<underfire> on compassion

[Ana Valdes]

But every religion seems to be very careful with the concept of to
whom you should be compassionate. In the name of God 40.000 Arabs,
Jews and Oriental Christians were slaughtered in the First Crusade, in
the conquest of Jerusalem.
In the name of the Reform Luther and Calvin killed anabaptists and dissidents.
In the name of Yahvee Cananites and others were exterminated. In the
name of Alah the Merciful dies suicide bombers and it's victims.
The only God I never heard any killing related to is Buddah.
Ana

On 11/9/06, Allan Siegel <allan at kekbicikli.hu> wrote:
>
> Every religion seems to have its own definition of compassion; what is
> compassion anyway? Is it a sentiment or an action or both; is it an
> intervention? A state of mind maybe?
>
> If we see innocents being maimed or murdered is it enough 'to feel
> compassion' for their suffering? Is this sufficient? Or is there another
> course of action more worthy of the idea of compassion? Was self-immolation
> by the Buddhist monk during the Vietnam War an act of compassion?
>
> It is such a noble concept. Compassion. Bush talked of a 'compassionate
> conservatism.' It seems that in the real world, political leaders and
> spiritual leaders – who talk endlessly about compassion - whose task it is
> to give substance to this concept have gotten side-tracked. Why is that?
>
> In a moral universe in which compassion is so central a theme there seems to
> be so many violations even dismissals of its relevence. Thus, within this
> amoral environment, contrary to popular rhetoric, peace can be merely just
> another pit-stop on an extension of the globalization superhighway. A a
> momentary layover on the autostrada that connects one conflict to another.
>  Compassion devoid of action is gratuitous. Where do compassion and
> responsibility intersect?
>
> a.s.
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