I believe in good!

[otherbrother]

What do you mean by good?

Is it not merely the stuff we want to happen, in opposition to what we don't want to happen... called bad?

For me the basic conflict inherent in upholding such a preference ensures peace is impossible.

Dao Yin, I believe there is a very large swath of consensus about good. Taking care of your children. Being kind . Forgiving. Working at staying healthy or getting well. A few of the many things almost everyone agrees is “good.”

 

[Ahanu]

I believe the world is evolving to a more peaceful place...

Ever since Cain and Able...it's Biblical.

All recorded history we continue to be more compassionate, take care of more of us and kill less (percentage wise) of our fellow man.

This thread is for posting evidence or links which support my thesis, now we know there are negative Nellie's and they can't help themselves but disagree... misery desires company.

Evolution of dogs agrees...

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See data scientist Hannah Ritchie for how emerging technologies "decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact," leading to a more peaceful place.

"Doomerism about the state of the planet is widespread right now. Many see climate change as an insurmountable problem that we won’t be able to tackle. But the reality tells a different story, says data scientist Hannah Ritchie. By stepping back to look at the data and at how the world has changed over centuries, you can actually find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved. By tracing the evolution of human history, we can see that human progress was often very much in conflict with environmental impact. The more that humans progressed, the more the environment degraded. Ritchie argues that now, we're in a unique position where these two things are no longer in conflict, thanks to recent technologies that decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact."

 

[muhammad_isa]

"Doomerism about the state of the planet is widespread right now..

..with good reason.

Ritchie argues that now, we're in a unique position where these two things are no longer in conflict, thanks to recent technologies that decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact."

Technology costs money, and not everybody has it.
Furthermore, extreme weather is very difficult to combat.

 

[wil]

Our future's so bright we have to wear shades...

Our future's so bright the doomsayers have to throw shade.

I don't wanna work, just wanna bang on the drum all day!

Yes we have issues, but this parasite will survive.

 

[Tony Bristow-Stagg]

Our future's so bright we have to wear shades...

Our future's so bright the doomsayers have to throw shade.

I don't wanna work, just wanna bang on the drum all day!

Yes we have issues, but this parasite will survive.

Good will prevail, peace is not only possible, it is inevitable. From the darkest night of humanities waywardness, the noon day light of humanities full potential, founded in our unity of mind in the oneness of God, will rise.

Regards Tony

 

[otherbrother]

Steven Pinker has said as much

Thomas has helped nudge me back into the discipline of not claiming to know God, other than a subjective experience of “God.” In a recent church service, I had the insight that God was more or less a softer, kinder, side of the unknown. A couple of weeks later, I composed these song/poem lyrics/words in which I feel “safe” on “the soft side of not knowing.” A “good” that we wish to find and manifest seems to come out of a mist, very much in the positive self-fulfilling way we are discussing here.:

The Soft Side of Not Knowing

(Sing to slowly descending strum)


The smell of cut hay

In the mist of morning.

Things could happen

Without warning.


My steps are measured.

I walk slowly.

But I have treasured

The beauty wholly.


There’s a soft side

Of this not knowing

I’m more aware

Of small things showing.


The sunlight visits.

The mist is glowing.

I’m on the soft side

Of not knowing.


(Instrumental fingerpicking)


(Continue fingerpicking as speak the lyrics)


The mist’s miasma

interferes

And sometimes takes

the shape of tears.


But once I witnessed

The way it clears,

I knew faith would follow

Through the years.


It’s a miracle

of the mildest kind.

The greatest joy

Is the peace you find,


Worries drifting

from the mind.

The kiss of mist

helps me unwind.


(Sing to slowly descending strum)


The smell of cut hay

In the mist of morning.

Things could happen

Without warning.


My steps are measured.

I walk slowly.

But I have treasured

The beauty wholly.


The sunlight visits.

The mist is glowing.

Something sacred

Here is growing.


A blessed aura

To brave tomorrow,

I’m safe on the soft side

Of not knowing.

Safe on the soft side

Of not knowing.

(Spoken)

Safe on the soft side

Of not knowing.


(Fingerpicking fade)

 

[otherbrother]

Good will prevail, peace is not only possible, it is inevitable. From the darkest night of humanities waywardness, the noon day light of humanities full potential, founded in our unity of mind in the oneness of God, will rise.

Regards Tony

Inevitable to us or other beings like us, as long as we don’t destroy ourselves. If we do “good” enough to survive, then, as you say, growth is inevitable. I like the movie Groundhog Day. He finally gets it right. Same for us if we can survive, keep on waking up.

 

[otherbrother]

Steven Pinker has said as much

Thomas has helped nudge me back into the discipline of not claiming to know God, other than a subjective experience of “God.” In a recent church service, I had the insight that God was more or less a softer, kinder, side of the unknown. A couple of weeks later, I composed song/poem lyrics/words about “the soft side of not knowing.”

 

[otherbrother]

As such, if there is any progress towards peace it is in increasing tolerance.

This is inherently antagonistic to most traditional definitions of good.

For me ideals and peace cannot coexist, a pragmatism must be established such as freedom without harm to others.

You must choose peace over good to have the most good outcome.

Much evil is committed by insistence on particular definitions of good.

Who can be at peace with evil?

Only a psychopath.

Loved the insight about the importance of peace. Yes, the best good comes out of potential which we sense imprecisely, impressionistically, almost intuitively. And that does require a relaxed/peaceful mind.

 

[wil]

I find it amazing at times...the bliss ...the connection with the allness...that occurs when outward appearances when percieved circumstances aren't "good"

And then poetry comes out...

Bliss...awareness...circumambulation...

And scene

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

I believe the world is evolving to a more peaceful place...

It's wise to believe in good, if it is about doing, speaking, thinking good for yourself, good Wil, yes goodwill. It's not so wise if hoping and waiting for good from elsewhere other than through one's deeds.

 

[wil]

It's wise to believe in good, if it is about doing, speaking, thinking good for yourself, good Wil, yes goodwill. It's not so wise if hoping and waiting for good from elsewhere other than through one's deeds.

One one hand good is all around us...

On the other that is my perspective.

There is the choice in which we see, some see evil and state their stats to prove it, others see good, and cull their stats.

Both may have been influenced by confirmation bias and the Dunning-Kruger effect.

But I think it also speaks to their general demeanor and unfortunately for them, their future.

Fear not brother, I wait for nothing, but do tend to roll in the bliss all around us.

It is funny...to me anyway...while not a believer, I like the line. You may have meant it for evil, but G!d will make it good. In the end...progress.

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

Hopefully not to direct, but Atma had to remember this "sarcasm"...

 

[otherbrother]

You're more optimistic than I am. I actually agree with the verse about nothing new being under the sun. The more I read about history, the more I am convinced that we have not grown in intelligence. Knowledge? Yes. But we seem just as awful as we always were. Nothing has changed. We also have very little written history about humankind. Humans have been on earth for a long time yet we know very little about our past. So I doubt we have become more peaceful.

I agree that knowledge per se doesn’t amount to much. Can we think in more advanced WAYS? Ways that utilize the brain parts that help us understand the dynamics of life (which I believe the “Tree of Life” symbolizes). The prefrontal cortex was last to develop, and it plays a huge role in appreciating and understanding dynamic interactions and interconnected reality that perhaps bubbles up into physical reality via a quantum (and sub quantum?) deeper aspect of overall reality. God, the Great Good Part of the Unknown is the tag or cue and/or operation for sensing the more entangled nature of “reality.” And love may be our greatest glimpse of it. A little heaven on earth.

 

[otherbrother]

See data scientist Hannah Ritchie for how emerging technologies "decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact," leading to a more peaceful place.

"Doomerism about the state of the planet is widespread right now. Many see climate change as an insurmountable problem that we won’t be able to tackle. But the reality tells a different story, says data scientist Hannah Ritchie. By stepping back to look at the data and at how the world has changed over centuries, you can actually find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved. By tracing the evolution of human history, we can see that human progress was often very much in conflict with environmental impact. The more that humans progressed, the more the environment degraded. Ritchie argues that now, we're in a unique position where these two things are no longer in conflict, thanks to recent technologies that decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact."

And advances in treatment of cancer. Just talked to a lady in our church whose daughter is so far having her stage 4 lung cancer successfully managed via immune therapy, lifestyle changes and payer. Interesting to see how clearly the mother sees that cancer researchers ARE part of “God,” whatever God is. And IS a prayer being answered, But she and I are still open to the idea that subtle energies via prayer help the healing process also. All of the above. Of course we belong to a rather inclusive and open minded church (“Reconciling”) anyway.

 

[otherbrother]

Hopefully not to direct, but Atma had to remember this "sarcasm"...

Never saw before. Reminded me of Life of Brian, Flying Circus. Loved Holy Grail also.

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

Getting hit by a bus, dying, isn't a problem, yet deluded mind and wrong view, especially when abounding a good live gained, is. Even it dying on a cross.

 

[wil]

Getting hit by a bus, dying, isn't a problem, yet deluded mind and wrong view, especially when abounding a good live gained, is. Even it dying on a cross.

I need a translation

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

I need a translation

Good householder,
Naivety or illusion, not knowing, isn't a protection, but not only a fault but the root cause of suffering.
If once joy is beyond craving for sensuality, when one is freed from the bonds in the sensual world, when ever breaking apart from this world, would be a matter of worry at all.
Not being related to something beyond sensuality, breaking apart is hard.

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

Back on topic more directly: What's What's good to believe?

Not taking life is good.
Not taking what's not given is good.
Not conducting wrongly in fleshly manners is good.
Not speaking what's not true is good.
Not speaking with intention to break beloved apart is good.
Not speaking using harsh and ugly words is good.
Not speaking on useless topics is good.
No greedy intention is good.
No harmfull intention is good.
No deluded intention is good.

And the base of all good is right view, e.g believing that good doing merits, is good.

Once in this right wheel, it's a spiral upwardly. Once out of this wheel, downwardly.