Darwin, Jesus and Human Nature- D'souza
I love this guy!
"Consequently we hear social liberals argue that since human nature is wonderful, we should give everyone freedom because they will surely use it wonderfully. Our secular televangelist Oprah argues that all you have to do to be virtuous is to "be yourself" and let your inner light shine. Corporations like Nike tell their customers, "Just do it." (Imagine telling Hitler, Stalin or even Charles Manson, "Just be yourself." "Just do it.") Darwin knew how absurd such propositions are. Yes, humans are capable of virtue but this is not our natural orientation. On the contrary, human beings are typically focused on surviving and protecting their own interests and those of their kin and tribe.
...
Jesus also knew the limits of human nature and showed a way to transcend them, although ultimately this transcendence must await the next life. Christ's teaching "love your neighbor as yourself" is based on the very practical realization that we all love ourselves. Liberals like to celebrate love as a form of sociality and even an embodiment of a kind of higher morality. But love, in its various forms (familial love, sexual love and love of friends) tends to be rooted in the needs and demands of the self. As Christ understood, charity or agape is the only selfless kind of love. "
"Consequently we hear social liberals argue that since human nature is wonderful, we should give everyone freedom because they will surely use it wonderfully. Our secular televangelist Oprah argues that all you have to do to be virtuous is to "be yourself" and let your inner light shine. Corporations like Nike tell their customers, "Just do it." (Imagine telling Hitler, Stalin or even Charles Manson, "Just be yourself." "Just do it.") Darwin knew how absurd such propositions are. Yes, humans are capable of virtue but this is not our natural orientation. On the contrary, human beings are typically focused on surviving and protecting their own interests and those of their kin and tribe.
...
Jesus also knew the limits of human nature and showed a way to transcend them, although ultimately this transcendence must await the next life. Christ's teaching "love your neighbor as yourself" is based on the very practical realization that we all love ourselves. Liberals like to celebrate love as a form of sociality and even an embodiment of a kind of higher morality. But love, in its various forms (familial love, sexual love and love of friends) tends to be rooted in the needs and demands of the self. As Christ understood, charity or agape is the only selfless kind of love. "
posted by street theologian @ 2:59 AM
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