Seeking "Niceness"

[Montalban]

Very good example Montalban but respectfulness can be applied immediately too. With your British example in India, Britain shouldn’t have taken over the country in the first place. Tad rude and disrespectful don’t you think? Nevertheless they did and the British banned Suttee in 1829 but the practice still continued throughout the century despite the ban. Education and “leaflet campaigning” *that’s funny* would have been advisable combined with legal measures. Consulting the people that actually lived in the country and that the ban affected would have been a good start too. How is anyone supposed to know something is wrong or unadvisable, especially if it is part of their culture and have known it as the norm, if they are not educated about it? Not educated to think like “us” but shown the harm that it does to others.

Why is it 'wrong'? Are you now saying that the Indians didn't understand it was 'wrong'? You're almost suggesting the same 'rule them like they're children' mentality of the British Raj anyway.
There's other examples: the Thuggee cult (whence we derive the word "Thug") believed in ritual execution by strangulation (made known in popular culture by the film "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom").

Drinking and driving was banned in this country but people still did it. Education, constant TV advertising and “leaflet campaigning” that depicted the harm that drinking and driving does was the tactic that made it socially unacceptable and death rates lower, not the ban itself. Persuasion is the key not the hammer. Saddam Hussein curbed unrest between Shiites and Sunnis but I wouldn’t really recommend his methods either. You can rule with an iron fist with no compassion, stating that your way is the only way, but where will that lead you in the end? Most likely your hole will be betrayed by the people closest to you and be left with a bunch of unhappy people in your wake.

I agree that we should educate people, but I accept that's because I hold what Christians to believe to be the standard. In much the same way Jesus tried to persuade people to change their erroneous ways. Some people seem to think that such is a sign of not being 'nice'.

I am not for barbaric practices, unruly behaviour, being wicked to one another, or causing pain to others, that’s one of the reasons I asked for “nice” religious philosophies.

Did you see I replied to that; Jainism. Christianity is not about being 'nice'.

I am for laws and curbing bad behaviour but doing so respectfully, with understanding for an issue and without bulldozing. Respect and law /order doesn’t have to be completely alien to each other, neither should respect and religious understanding. Religious/cultural understanding or respect or “niceness” or whatever you want to call it would curb 90% of the wars occurring in the world at the moment. Surely that wouldn’t be a bad thing?

You still don't realise you are taking a position of righteousness, and seek to educate people to think like you. The only difference is you believe that by dressing this up with terms such as 'education' and consultation etc, that it's any less imperialistic.

I understand we will never agree on this issue but its fun chatting to you. Lets just be grateful that neither of us are in a position of power over people, I'm sure we’d both be horrified at that prospect.

Mark 8:36

 

[Montalban]

I agree.

And Buddhism is my chosen religion because of its ''inceness'' However, its personal, for you Buddhism might not deliver what you are looking for. Read up on it and then decide. Its an option.

Shopping around for the right religion for you?

 

[Electra]

Shopping around for the right religion for you?

Sorry, what do you mean?

 

[Montalban]

Sorry, what do you mean?

That's what your advice sounded like, to look around and find which faith suits the person.

I could have you totally wrong on this.