is "Black and White" realistic?

[jewscout]

As with most topics that involve religion they try to take a very complicated thing, like most things in life, and make it black and white. It doesn't work that way.

from a previous thread...
i have to agree to a certain extent that not everything is black and white but is it always the case? does good and evil exist? or is it always a matter of perspective? and if it exists are we not duty bound to condemn evil and reward good? and was this mentality the creation of religion?

 

[fromthe heart]

from a previous thread...
i have to agree to a certain extent that not everything is black and white but is it always the case? does good and evil exist? or is it always a matter of perspective? and if it exists are we not duty bound to condemn evil and reward good? and was this mentality the creation of religion?

I agree with you that not everything is always black and white...in my opinion there are a lot of gray areas that are just plain personal opinion or personal points of view in how one person sees it verses another. There are a lot of things I see as wrong and someone else can spin to see it differently and make it seem ok...that's why I call these things gray areas. Good and evil IMPO DO exsist...and it's not always just prespective. We are bound by our inner self to try to do good most of the time and it could be that that is why religion first began to some but to me religion began from the lineage of Adam and Eve passing down the rules laid out by God through the generations and as times have changed SOME have tried to change religion to fit the times instead of livingt inside of the will of God...I feel that is why there are so many different religions to this day...they have all been culturalized and personalized over the years...but this is only MY personal opinion.

 

[Scuba Pete]

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to fromthe heart again.

Amen! No one could have said it better!

 

[michel]

I can't afford 'grey' areas for myself. For me, there is black and white - otherwise I find the greys become 'muddled' - and my mind takes the advantage of elastic consciences.

For every one else, sure there are greys. Not for me; I'm too weak.

 

[Original Freak]

My opinion is obviously that there are grey areas and Religion doesn't allow for it.



Thou shall not kill, but what about in self-defense.



Don't use contraception, what about the BC for medical reasons, what about condoms to stop the spread of disease where pregnancy has nothing to do with the decision?




There are exceptions, and even if there was a set good and evil there are going to be situation where a good person may have do to something considered evil and Vise Versa.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

My opinion is obviously that there are grey areas and Religion doesn't allow for it....

Seems I remember a recent thread about Agnostics 'being on the fence' when they shouldn't be. Does that mean that Atheists don't allow for shades of grey in some matters?

...Thou shall not kill, but what about in self-defense.....

This is a mis-translation and should read 'Thou shall not commit murder.' Killing in self-defense is not murder.

Not all religions teach that contraception is evil, so that's one example of religion not being so black and white.

i have to agree to a certain extent that not everything is black and white but is it always the case? does good and evil exist? or is it always a matter of perspective? and if it exists are we not duty bound to condemn evil and reward good? and was this mentality the creation of religion?

Always the case, I would say 'NO!'.
Yes, good and evil exist.
Condemn evil and reward good...definitely.
Was it the creation of religion? I would say 'NO!', and I highly doubt anyone can prove that the mentality of 'black and white' or as some people say, 'if you're not with us, you're against us', was invented by religion.

I think if we research it long enough, the black/white approach has more to do with people's personality and how they handle those who disagree with them than their religion or lack thereof, but what do I know....I'm a Christian who is red-green colorblind so I see more shades of grey than the average bear.

 

[Original Freak]

Seems I remember a recent thread about Agnostics 'being on the fence' when they shouldn't be. Does that mean that Atheists don't allow for shades of grey in some matters?

No, In the thread, after some good points, I've come to the conclusion the agnostic label is completely valid but a lot of 'agnostics' are mislabeling themselves. I can't speak for Atheist...just myself.

This is a mis-translation and should read 'Thou shall not commit murder.' Killing in self-defense is not murder.

I have heard lots of debat on this between people of all beliefs and I don't know if anything has been concluded but as it's interpated by most, it says kill.

Not all religions teach that contraception is evil, so that's one example of religion not being so black and white.

That's what it was ment to be.

 

[jewscout]

I have heard lots of debat on this between people of all beliefs and I don't know if anything has been concluded but as it's interpated by most, it says kill

unless you read the hebrew...where it says "Lo Tirtzach" = Do not Murder
the hebrew word for Kill is a totally different verb if i'm not mistaken
(Standing you're better versed on Hebrew grammer you'll have to double check sir)

 

[Original Freak]

If I recall correctly the word gets read in the bible as kill in various parts of the bible including the ten commandments.

 

[jewscout]

If I recall correctly the word gets read in the bible as kill in various parts of the bible including the ten commandments.

i suppose that's why my professors pushed learning the primary language of the field you would be studying in so that way you wouldn't need to rely on faulty and incorrect translations...it's better when you can go to the source and not to a translation which is incorrect or misleading...

 

[Sunstone]

Is black and white realistic? In one sense, No. Looking at the world in black and white terms is by defintion color blind. That is to say, black and white thinking tends to disregard most of reality in order to shoehorn reality into a narrow dichotomy. What's the point of doing that? Well, it makes sense to do it in certain circumstances. Such as when one is confronted by an enemy. If you see a tiger in the forrest, for instance, it's best to take an Us versus Them view, a black and white view, of that tiger, rather than to reflect on all the nuances of the situation. So, there are certain situations in which it is more expedient to think in black and white terms than it is to think in colors.

 

[Lycan]

IMHO -

Speaking in terms of humans collectively, I believe it is all gray. What is right or wrong to one person may be the opposite for another. But, speaking for individuals (this individual in particular) I believe we do think in black and white generally. For example abortion (not debating it!!!) I have a solid opinion about it and am not likely to change that opinion for a number of reasons... That issue for me is black and white, but for America (as ex) it is an extremely gray issue. Seeing things in b&w doesn't mean there is no room for change or growth, maybe harder to change but not impossible. As far as religion goes, my beliefs are b&w (that is why they are my beliefs), regardless of interpretation or outside input, but that doesn't mean they will never change.