]

Or I don't have to.  I could cherry pick just as much as you do...shake your sandals and that whole bit.

 

I don't see how providing helpful Scripture passages on love and compassion is cherry picking..

[CatholicCid]

I think we all need a slight break from this topic. Originally, with the first page, it seemed the responses were generally charitable, though some may not have thought so. Providing an honest analysis of a situation is not necessarily lacking in charity. That being said, we really have devolved from the OP and are now just going back and forth on an unrelated issue.

[blazeingstar]

 
The two commandment are to love God and to love your neighbor.

Mark Chapter 12
30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31"The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

 

The emphasis was in the particular section I quoted - not mine.

 

So it doesn't say to treat our neighbor as ourselves but to love them as ourselves. Are you interpreting love to mean not caring how another feels?? I'm really trying to understand your theology here.

 

 

I'm saying it dosn't bothor me if I am treated the way I treat others.  I probably treat others better than they treat me. 

 

What happened to when Jesus said be kind even to your enemies, because there's no merit in only being kind to those that are kind to you?

 

I don't have any enemies, I treat everyone the same.  I just avoid them if I don't like them.  Contrary to popular belief, I don't actually kick puppies.  I give my time and money to the church and am generally agreeable.  We are called to love people, not like them.  And, quite frankly, I don't like, nor have the time and patience for most people.

 

I don't see how providing helpful Scripture passages on love and compassion is cherry picking..

 

Whatever.  I don't do mushy.  Even ask my fiancee.  He's a hopeless romantic.  He gets that I don't do anything that can be considered cutesy.  He probably would if he was engaged to someone else, but he picked me, so he deals.

[cruciatacara]

I think we all need a slight break from this topic. Originally, with the first page, it seemed the responses were generally charitable, though some may not have thought so. Providing an honest analysis of a situation is not necessarily lacking in charity. That being said, we really have devolved from the OP and are now just going back and forth on an unrelated issue.

 
I agree that we have gotten off topic but I was just a little astounded at the lack of charity shown in one instance and it has escalated because it seems I am not the only one who thinks so.
 
"I have no compassion for her. She did this to herself and is blaming the church."

It hardly seems a Christian thing to post... but the poster insists that there is nothing wrong with it, so yes, it will just go round and round from here.

But I am sticking with me belief that this poor woman and her husband need help (which only they can get of course) but our prayers and compassion for them won't go astray.

[BG45]

 

I think we all need a slight break from this topic. Originally, with the first page, it seemed the responses were generally charitable, though some may not have thought so. Providing an honest analysis of a situation is not necessarily lacking in charity. That being said, we really have devolved from the OP and are now just going back and forth on an unrelated issue.

 

 

An excellent observation...split off the devolved portion and punting to Debate Table. :)

[CatholicCid]

 
I agree that we have gotten off topic but I was just a little astounded at the lack of charity shown in one instance and it has escalated because it seems I am not the only one who thinks so.
 
"I have no compassion for her. She did this to herself and is blaming the church."

It hardly seems a Christian thing to post... but the poster insists that there is nothing wrong with it, so yes, it will just go round and round from here.

But I am sticking with me belief that this poor woman and her husband need help (which only they can get of course) but our prayers and compassion for them won't go astray.

 

I would re-read the posts that led up to the divergence. What was a valid and articulated discussion of the topic at hand was a bit derailed.

 

I think the first misconception, and I had this as well, was that the original content was assumed to be written concerning the Catholic Church, this being a Catholic forum and the article referencing "the Church." After some digging, it was revealed that this is not the case. So, the original responses were at first discussing how this did not seem to be a problem regarding the Church herself as it was assumed the author was attempting to convey, but a misconception that the author had been taught and/or raised with in regards to the Church's view on sexuality.

 

It would seem charitable to assume that Blazeingstar's first post were written in this regard as well. Her first post seem to argue that the author of the article need not attempt to blame the Church for her problems for something that would not be the Church's fault (assuming it was the Catholic Church).

 

From there, the thread shifted to a discussion of, mainly, how uncharitable and unChristlike the previous replies had been. From there, things became heated, a bit condescending, and everyone became very defensive.

 

-Edit - BG, I didn't see your last post or move of Cruciatacara's last post. Feel free to move this as well. Thanks!

 

-Edit #2 - If this does get moved, the original topic I referenced can be read here - http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/133072-is-this-controversial-do-you-agreedisagree/

 

Edited February 14, 2014 by CatholicCid

[blazeingstar]

I did, at first, assume the author was a Catholic who had encountered/been a part of popular Christian teaching as I know I encountered people raving about this in Lifeteen.

 

However, I do not have any compassion for the author because she is not compassionate towards others, nor did she seem to retain any of it growing up.  She confesses how she lorded over everyone on how great she was because she was pure and didn't need to listen.  And thats a huge part of the problem.  While these theologies are skewed they show much mercy towards those who have made bad choices.

 

And that was purely her choice.  She literally drew herself up out of being like everyone else and set herself up on a pedistal.  This is one entirely of her making fueled by her hand picking the verses that she wanted to hear.

 

She did literally do this to herself.

 

Now, years later, she finds herself psychologically unable to separate herself from this idealism.  It is not any different than any idealism.  It is not any different than the mother who becomes suicidally depressed because she couldn't breastfeed, it is not any different than a man who becomes a survilist and accidentally burns down his house.  It is in the people who believe that public education is never a moral choice and would rather sacrifice their children learning anything than learning about modern topics.  (there have been several famous cases in the past couple of years)

 

None of these things are the fault of what these people got into or believed.  If it wasn't religiously based it would of been something...ANYTHING.  People fixate.

 

She is obviously mentally ill.  However, instead of spending her time getting proper MENTAL health treatment she's spending her time "woe is me" blogging and perpetuating her grandiose ideas of self.  She obsessively dwells on the words of one teacher.  That's not normal. She is unrepentant in her accusations.

 

And thats why I don't feel any move towards compassion.  She is beyond the help of the average person, or any person, including her husband, until she decides that is the path she should go down.

 

[HisChildForever]

I did, at first, assume the author was a Catholic who had encountered/been a part of popular Christian teaching as I know I encountered people raving about this in Lifeteen.

 

However, I do not have any compassion for the author because she is not compassionate towards others, nor did she seem to retain any of it growing up.  She confesses how she lorded over everyone on how great she was because she was pure and didn't need to listen.  And thats a huge part of the problem.  While these theologies are skewed they show much mercy towards those who have made bad choices.

 

And that was purely her choice.  She literally drew herself up out of being like everyone else and set herself up on a pedistal.  This is one entirely of her making fueled by her hand picking the verses that she wanted to hear.

 

She did literally do this to herself.

 

Now, years later, she finds herself psychologically unable to separate herself from this idealism.  It is not any different than any idealism.  It is not any different than the mother who becomes suicidally depressed because she couldn't breastfeed, it is not any different than a man who becomes a survilist and accidentally burns down his house.  It is in the people who believe that public education is never a moral choice and would rather sacrifice their children learning anything than learning about modern topics.  (there have been several famous cases in the past couple of years)

 

None of these things are the fault of what these people got into or believed.  If it wasn't religiously based it would of been something...ANYTHING.  People fixate.

 

She is obviously mentally ill.  However, instead of spending her time getting proper MENTAL health treatment she's spending her time "woe is me" blogging and perpetuating her grandiose ideas of self.  She obsessively dwells on the words of one teacher.  That's not normal. She is unrepentant in her accusations.

 

And thats why I don't feel any move towards compassion.  She is beyond the help of the average person, or any person, including her husband, until she decides that is the path she should go down.

 

You know her whole life story, and character, based on a fairly short blog post? Best psychologist ever.

[HisChildForever]

It might do well to see one of the woman's comments in the comment section.

 

Thank you sweet Sister for sharing with me your story. I am hopeful in hearing the stories of those who tell me their experience in that sex gets better and better with time in a marriage. I know this will be our story and I want to one day be more open in telling it. Though I am not yet to that point, it has taken a real step in faith to break the silence, although anonymous. Thank you for your encouragement.

We were hesitant to go to a professional counselor in the beginning because I didn't trust the Christian ones and my husband didn't trust the non-Christian ones. We also didn't really know where to start, as neither of us had done any sort of counseling previously. Overtime we approached doctors and professionals to help coach us through this. It took time, but the anxiety is improving the more I open up about it and address the shame and guilt I've experienced because of where I put my self value for so long.