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Author Topic:   On feeling sorry for people
robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 1 of 300 (341884)
08-21-2006 9:09 AM


Mangy Tiger wrote this in the discussion of moderation thread
Although it may cause some intemperate reactions on both sides I think the discussion about robinrohan's comment on the old Vets he saw and the reaction it has provoked is an interesting discussion.
I agree.
Let's see if I can frame this issue in such a way that it is not personal. On the thread entitled "The Boasts of Atheists" I made the following comment:
A few weeks ago I went with my wife to the VA hospital locally (she was signing up for benefits). While she was filling out paperwork, I wandered around. I happened to go out this door into a sort of patio, and there I saw a lot of old men. Many of them were missing limbs. They didn't look like they had much money either. Shabbily dressed. Veterans of some war or other.
It was terrible. My heart went out to them.
This comment evoked a great deal of negative reaction. I was accused of all sorts of wickedness--of judging, of assuming, of being demeaning, of dehumanizing people and the like. One poster suggested I had no business feeling anything if I wasn't planning on helping these old men.
To my mind, these negative comments illustrate a perversion of moral feeling created by this obsession with being politically correct
Edited by robinrohan, : No reason given.
Edited by robinrohan, : No reason given.

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by ohnhai, posted 08-21-2006 10:38 AM robinrohan has replied
 Message 8 by Brian, posted 08-21-2006 11:32 AM robinrohan has replied
 Message 11 by jar, posted 08-21-2006 11:44 AM robinrohan has replied
 Message 133 by riVeRraT, posted 08-22-2006 9:03 AM robinrohan has replied

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Message 2 of 300 (341890)
08-21-2006 10:34 AM


Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

ohnhai
Member (Idle past 5161 days)
Posts: 649
From: Melbourne, Australia
Joined: 11-17-2004


Message 3 of 300 (341892)
08-21-2006 10:38 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 9:09 AM


Being moved by something is different from being moved enough to do some thing about it.
Did you stop to ask these people their story?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 9:09 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:04 AM ohnhai has not replied

robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 4 of 300 (341898)
08-21-2006 11:04 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by ohnhai
08-21-2006 10:38 AM


Did you stop to ask these people their story?
They did not strike me as being in a talkative mood. I was most impressed by their silent, stony stoicism.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by ohnhai, posted 08-21-2006 10:38 AM ohnhai has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by nator, posted 08-21-2006 11:06 AM robinrohan has replied

nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 5 of 300 (341899)
08-21-2006 11:06 AM
Reply to: Message 4 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 11:04 AM


quote:
I was most impressed by their silent, stony stoicism.
It might have been stoicism.
Or, it might have been depression.
Or deafness.
Or the effects of medication.
You wouldn't know unless you tried to speak to them.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:04 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:13 AM nator has replied

robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 6 of 300 (341902)
08-21-2006 11:13 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by nator
08-21-2006 11:06 AM


It might have been stoicism.
Or, it might have been depression.
Or deafness.
Or the effects of medication.
So? It seemed like stoicism to me.
You wouldn't know unless you tried to speak to them.
I was in their presence only for a couple of minutes. It was the vision that stuck with me. And anyway, I'm not in the habit of going around asking strangers personal questions.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by nator, posted 08-21-2006 11:06 AM nator has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 7 by ohnhai, posted 08-21-2006 11:21 AM robinrohan has replied
 Message 19 by nator, posted 08-21-2006 12:12 PM robinrohan has replied

ohnhai
Member (Idle past 5161 days)
Posts: 649
From: Melbourne, Australia
Joined: 11-17-2004


Message 7 of 300 (341904)
08-21-2006 11:21 AM
Reply to: Message 6 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 11:13 AM


compassion and companionship (however fleeting) are cheep to give but can seem like the world to those that receive them.
--- abe---
It’s fine that you noticed them. And that may have changed you. But what would it have cost to let them know that someone other than the nurse who does the daily bloods (how I hate blood tests) noticed their existence.
Surely even a nihilist can recognise the needs of others?
Edited by ohnhai, : continued thought
Edited by ohnhai, : typo fix

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:13 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:41 AM ohnhai has not replied

Brian
Member (Idle past 4958 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 8 of 300 (341907)
08-21-2006 11:32 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 9:09 AM


Do you think Jesus shares your feelings for these people?
Brian.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 9:09 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:42 AM Brian has replied

robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 9 of 300 (341910)
08-21-2006 11:41 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by ohnhai
08-21-2006 11:21 AM


It’s fine that you noticed them. And that may have changed you. But what would it have cost to let them know that someone other than the nurse who does the daily bloods (how I hate blood tests) noticed their existence.
What a strange comment. I am being criticized for not speaking to them?
Surely even a nihilist can recognise the needs of others?
Being a nihilist doesn't have anything to do with recognizing needs.
It's a certain viewpoint--an imminently reasonable one, by the way--about the human condition.
Edited by robinrohan, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by ohnhai, posted 08-21-2006 11:21 AM ohnhai has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 59 by Dan Carroll, posted 08-21-2006 2:56 PM robinrohan has replied

robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 10 of 300 (341911)
08-21-2006 11:42 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by Brian
08-21-2006 11:32 AM


Do you think Jesus shares your feelings for these people?
I don't know, Brian. You're the expert on Christianity, not me.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by Brian, posted 08-21-2006 11:32 AM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 12 by Brian, posted 08-21-2006 11:48 AM robinrohan has replied

jar
Member (Idle past 393 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 11 of 300 (341912)
08-21-2006 11:44 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 9:09 AM


So you missed a great opportunity.
You claim that your "heart went out to them", yet you didn't do squat about it. Did you ask one of the staff if there were any that would enjoy a conversation? We already know you did not try to talk to any of them.
You seem to use charges of PC as a shield and a defense, as do many. So far though I have not seen anyone show how anything in any of the "Nobody understands me" threads was based on being Politically Correct.
I believe you missed an opportunity. Too bad.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 9:09 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 13 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:53 AM jar has replied

Brian
Member (Idle past 4958 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 12 of 300 (341913)
08-21-2006 11:48 AM
Reply to: Message 10 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 11:42 AM


I don't know, Brian. You're the expert on Christianity, not me.
Well, in your limited knowledge of Christianity do you think Jesus shares your feelings for these people?
Brian.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 10 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:42 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 14 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:54 AM Brian has replied

robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 300 (341915)
08-21-2006 11:53 AM
Reply to: Message 11 by jar
08-21-2006 11:44 AM


You claim that your "heart went out to them", yet you didn't do squat about it
So? I'm being criticized for that? That's ridiculous.
You seem to use charges of PC as a shield and a defense, as do many. So far though I have not seen anyone show how anything in any of the "Nobody understands me" threads was based on being Politically Correct.
If you look back at the reactions in the "Boasts of Atheists" thread, you will see a very good example of PC at work.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 11 by jar, posted 08-21-2006 11:44 AM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 17 by iano, posted 08-21-2006 12:05 PM robinrohan has replied
 Message 18 by jar, posted 08-21-2006 12:05 PM robinrohan has replied

robinrohan
Inactive Member


Message 14 of 300 (341916)
08-21-2006 11:54 AM
Reply to: Message 12 by Brian
08-21-2006 11:48 AM


Well, in your limited knowledge of Christianity do you think Jesus shares your feelings for these people?
Isn't that a question one asks a Christian? Why are you asking me?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Brian, posted 08-21-2006 11:48 AM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 15 by Brian, posted 08-21-2006 11:57 AM robinrohan has replied

Brian
Member (Idle past 4958 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 15 of 300 (341917)
08-21-2006 11:57 AM
Reply to: Message 14 by robinrohan
08-21-2006 11:54 AM


Isn't that a question one asks a Christian?
One doesn't have to be a Christian to know something about Christianity.
Why are you asking me?
Because it is your thread.
Brian.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 14 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 11:54 AM robinrohan has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 16 by robinrohan, posted 08-21-2006 12:02 PM Brian has not replied

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