Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, I thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step group network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth repeating:
Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us from getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves us of the responsibility of developing our characters to deal with it.
No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed in "The Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask unnecessary questions. Don't waste government money on research which increases knowledge with no practical application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, because the world is something you can't change. Yourself, you can change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
Doug Laidlaw wrote: > Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, I thought > that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step group network, > started by a Catholic priest) was worth repeating:
> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us from getting > better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves us of the responsibility > of developing our characters to deal with it.
> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed in "The Tao of > Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask unnecessary questions. Don't > waste government money on research which increases knowledge with no > practical application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, because > the world is something you can't change. Yourself, you can change (within > limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
> Doug L.
Hi Doug,
I am inclined to follow Camus on this. It does bother me when people do not follow and create happiness when they can. But I know that outside the personal level, as you say, "evil" in the world does exist so much as a quality as indifference to individuals. Concepts like good and evil belong to the human realm, and not to the world itself.
Doug Laidlaw wrote: > Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, I > thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step group > network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth repeating:
> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us from > getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves us of the > responsibility of developing our characters to deal with it.
> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed in "The > Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask unnecessary > questions. Don't waste government money on research which increases > knowledge with no practical application. Don't worry about "the > world" being evil, because the world is something you can't change. > Yourself, you can change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of > them.)
Doug Laidlaw wrote: > Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, I thought > that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step group network, > started by a Catholic priest) was worth repeating:
> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us from > getting > better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves us of the responsibility > of developing our characters to deal with it.
> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed in "The Tao > of > Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask unnecessary questions. Don't > waste government money on research which increases knowledge with no > practical application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, because > the world is something you can't change. Yourself, you can change (within > limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
> Doug Laidlaw wrote: >> Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, I >> thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step group >> network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth repeating:
>> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us from >> getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves us of the >> responsibility of developing our characters to deal with it.
>> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed in > "The >> Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask unnecessary >> questions. Don't waste government money on research which increases >> knowledge with no practical application. Don't worry about "the >> world" being evil, because the world is something you can't change. >> Yourself, you can change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of >> them.)
>> Doug L.
With no cliffs or bridges around here, I have no choice but to keep sane.
Doug L. -- Men were given wives because if they can achieve anything when married, they can conquer the world unmarried.
> > Doug Laidlaw wrote: > >> Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, I > >> thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step group > >> network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth repeating:
> >> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us from > >> getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves us of the > >> responsibility of developing our characters to deal with it.
> >> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed in > > "The > >> Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask unnecessary > >> questions. Don't waste government money on research which increases > >> knowledge with no practical application. Don't worry about "the > >> world" being evil, because the world is something you can't change. > >> Yourself, you can change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of > >> them.)
> >> Doug L.
> With no cliffs or bridges around here, I have no choice but to keep sane.
> Doug L. > -- > Men were given wives because if they can achieve anything when married, they > can conquer the world unmarried.
Hey Doug, marry me! (kidding -- i am alredy married to a man):-)
> Doug Laidlaw wrote: >> Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, >> I thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step >> group network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth >> repeating:
>> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us >> from getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves >> us of the responsibility of developing our characters to deal >> with it.
>> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed >> in "The Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask >> unnecessary questions. Don't waste government money on >> research which increases knowledge with no practical >> application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, because >> the world is something you can't change. Yourself, you can >> change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
>> Doug L.
> Hi Doug,
> I am inclined to follow Camus on this. It does bother me when > people do not follow and create happiness when they can. But > I know that outside the personal level, as you say, "evil" in the > world does exist so much as a quality as indifference to > individuals. Concepts like good and evil belong to the human > realm, and not > to the world itself.
AllYou! wrote: > In > news:6775e4c0-b9dc-4c9e-9d4c-0e0555a6112a@p31g2000prf.googlegroups.com, > Erin <squig...@sympatico.ca> mused: > > Doug Laidlaw wrote: > >> Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, > >> I thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step > >> group network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth > >> repeating:
> >> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us > >> from getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves > >> us of the responsibility of developing our characters to deal > >> with it.
> >> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed > >> in "The Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask > >> unnecessary questions. Don't waste government money on > >> research which increases knowledge with no practical > >> application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, because > >> the world is something you can't change. Yourself, you can > >> change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
> >> Doug L.
> > Hi Doug,
> > I am inclined to follow Camus on this. It does bother me when > > people do not follow and create happiness when they can. But > > I know that outside the personal level, as you say, "evil" in the > > world does exist so much as a quality as indifference to > > individuals. Concepts like good and evil belong to the human > > realm, and not > > to the world itself.
> The word, itself, includes the human realm.
You mean people are evil? The thing is sometimes they are evil and sometimes they are good, and much depends on their circumstances. But when it comes to choice, that's where the real dual nature man comes out: to bomb or not to bomb, that is the question, for example.
> AllYou! wrote: >> In >> news:6775e4c0-b9dc-4c9e-9d4c-0e0555a6112a@p31g2000prf.googlegroups.com, >> Erin <squig...@sympatico.ca> mused: >>> Doug Laidlaw wrote: >>>> Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the >>>> world, I thought that the answer given by GROW (the >>>> Australian 12-step group network, started by a Catholic >>>> priest) was worth repeating:
>>>> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us >>>> from getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves >>>> us of the responsibility of developing our characters to deal >>>> with it.
>>>> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed >>>> in "The Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask >>>> unnecessary questions. Don't waste government money on >>>> research which increases knowledge with no practical >>>> application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, >>>> because the world is something you can't change. Yourself, >>>> you can change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of >>>> them.)
>>>> Doug L.
>>> Hi Doug,
>>> I am inclined to follow Camus on this. It does bother me when >>> people do not follow and create happiness when they can. But >>> I know that outside the personal level, as you say, "evil" in >>> the world does exist so much as a quality as indifference to >>> individuals. Concepts like good and evil belong to the human >>> realm, and not >>> to the world itself.
>> The word, itself, includes the human realm.
> You mean people are evil? The thing is sometimes > they are evil and sometimes they are good, and much > depends on their circumstances. But when it comes > to choice, that's where the real dual nature man comes > out: to bomb or not to bomb, that is the question, for example.
No, I don't mean that peole are evil. People are people. The very intellect which allows people to conceptualize good and evil, and to be able to judge people as such, is also what allows them to be either good, or evil, and so it's all kind of neutral, as far as nature goes.
And I don not see any duel nature to people. Individual people do whatever they do at any given time. That is the simple nature of people.
>>>>> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us >>>>> from getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves >>>>> us of the responsibility of developing our characters to deal >>>>> with it.
>>>>> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed >>>>> in "The Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask >>>>> unnecessary questions. Don't waste government money on >>>>> research which increases knowledge with no practical >>>>> application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, >>>>> because the world is something you can't change. Yourself, >>>>> you can change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
>>>>> Doug L.
>>>> Hi Doug,
>>>> I am inclined to follow Camus on this. It does bother me when >>>> people do not follow and create happiness when they can. But >>>> I know that outside the personal level, as you say, "evil" in >>>> the world does exist so much as a quality as indifference to >>>> individuals. Concepts like good and evil belong to the human >>>> realm, and not to the world itself.
>>> The word, itself, includes the human realm.
>> You mean people are evil? The thing is sometimes >> they are evil and sometimes they are good, and much >> depends on their circumstances. But when it comes >> to choice, that's where the real dual nature man comes >> out: to bomb or not to bomb, that is the question, for example.
> No, I don't mean that peole are evil. People are people. The very > intellect which allows people to conceptualize good and evil, and to > be able to judge people as such, is also what allows them to be > either good, or evil, and so it's all kind of neutral, as far as > nature goes.
> And I don not see any duel nature to people.
That's because there isn't any. But there may indeed be a dual nature. Geesh, third grade sp already.
Erin wrote: > AllYou! wrote: >> In >> news:6775e4c0-b9dc-4c9e-9d4c-0e0555a6112a@p31g2000prf.googlegroups.com, >> Erin <squig...@sympatico.ca> mused: >>> Doug Laidlaw wrote: >>>> Reading Erin's troubles with the presence of evil in the world, >>>> I thought that the answer given by GROW (the Australian 12-step >>>> group network, started by a Catholic priest) was worth >>>> repeating:
>>>> Most of us stopped asking that question long ago. It stops us >>>> from getting better. It shifts the blame to God, and absolves >>>> us of the responsibility of developing our characters to deal >>>> with it.
>>>> No answer. Just don't ask the question. Taoism as expressed >>>> in "The Tao of Poh" is full of the same theme: Don't ask >>>> unnecessary questions. Don't waste government money on >>>> research which increases knowledge with no practical >>>> application. Don't worry about "the world" being evil, because >>>> the world is something you can't change. Yourself, you can >>>> change (within limits, but pessimism isn't one of them.)
>>>> Doug L.
>>> Hi Doug,
>>> I am inclined to follow Camus on this. It does bother me when >>> people do not follow and create happiness when they can. But >>> I know that outside the personal level, as you say, "evil" in the
