Damien Hinds thinks we are a christian country

[Ilios]

Why is it nice to be nice

Do you want people to be nice to you? If you do, then it is in your best interet to be nice to others, and if others think similarly, you can work together to construct a society where people generally treat other well. Because it is in the best interest of the group.

It isn't rocket science.

If I don't want people to steal from me, then I don't steal from others. We can then agree social contracts where we don't steal each others things, bevause it is in everybodies best interest - including the thief - because he'd then be subject to thievery also, and nobody ever has any peace.

 

[Kent_Mackem]

Do you want people to be nice to you? If you do, then it is in your best interet to be nice to others, and if others think similarly, you can work together to construct a society where people generally treat other well. Because it is in the best interest of the group.

It isn't rocket science.

If I don't want people to steal from me, then I don't steal from others. We can then agree social contracts where we don't steal each others things, bevause it is in everybodies best interest - including the thief - because he'd then be subject to thievery also, and nobody ever has any peace.

Some people appear to require to be told what to believe and how to behave. They'll conform to any old cock and bull stories based on Iron Age myths. They will jump through amazing intellectual hoops to justify those beliefs. Absolute madness.

Part of me is amused/intrigued. The other part of me despairs.

 

[CEF]

The will to abolish slavery came from all sorts of factors - economic, social, practical, religious. It was justified via appeals to religion, and revoked with similar - albeit far less solid - biblical grounds. But you'd have to explain why the religious people, who had accepted slavery previously, were then fighting against it. It cannot be the religion that is the cause, unless the religion changed - and why do religions change? Because the context changes - outside pressures cause reunterpretations. That's why you have thousands of denominations of Christianity, and even within a denomination, you could ask 100 people 50 questions and they'd all diffee on something. Jacob Rees-Mogg identifies as a Catholic, yet I've met Catholics who disagree with him on most things, despise him, and would call him a heretic!

Yep, religion changed. Groups started interpreting things for themselves rather than being dictated by priests etc..

(I don't think abolishing slavery was either practical or economically "good")

Which Civil War? The American civil war was complicated although slavery was an issue before it started. The New Territories were opening up in the Mid West and the North wanted to prevent the use of slaves by the South in developing those territories, probably for economic reasons at heart. Although there was a minority movement against slavery in the North based on moralistic and religious reasons, Lincoln did not make his declaration of freedom for slaves until the war had turned in the North's favour after the Battle of Gettysburg. Even then it was not to give them equality and there was no indication they would be given the vote in democratic processes.

English civil war.

 

[Mercia Blackcat]

Yep, religion changed. Groups started interpreting things for themselves rather than being dictated by priests etc..

(I don't think abolishing slavery was either practical or economically "good")

English civil war.

Well, the Pauline Christian version of religion was made up from the start.

Although during the American civil war Britain was happy to trade with the slave owners for cotton that was needed in the mills.

However, the North was industrialised and blockaded the ports as well as taking control of the Mississippi so this resulted in an economic stranglehold on the southern states.

Then again freedom in the North was living in over populated, rat infested, disease ridden tenement blocks while working 16 hours a day for barely enough money to buy sufficient food. A hungry belly proved more effective than a whip for making sure people turned up the next day for work.