Comments on: God the Humanitarian http://www.currion.net/2008/11/22/god-the-humanitarian/ Paul Currion struggles to explain himself. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:20:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Paul Currion http://www.currion.net/2008/11/22/god-the-humanitarian/comment-page-1/#comment-462 Paul Currion Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:04:50 +0000 http://www.currion.net/?p=263#comment-462 I couldn't agree more about a humanitarian ethic being drawn from Jesus' words. It's very obvious that the Christian prosocial imperative (the Good Samaritan model) was very much the driving force in the early days of the modern humanitarian movement. However we shouldn't mistake the excellent work of those particular Christians for a general characteristic of the religion itself. It's worth noting that I didn't seek this quote out - it was presented as part of some sort of argument by a Christian. Why is it unfair to attribute this quote to Christianity, when a Christian is so eager to claim it? (One thing I find deeply ironic is when the work of those humanitarians is put forward as an argument for Christianity by modern Christians who themselves exhibit precisely none of those virtues of charity, compassion and humanity. I would point you to some examples, but then I'd have to link to their sites, and that would upset me.) I couldn’t agree more about a humanitarian ethic being drawn from Jesus’ words. It’s very obvious that the Christian prosocial imperative (the Good Samaritan model) was very much the driving force in the early days of the modern humanitarian movement.

However we shouldn’t mistake the excellent work of those particular Christians for a general characteristic of the religion itself. It’s worth noting that I didn’t seek this quote out – it was presented as part of some sort of argument by a Christian. Why is it unfair to attribute this quote to Christianity, when a Christian is so eager to claim it?

(One thing I find deeply ironic is when the work of those humanitarians is put forward as an argument for Christianity by modern Christians who themselves exhibit precisely none of those virtues of charity, compassion and humanity. I would point you to some examples, but then I’d have to link to their sites, and that would upset me.)

]]> By: Matthew Slater http://www.currion.net/2008/11/22/god-the-humanitarian/comment-page-1/#comment-461 Matthew Slater Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:43:42 +0000 http://www.currion.net/?p=263#comment-461 It''s not fair to attribute this quote to Christianity. The Israelite religion of the time might be considered a 'primitive' or at least local or tribal religion, in which God seeks the prosperity of that tribe at the expense of all others. This seems to be the level of development of the state of Israel to this day, while most religions are becoming more universal. One of Christianities better achievements, in my view was to overturn this sort of conditional favouritism. Jesus' assertions like love thy neighbour, judge not, turn the other cheek, the kingdom of heaven belongs to the least of these, etc can challenge everyone every day. To me at least, they imply a strong humanitarian ethic. It”s not fair to attribute this quote to Christianity. The Israelite religion of the time might be considered a ‘primitive’ or at least local or tribal religion, in which God seeks the prosperity of that tribe at the expense of all others. This seems to be the level of development of the state of Israel to this day, while most religions are becoming more universal.

One of Christianities better achievements, in my view was to overturn this sort of conditional favouritism. Jesus’ assertions like love thy neighbour, judge not, turn the other cheek, the kingdom of heaven belongs to the least of these, etc can challenge everyone every day. To me at least, they imply a strong humanitarian ethic.

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