Christian tropers, join together!

What do you mean by that?

A general is worth more than 100 privates, and I'll trade 2 serial killers for a kid.

edited 25th Nov '17 10:48:22 AM by RAlexa21th

But who's to say who becomes the general and who becomes the private? Who's the say that the private doesn't have the kinder heart, or the sharper mind, or endless potential just waiting to be realized? Maybe the private spends their spare time doing charity work, or coming up with ideas 100x more brilliant than the general's (but no one knows because they won't give him a chance) Maybe there's a family that depends on him. Maybe he has the potential inside him to change the world. Maybe the general was simply born richer, or had look luck.

I've lived in public housing, have worked low level jobs. I was one of maybe 50 low level employees, and one of 200 people living in my housing project. I don't believe that my boss's or landlord's life is worth more than mine and take that very personally.

Lost of a general leads to crumbled morale, weakened command structure, and ultimately death of thousands more soldiers.

If you really wish to believe all lives are equal, then I really can't help you with your existential crisis here.

edited 25th Nov '17 10:59:05 AM by RAlexa21th

I admit I may be biased from growing up in a situation where I was told repeatedly that I didn't matter. I didn't get equal education opportunities because I wasn't going to use them (there was one teacher on tenure who straight up refused to teach "kids like us"), or a house because I, as a little kid, didn't earn it. And I internalized it so damn hard that getting any self esteem was a struggle. Realizing that I was human like everyone else was the first step.

Nowadays I work with kids in similar situations who truly believe that their lives don't matter. I've actually had kids as young as 8 tell me that their lives with never matter, that they'll never be important. And I try so hard to convince them that they do, but with every tragedy disproportionately affecting their demographics, it gets harder and harder to get through to them

Some human beings may not think everyone matters equally, but thats not how God sees it. Everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, age, position in life, religion, etc. is one of his children. So yeah, I'd say everyone matters equally.

Put it in perspective. God decided that it is important enough to give the gift of life. Just because the gift is common does not mean it is not a treasure.

Put it in another, admittedly more nihilistic perspective, all species on earth are fated to try to extend their existence as long as possible until their inevitable extinction, with a very miniscule chance that they will be remembered.

A little thought, if every (human) life is equal, then how does the life of someone who constantly saves lives compare to the life of someone who constantly destroys lives.

edited 25th Nov '17 11:26:40 AM by RAlexa21th

I would value one over the other, but that doesn't mean that one inherently is. I refuse to put myself above or below my neighbor.

Sometimes we have to value one over the other if we want to minimize suffering.

God Knows.

There are very few social positions/jobs that are inherently more valuable than others. Like, people tend to imagine that a doctor is more important than someone who 'just' works in the food services industry, or someone who is a cleaner.

In reality - there are jobs that have to be done. People who can do them, do them. Somebody *does* still need to make people food and serve it to them. Somebody does need to clean. Yes, sure, if a doctor were to suddenly disappear that would impact society. But if the cleaner disappeared it would also impact society (stuff doesn't stop needing to be cleaned, you know, and if it isn't cleaned things start going downhill).

I mean, yeah, if a leader or manager is taken out of action, that has a greater effect. But it's not so much because *that person* was so important, it's because of the relationships/effects they had on the people around them snap if they go.

And this is purely talking about people in a dry, cold 'cogs in a machine' type of way. Not even getting into the more human side of things. Who is going to go around putting a number value on the emotional and social benefits people have to each other? "Well, you have five children who love you dearly, and a sister who relies on you, so you score 14.5. But that guy over there is a teacher who will touch dozens of lives positively this year, so his score is 15.3, so he outranks you and is more valuable to society!"

I feel that placing a variable value on human beings is not a very Christian thing to do. Jesus died for sinners. That's trading the person who logically is the MOST VALUABLE (Son of God, hello?) for a bunch of people who were comparatively worthless. People who even their peers considered a net drain on society (tax collecters, lepers, etc).

Knowing Better.

Our Powerful God.

The Power of Empathy.

Imperfect Yet Loved.

The Last Will Be First.

Shouldn't we be so good that if we were fictional character we would be compared to Jesus? I think I heard that Christian means "little Christ" or something. I know that they(we? one Church across time and space) were first called Christians at Antioch.

that's the idea. being flawed humans, though, makes that difficult. thankfully out Benefactor is understanding on that front.

Ham and Eggs.

Waiting.

Christ lives in all of us, so that would make us all "little Christs". We just have to try our very best to live up to it. We'll never succeed completely, but that's just being human. That shouldn't keep us from trying

Christmas at MacPherson.

Jesus Loves Maysel.

Trusting God Even If.

First Things First.

Unexpected Grace.