The Root of ALL Evil

[Riverwolf]

Yes, as I said, "I'm not saying approbation is the ultimate goal, in fact it's just gravy." I might also should have said that it can sometimes carry a degree of validation or encouragement. It's hard holding a position with little or no positive feedback.

Oh, absolutely. No one is an island, as it is said. We're all interconnected.

Don't forget, a feeling of fulfillment at having achieved something, not to mention the possibility of the final acceptance of it years, decades or even millennia in the future. Not to mention people, including myself, who have hope in the possibility of a reward on one's deathbed, or beyond. Any of that is possible, but often the only immediate reward is that senses of fulfillment, which does make one's motivations self-serving via the third option to selfishness & selflessness, enlightened-self-interest which combines the two.

I equate self-serving with selfishness, but in any case, I don't see such things as binary, or tertiary with a hidden "third" option. Webs are too complex for that.

I was just making a point that human sacrifice wasn't that rare. Most people don't realize there are three stories directly about human sacrifice in the Bible, not to mention innuendo as well as animal sacrifice. Human/animal sacrifices is one of the most evil concepts religion has ever devised.

Human sacrifice I understand, but animal sacrifice is LEAGUES more humane than the way animals are treated these days for food. There's another thread about that from a few months back so we don't have to further derail this thread, if you want to talk about that further: Are you for bringing back sacrifice in your religion? | ReligiousForums.com

Animal sacrifice was quite common, but human sacrifice was, indeed, quite rare. There aren't many attested examples of it happening as a norm, except in contexts of execution (which would technically count the modern practice of executions including the phrase "may God have mercy on your soul" as human sacrifice).

People who violate other's rights, forfeit their own. Otherwise, our rights are in full force for all adults. And the UDHR sounds real good till you get near the end where it says, "These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations."--Article 29(3). That makes the whole thing nothing but kindling.

Well, that's why it needs further refinement.