Do All People Have at least some Measure of Worth or Value?

[Sunstone]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

 

[BSM1]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

Absolutely not. Examples:

Charles Manson
Adolph Hitler
Nicklaus Cruz
Et. Al.

Would we have been better off if these individuals had died during birth? Yes.

 

[Sunstone]

Absolutely not. Examples:

Charles Manson
Adolph Hitler
Nicklaus Cruz
Et. Al.

Would we have been better off if these individuals had died during birth? Yes.

Do you think there are any negative consequences to you that come about as a consequence of believing some people do not have even a basic measure of worth or value?

 

[allfoak]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

Worth and value are decided by the individual.
A collective opinion may be formed and even adhered to as a standard but it is always the individual who gets to decide the worth or value of anything.

 

[Twilight Hue]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

People have value. Indirect as it may seem when compared to individuals having questionable behaviors.

 

[Sunstone]

People have value. Indirect as it may seem when compared to individuals having questionable behaviors.

What is the source of that value?

 

[Sunstone]

Worth and value are decided by the individual.
A collective opinion may be formed and even adhered to as a standard but it is always the individual who gets to decide the worth or value of anything.

I agree. But then the question remains whether there are any grounds for asserting that all people should have a basic measure of worth or value?

 

[InChrist]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

I believe all people start off having value and worth because each is made in the image of God. Yet, that image can be marred by the damaging consequences of self-serving sin as Jesus pointed out in the gospels when speaking to the hypocritical Pharisees, stating that their father was the devil, because they had taken on an image more like the devil.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Are you meaning that the person themself have a measure of worth or value to themselves? Or that others grant them some measure of worth or value?

 

[Sunstone]

Are you meaning that the person themself have a measure of worth or value to themselves? Or that others grant them some measure of worth or value?

Both.

 

[Sunstone]

I believe all people start off having value and worth because each is made in the image of God. Yet, that image can be marred by the damaging consequences of self-serving sin as Jesus pointed out in the gospels when speaking to the hypocritical Pharisees, stating that their father was the devil, because they had taken on an image more like the devil.

Happy birthday, by the way.

 

[allfoak]

I agree. But then the question remains whether there are any grounds for asserting that all people should have a basic measure of worth or value?

Each of us gets to decide.
We have standards that measure these things because we know they exist and we see we have a need to agree on how they should be measured.

 

[Sunstone]

I believe all people start off having value and worth because each is made in the image of God. Yet, that image can be marred by the damaging consequences of self-serving sin as Jesus pointed out in the gospels when speaking to the hypocritical Pharisees, stating that their father was the devil, because they had taken on an image more like the devil.

Do you believe thinking of someone as "more like the image of the devil" might have negative consequences for you and/or others around you?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Both.

I'm sure that almost all humans have some sense of their own value or self-worth...that value does not have to be a positive number, of course.

I guess it's the same with whether and how other humans value or measure the worth of others...the number does not have to be positive...

I think humans should try to give other persons--human or otherwise--the benefit of the doubt...up to a certain point. There are some people who just need killed, and others who need to be imprisoned, or banished, or treated themselves the way they treat others...

 

[Buddha Dharma]

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

Interconnectedness of everything is one reason. I'm a non-materialist monist. Probably even a panentheist, as I understand Buddhas to reflect Nirvana actually. How could anyone say another person is less than them, or justify their suffering not to matter?

I extend this to animals also because they are sentient. Jains have a concept concerning karma that I'm rather favorable to. That plants and rocks are forms where karma is fixed. It's not that they are not life as well. They are inert enough that real suffering cannot be inflicted on them like on people and animals, but they also cannot awaken.

Given the pain of a world that suffers so much, this unity of all things is what can make life seem beautiful in spite of pain. Knowing I am not really separate from plants, oceans, rocks- it's an awesome and uplifting thought.

All life seems worthy of existing, and violence seems a great evil. It's almost like you're violating everything when you harm.

I cannot verbalize entirely how what I've said to you makes me feel. The great wonder and magic of it all. That's exactly how some teachers described life in total. That it should exist at all seems magical. The universe might be a magical display.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm sure that almost all humans have some sense of their own value or self-worth...that value does not have to be a positive number, of course.

I guess it's the same with whether and how other humans value or measure the worth of others...the number does not have to be positive...

I think humans should try to give other persons--human or otherwise--the benefit of the doubt...up to a certain point. There are some people who just need killed, and others who need to be imprisoned, or banished, or treated themselves the way they treat others...

Does the fact, as you see it, that some folks "just need to be killed" lessen for you their worth or value?

I ask because it seems to me that it's a fairly common thing these days to think of people as worthless. Back in the day, though, even those folks who were condemned to death were in many ways treated with respect. There's less and less of that these days though.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Absolutely not. Examples:

Charles Manson
Adolph Hitler
Nicklaus Cruz
Et. Al.

Would we have been better off if these individuals had died during birth? Yes.

Or, just possibly -- and I put this up only for consideration -- we might have been better off had the parents and guardians that produced and raised those individuals been stopped before doing any damage.

Is it your opinion that people are either simply good or bad at birth (by nature) -- or is there some possibility that nurture has at least a little bit to do with it?

 

[Mindmaster]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

If you believe all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value, why do you believe that?

1) No, some people are just oxygen thieves and leeches. They exist only to harm others in some way, or take up useful space.

2) No, because even because of the fact of #1 cruelty leads you to become a member of group #1.

3) See #1.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Does the fact, as you see it, that some folks "just need to be killed" lessen for you their worth or value?

I ask because it seems to me that it's a fairly common thing these days to think of people as worthless. Back in the day, though, even those folks who were condemned to death were in many ways treated with respect. There's less and less of that these days though.

No, to me it doesn't lessen anyone's value, but does get at the fact that society/environment can be harmed or harmful, and that choices have to be made.

Some plants and animals need to die, filling the role of food, clothing, etc., so that others can go on living. Sometimes, aspects of the environment needs to be disrupted. But one should strive to be as respectful and limited in the damage that they do as they possibly can.

That is why I think most of these decisions need to be made by the community, not the individual.

 

[Brickjectivity]

In your opinion, do all people have at least some basic measure of worth or value?

You do not require identifying what that value is, so that makes it easier. First of all we are animals, but we are different from other animals. An animal has a value. Our difference from animals must also a value. We can do things they cannot and think things they cannot, and that adds value to us.

If not, is it permissible to kill without further justification those people who do not have at least a basic measure of worth or value? Why or why not?

No it is not permissible to kill people without further justification as it breaks the social connection that binds humans and which also differentiates us from animals and has value that animals cannot fathom.

Is this a little bit of value or a lot? Well you know its us and our own value, so we should value it a lot. The animals will not care what happens to us, so it is up to us to uphold our value.