by peacefulpete 46 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
“Divides” of some sort or other are almost inevitable, as nobody is likely to agree about every single thing. Then add to that those who feel obligated to say “black” just because they heard another person say “white”, and the rest is not hard to imagine. I believe it is called “human nature”.
“Popular Sovereignty” might be a laudable ideal, but almost impossible to ever achieve.
@Rivergang:
If that is true, then you are saying there is no real reason for the divide. It's just humans being ass holes ("human nature" and its tendency to oppose a position for no reason at all). You've reduced both sides to having no real reason for holding their positions.
This isn't a divide over whether the tax rate should be 10% or 15%. Those are the divisions we've had in the past. Now, the country **wants** to split.
When a couple gets a divorce, it is unlikely because the wife couldn't make a decent tuna casserole.
Conflict is inevitable.
It is how it is handled that determines the outcome.
@Rivergang:
That seems a bit obvious. If it handled by a secession, then the outcome will be determined by the secession. If it is handled by an armed conflict, then the outcome will be determined by the armed conflict. If it is handled by the big tech companies silencing any dissent, then the outcome will be determined by the censorship. Again, seems obvious.
But then again, is anything really "handled"?
Human relationships are subtle, and small things do count. A marriage failure could well have its origins in a crisis brought about from something as (seemingly) inconsequential as the matter of meals.
As in many things, timing is all important in conflict management. If allowed to fester for too long without being effectively managed, then the consequences are likely to be drastic (eg. War)
Then again there are those around who thrive on conflict, and have no desire to see it peacefully resolved.
@Rivergang:
And so the question still looms: what is the conflict? You think it is minor, just a matter of timing?
If the husband of the hypothetical divorcing couple stated, as the reason for divorce, that the wife has a spending problem, slept around a bit, and was an emotional manipulator, do you really think the divorce was about meals?
I regret to have to say the I have been through a divorce.
No single event caused that, just several decades worth of resentment which accumulated finally to explosion point.
(Back then, I had never even heard of “conflict management”)
@Rivergang:
It sucks to be in a situation of resentment. Although, usually there are reasons for resentment. No worries if you don’t want to go further. The OP wanted to talk about deeper meaning why one half of the country wants to disfellowship/divorce the other. I don’t really think it has anything to do with Trump or Biden personally. And I don’t think it’s superficial at all.
MMM,
Fair comment.
Although not resident in the USA, I ,too, am most interested in matters like the question raised by the OP. While I am unlikely to comment any further, I will be following this discussion with keen attention.
I don’t really think it has anything to do with Trump or Biden personally. And I don’t think it’s superficial at all.—MMM
I too think the problem it is very deep and pernicious.
Holy men started warning about its dangers almost as soon is showed up:” watch out for money “ they said. “loving it is the root of all kinds of evil.”
And they were right.
Money was a human creation, Like a lot of things that seem cool at first you discover that it brings unlooked for troubles with it.
What had never been there from the beginning of time soon became more important than possessing a good name. If a person didn’t have a certain amount of money then bad things were bound to happen to them.
Money made long distance influence possible. Humans soon lost their natural animal birthright to live and sustain themselves on the earth where they first found themselves. Instead of the dignity of being a respectable human you were styled a squatter. Money paid surveyors. The land was sold and money wrote laws and secured land ownership .
Money paid armies of conquest.
Banks were built.
Humans even played money games at places like Wall Street where their games made rich people suddenly very much richer or sometimes very much poorer.
Being rich made others listen because it gave power ,
Money was like magic and more important than anything else in the world. Even God wanted it. All the ways that people used to live on the earth before money came was now changing .
Elders, statesmen, councilmen, senators etc —public servants who were chosen to help fellow humans lead orderly, happy and healthy lives—these became influenced by the power of money.
Money eventually moved into the lives of humans so much that it took over everything. The rich could use money for laws that made money grow faster for thrm than for poor people.....Money has been the cause of wars too. Wars fought FOR the rich were fought BY the poor.
.So here we are., Anxious in a world turn upside down by a thing we made but don’t seem able to stop.
Money had taken over our lives. Even if you HATE moneyou can’t escape it.
People expect government to help when money systems get jammed up Legislators in our government help make laws and decide how to spend our money to make our lives better. But they are scared too, now they are ugly to one another. They don’t work together.
Human inventiveness coupled with the intoxicating greed built a vastly different world so fast and trash laden that it is weighing us down.. And yet we still have money worries.
We needed to be building compassion in ourself to combat the urge we have now to fight one another. But we didn’t
So we blame the one another for what? Being as confused as you are? Believing this solution instead of that one?
Out of control world + low compassion= Divided.
Ps. Another reason we are divided? Humans are nuts. Only a human would have written that post. —SWTTE
