Why can’t we live in peace?

[rrbasic]

It's white people.

[Stringswinger]

It's white people.

While that is demonstrably untrue (and I hope you wrote that in jest) there are people who actually are stupid enough to believe that. And that same level of stupidity often blames the Jews these days (and have for over a thousand years).

Human nature encompasses all kinds of behavior. That includes kindness as well as violence. And then there is the whole concept of a moral compass. It seems that some humans lack one.

[Tal_175]

While that is demonstrably untrue (and I hope you wrote that in jest) there are people who actually are stupid enough to believe that. And that same level of stupidity often blames the Jews these days (and have for over a thousand years).

Human nature encompasses all kinds of behavior. That includes kindness as well as violence. And then there is the whole concept of a moral compass. It seems that some humans lack one.

There are people who can't distinguish Israel's actions from Jews. But they exist on both sides. One side is people who blame all Jews for Israel's actions but the other side is people who justify all actions of Israel because they have allegiance to Jews. They all lack moral compass.

[Christian Miller]

The peace that truly matters is inner.

I think actual peace matters quite a bit more. I don't care how good your meditation app is - you are probably going to struggle to find inner peace if you are being shelled..

[Strat-itis]

It's white people.

Cuz Africa, the Mid East, and Central/South America are so peaceful.

[StormyMonday]

If you read about the African civilizations war, conquering and enslaving others was as common as it was elsewhere. Some came from the Middle East, some from Portugal. Greed and power are historic drivers and more often than not lead to violence sadly. I found this playing very peaceful - it took my mind off the day's outrage for a while. Thank you for that!

[joe2758]

I don't care how good your meditation app is

It has wind chimes sounds tho

[charlieparker]

Warfare is probably innate. Just look at Chimpanzee clans. They have brutal conflicts over territory.

That said, with culture, education, fairness, and compassion I believe we can make the world more peaceful.

Just accepting conflict seems like a shitty credo.

[mr. beaumont]

I think actual peace matters quite a bit more. I don't care how good your meditation app is - you are probably going to struggle to find inner peace if you are being shelled..

To me, inner peace isn't really about meditation and all that. Its more about acceptance and appreciation. The whole "its not happiness that makes us grateful but rather gratefulness that makes us happy" thing.

World peace is essentially unattainable. There has really been zero years in recorded history of total world peace. Humans are incredibly flawed creatures...and unfortunately there's some common flaws shared by a lot of world leaders...some might say they are a prerequisite to even thinking about being a world leader.

[Strat-itis]

To me, inner peace isn't really about meditation and all that. Its more about acceptance and appreciation.

I really disagree with this. To me, inner peace is about having your internal and external world be aligned with what is right. If you have external circumstances that are detrimental and wrong, forcing your internal state to accept it and be grateful isn't healthy. You have to take action to fix it. Although some acceptance that things will never be perfect is necessary. Reciprocally, if you have internal wants that are inconsistent with the outer world, and can't be realized because they're impossible or wrong, then you have to realign your internal state.

[DawgBone]

To me, inner peace isn't really about meditation and all that. Its more about acceptance and appreciation. The whole "its not happiness that makes us grateful but rather gratefulness that makes us happy" thing.

In orthodoxy, hesychia, inner stillness, so that regardless of what turmoil is happening around you, your inner person is quiet. To acquire it in full is an ascetic struggle. Fasting, prostrations, denial of self, and constant prayer.

[Stringswinger]

As a Deist, I reject the supernatural beliefs of most organized religion. I also reject atheism (something created all of this) I accept that the Creator (whom I very much doubt created us in "his" image) is either dead or busy creating other universes, and that we are on our own subject to reason and natural law. And natural law is simply not peaceful. But we can live by a moral code (while I do not accept his divinity, I do believe the moral code of Jesus of Nazareth to be as fine a moral code as mankind has come up with), and a moral code promoting peacefulness and rejecting violence whenever possible are, IMO good things for a well-run human society.

All of that said, I wear no rose-colored glasses. Bob Dylan once wrote "The world is ruled by violence, but that is better left unsaid". Unsaid or not, it is true, the world is ruled by violence. For me, playing music, hiking in nature and riding a motorcycle are oases from an otherwise dysfunctional and angry world. I protect myself and my family as best I can, because while we should always hope for the best, we should also plan for the worst. I will sometimes lend a hand to those that need it and I mean harm to no one. At the same time, I am fully locked and loaded.

PS Lets all keep geopolitics out of this thread so we can enjoy this philosophical discussion a bit longer. One poster has breached that already and I think if we don't refrain, this thread will fast disappear..

[DawgBone]

As a Deist, I reject the supernatural beliefs of most organized religion. I also reject atheism (something created all of this) I accept that the Creator (whom I very much doubt created us in "his" image) is either dead or busy creating other universes, and that we are on our own subject to reason and natural law. And natural law is simply not peaceful. But we can live by a moral code (while I do not accept his divinity, I do believe the moral code of Jesus of Nazareth to be as fine a moral code as mankind has come up with), and a moral code promoting peacefulness and rejecting violence whenever possible are, IMO good things for a well-run human society..

If there is an absent creator god then what is the point of adhering to a moral code?

[Strat-itis]

As a Deist, I reject the supernatural beliefs of most organized religion.

They're not supernatural. The world adheres to natural order because God authored it and he's integrated with it.

[Stevebol]

As a Deist, I reject the supernatural beliefs of most organized religion. I also reject atheism (something created all of this) I accept that the Creator (whom I very much doubt created us in "his" image) is either dead or busy creating other universes, and that we are on our own subject to reason and natural law. And natural law is simply not peaceful. But we can live by a moral code (while I do not accept his divinity, I do believe the moral code of Jesus of Nazareth to be as fine a moral code as mankind has come up with), and a moral code promoting peacefulness and rejecting violence whenever possible are, IMO good things for a well-run human society.

All of that said, I wear no rose-colored glasses. Bob Dylan once wrote "The world is ruled by violence, but that is better left unsaid". Unsaid or not, it is true, the world is ruled by violence. For me, playing music, hiking in nature and riding a motorcycle are oases from an otherwise dysfunctional and angry world. I protect myself and my family as best I can, because while we should always hope for the best, we should also plan for the worst. I will sometimes lend a hand to those that need it and I mean harm to no one. At the same time, I am fully locked and loaded.

PS Lets all keep geopolitics out of this thread so we can enjoy this philosophical discussion a bit longer. One poster has breached that already and I think if we don't refrain, this thread will fast disappear..

Judaism is a culture and legal tradition.

[DawgBone]

They're not supernatural. The world adheres to natural order because God authored it and he's integrated with it.

I disagree here, at least, from an orthodox christian perspective. The natural order is a fallen state, hence the absence of peace. Orthodoxy revolves around divine liturgy, the sacraments, especially holy communion, which is mystical and defies everything in the natural world.

[Stringswinger]

If there is an absent creator god then what is the point of adhering to a moral code?

Because without a moral code, things are not orderly. Human society runs best with an agreed upon moral code.

[DawgBone]

Because without a moral code, things are not orderly. Human society runs best with an agreed upon moral code.

I agree, but if one doesn't acknowledge a living, present god there is no point in following a moral code other than "I want our society to be orderly", which strikes me as rather selfish.

[Stringswinger]

They're not supernatural. The world adheres to natural order because God authored it and he's integrated with it.

Why should we worship a God who is OK with all the cruelty, pain and violence that exists in the world?

[Stringswinger]

I agree, but if one doesn't acknowledge a living, present god there is no point in following a moral code other than "I want our society to be orderly", which strikes me as rather selfish.

Somehow, I don't think one is selfish for not wanting to live in the anarchy that exists in the world of "Mad Max". An orderly society is conducive to many good things. Like fine guitars.

[DawgBone]

Why should we worship a God who is OK with all the cruelty, pain and violence that exists in the world?

"God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day"-Psalm 7:11

[Strat-itis]

I disagree here, at least, from an orthodox christian perspective. The natural order is a fallen state, hence the absence of peace. Orthodoxy revolves around divine liturgy, the sacraments, especially holy communion, which is mystical and defies everything in the natural world.

Men have free will.. God doesn't author men's behavior, he authored everything and then gave Men free will. There has to be the possibility of negative in addition to positive for causality and free will to function..

[Strat-itis]

Why should we worship a God who is OK with all the cruelty, pain and violence that exists in the world?

Lol. There has to be causality. But he does embed natural consequences, and occasionally enforce larger ones. Look at the collapse of public heterosexuality after the advent of the internet when private bisexuality and public heterosexuality coexisted for all of history.

[DawgBone]

Somehow, I don't think one is selfish for not wanting to live in the anarchy that exists in the world of "Mad Max". An orderly society is conducive to many good things. Like fine guitars.

You want the benefits of a belief system without believing. If it's not selfish, it's a parasitical mindset IMO.

[DawgBone]

Men have free will.. God doesn't author men's behavior, he authored everything and then gave Men free will. There has to be the possibility of negative in addition to positive for causality and free will..

Right, but that is something separate from mystical or supernatural occurrences.