STOP judging behavior, yours, mine, or anyone else's, with the religious group, ethnic group, gender group, or political group you and they and I belong to in mind.
Actions are not excusable because of one's religion, or lack thereof.
Behavior is a choice.
Attacking others because they don't belong to one's own group is simply Chimpanzee behavior, nothing more. It can not be rationalized or explained away as if it is somehow logical.
Enemies are created by one's own brain, one's own desire to have them.
If you do something, anything, aggressive, hurtful, or hostile toward another being, you own that behavior. You did it. Just you. It is a choice.
Paying attention to how we act toward another before we act, taking responsibility for our actions and speech, and understanding that we CHOOSE our behavior as INDIVIDUALS is an absolute requirement to be called a SENTIENT being. If we do what the others around us do without discernment, if we fail to weigh the actions and behaviors of our groups, if we just do what others do and think what others think, if we make enemies of those who belong to other groups, or who we are envious of, we DO NOT FIT the definition of Sentience.
AWARENESS OF ONE'S OWN SELF, and of one's own actions, and the ability to separate one's self from others, and awareness of the consequences of one's own actions toward one's self and others.
The way a person behaves is that person's sole responsibility, REGARDLESS of the group he or she belongs to. You don't get a pass on the same behavior you would condemn in someone else, because you think your group is "entitled" to be "above" the other group. Your group is the exact same species as every other group.
If that person's actions cause harm and pain toward another human being, or if those actions restrict the freedom of another human being, or cause them emotional, financial, or spiritual harm, then no matter what group that acting person belongs to, they have CAUSED HARM and are completely responsible for their actions.
Actions are not excusable because of one's religion, or lack thereof.
Behavior is a choice.
Attacking others because they don't belong to one's own group is simply Chimpanzee behavior, nothing more. It can not be rationalized or explained away as if it is somehow logical.
Enemies are created by one's own brain, one's own desire to have them.
If you do something, anything, aggressive, hurtful, or hostile toward another being, you own that behavior. You did it. Just you. It is a choice.
Paying attention to how we act toward another before we act, taking responsibility for our actions and speech, and understanding that we CHOOSE our behavior as INDIVIDUALS is an absolute requirement to be called a SENTIENT being. If we do what the others around us do without discernment, if we fail to weigh the actions and behaviors of our groups, if we just do what others do and think what others think, if we make enemies of those who belong to other groups, or who we are envious of, we DO NOT FIT the definition of Sentience.
AWARENESS OF ONE'S OWN SELF, and of one's own actions, and the ability to separate one's self from others, and awareness of the consequences of one's own actions toward one's self and others.
The way a person behaves is that person's sole responsibility, REGARDLESS of the group he or she belongs to. You don't get a pass on the same behavior you would condemn in someone else, because you think your group is "entitled" to be "above" the other group. Your group is the exact same species as every other group.
If that person's actions cause harm and pain toward another human being, or if those actions restrict the freedom of another human being, or cause them emotional, financial, or spiritual harm, then no matter what group that acting person belongs to, they have CAUSED HARM and are completely responsible for their actions.
