In response I say, I've found many more questions in my pursuance of biblical knowledge than I have in a quote that, when taken at face value, is nothing but a virtue of goodness and righteousness. I could also respond by drawing similarities between my faith in that quote, and your faith in the Bible. They both raise more questions than they answer, unless taken at face value, and lived by with faith.
So, your response is simply to ignore all the questions that arise very immediately from the quotation you offered? Interesting. You won't address the issues I've raised except to deflect them by pointing a finger in vague fashion back at Christianity. The thing is, you started this thread by asking about what we thought about your Marcus Aurelius quotation, not whatever problems you think there are with the Christian worldview.
I think the universal standard of a 'good' life could be defined as one lived solely on the principles of the betterment of mankind.
And who determines what "betterment" looks like? There are very widely varying views on this. Some think it means increasing the happiness quotient in society, others think it means developing a greater spiritual dimension to society, still others think it means making everyone equal in material condition, and so on. How does one decide what real betterment is?
The wholehearted sacrifice for your fellow man. To live a 'good' life by these standards would leave any sane man wholly satisfied that he had done 'right' by any benevolent force, including the aforementioned 'gods'.
Oh? How so? How do you know? You give no rationale for why this should be considered universally true for everyone. Others have very different views on what constitutes a life well-lived. What makes your view more true or authoritative than theirs?
What do you think is 'good'? Following God's law, even if it hurts people you care about, or people in general? If your God wishes harm on anyone, then I would see it fit to define that God as an unjust God.
Sometimes hurt and harm is necessary and demonstrates care and even love better than avoiding hurt and harm would. Imagine a person with a brain tumor. In order for him to continue living he must have highly invasive brain surgery. The surgeons will have to cut through the tissue and bone of his head in order to remove the tumor. This will cause much pain and discomfort to the afflicted man. In the long run, however, the temporary harm of the surgery will allow him to live a longer and fuller life. Doing nothing in order to avoid hurt and harm to this man would ultimately cost him his life. God often deals with us in the same way a surgeon must in order to heal sickness and disease. His fundamental motive is one of love, but sometimes that love can be tough.
Does God command His children to harm others? No. His highest command to us is to love Him and our neighbor as we love ourselves.
And the very point of this quote is that Marcus Aurelius does, in fact, NOT know what the God's want.
THen he can only guess at what they want, which is what I pointed out in my last post. The quotation you offered also says nothing about self-sacrifice, only living virtuously. But one man's virtue is another man's sin. How does one decide which "virtues" are supreme and thus ought to be followed?
He merely knows that if all of mankind lived by this virtue, the world would be a place of peace and content, regardless of the wants and needs of any Gods or outside forces.
In fact, MA does not know this. He is only assuming his ideas of virtue would produce the results he expects.
I think that you're misunderstanding the quote entirely. It's a quote stating that we should not concern ourselves with the wants of Gods or the Almighty, but rather live out our lives making the world a better place for those around us.
No, I understood this. I just think the quotation as it was given in this thread offers only a vague and superficial approach to living.
When viewed in this way, I think that it leaves no questions, and simply answers many I've had my whole life. I dare you to say that, when explained in this manner, there is any malcontent contained in this quote.
"Explained in this manner" means, it seems, "to spin the quotation in a way that suits me and makes it say what I want it to."
Selah.
