straight and narrow

[pianistimo]

i've been thinking about this topic for some time.  not exactly in these words - but sort of thinking that i should start another short story (or long one) with nothing particularly exemplary.  basically, that is the boring life stories of people who do good.  i'm not saying boring in  a bad way - but they don't get any press.  i mean who gets all the attention in highschool.  the bad boy or girl.  and, the same everywhere (ie workplace, uni, whatever).

now, if you are just minding your own business and taking care of things as they should - it's sort of 'nothing to write home about.'  but, do you realize God is taking notes.  i mean, literal notes.  he's like making a 'walk of fame' with stars on it with people's names.  you could be a star and not even know it.  suddenly you're ressurrected and you've got fame, fortune, and people adulating you right and left.  i'm afraid that i wouldn't know what to do with it all - but i guess that if God says that we'll be part of a kingdom of saints - then these saints better be doing righteous things and not evil.

evil gets the press.  so, if you feel that nothing is happening in your life.  that you never get attention.    that you're not appreciated.  that you amount to nothing.  don't give up.  just focus on that 'pie in the sky.'  i'm not saying it's a pie.  i'm saying that if you are doing good - you're not going to be hearing about it even from neighbors.  they will only talk if you go and do something really bad.  have you ever heard people gossipping about you - and saying 'she's so good.  she even gives her children water at 11 pm.'  they wouldn't even know it in the first place.  and, besides, they might think that things that you think are good are really dumb.  everyone's idea or interpretation of goodness varies.  i mean you have the literal translation of the 10 commandments - but whose going to give you the minute details of how it all goes into action.  i mean - how many points are taken off for this and that - and when are points added.  this is where God comes in.  I don't think He is 'tallying' in such great detail - but he does say that His eyes are everywhere and that He watches over the righteous.  but, we can't be righteous without Him - so if we pray and ask for righteousness - He'll give it to us and also be watching over us.

so, as i see it - if nothing is happening - don't be depressed.  you're probably doing good and you don't even know it. 

[pianistimo]

ok.  here's one story i know personally.  a woman gets pregnant (this woman happens to be a friend - of whom i lost touch when we moved - but still sticks in my mind).  she thinks everything is normal until the doctor tells her that her son has hydrocephalus.  now, she could terminate the pregnancy and the doctor probably advises her to.  they pray for healing, but the baby is definately born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and needs several stints put in (procedures which are repeated several times as the brain grows).  the boy needs 24/7 care between the two parents.  often there is some help with food - but little respite from the constant care (being that many friends have their own young children to care for).  the parents are vigilant until the boy dies peacefully in his sleep at 5 or 6.  they are heartbroken - but never gave up on the boy until his dying day.

because of all this - do you think they have treasure in heaven?  i think so.  for one, they trusted God that he would work out a deliverance.  they appreciated their son and cared for him greatly.  and, they trusted that God would work everything out.  it was not always the way they wanted it to work out - but they didn't become angry and bitter.  they still trust God. 

i think this type of person is way beyond the normal Christian because they've been tested by 'fire' so to speak.  not everything went 'their way.'  people can't say 'oh, they're a Christian because everything goes right for them.'  everything seemingly went wrong. 

what do you think?

[dnephi]

Its strait, which means narrow . Do what it is right-all losses will be made up.

[pianistimo]

what a good reply!

[gorbee natcase]

Personnaly I'm steam roling over anyone who gets in my way

[BoliverAllmon]

everybody has their own fire to deal with, just some are worse than others.

boliver

[counterpoint]

Would it have made a difference, if the parents with the ill child didn't believe in God, or if there didn't exist a God at all?

I don't think so. They had to make a decision (do we want to kill a unborn child, because it will have a serious illness - yes or no?)

They decided to not kill the child, and I think that was a good decision.

I don't believe in God as a sort of supernatural humanlike being, but I do know for sure, that there is something like conscience. And we all know, what's good and what's bad.

[prometheus]

Docters generally do not advice on ethical descisions, unless the law requires them to do so.

If the doctor really adviced her to abort the pregnacy, which you claim is probable probably because you think the pregnancy should not be aborted and thus the doctor automatically advices the opposite to make your story stronger, then the only reason can be that the mother was at riks.

[rc]

A lot of doing good is in overcoming adversity, that's usually an interesting way of looking at good.  On the topic of storytelling, it's all in how you tell it.  A good author can take a regular occurance and tell it in an way that gets your mind moving or touches your emotions.

Everybody has little adventures in their daily life.  If it feels like you have nothing going on in your life, you've just got to look at things with a more exciting perspective.

Some friends will go away on a camping trip.  Afterwards I'll ask how it went...  One friend will say "It was pretty good.  It rained the second day." and that's it.  Another friend who was on the same trip will tell tales of the little adventures, climbing trees, floating down the river, seeing a cougar...  It's all in how you look at it. 

I know an old man who will tell the most entertaining stories of having coffee in the morning...  Or Dostoyevsky who can fill pages with intense thoughts, and the only action that's happening is the character is walking down the street.

Without getting into what's good and evil, I believe being a good person can be plenty interesting.  Who ever goes through life without going through some kind of turbulence or another (or constantly)?

[mike_lang]

And we all know, what's good and what's bad.

That's true, but somehow we all manage to have different opinions.  It seems to me that there must be an objective morality, which does not vary with the whims and fancies of each individual, otherwise there is no standard for order.

[aliena]

what about those who object to morality?  Do they not have rights?

[counterpoint]

whatever you do - you have to live with the consequences...

[pianistimo]

that's a good reply, too.  actually, everyone's is because everyone has their own interpretation of what is good.  somehow not having any form of morality doesn't agree with my views of God (as God is good and the only one who's really good).  but, it allows us to see the difference between not having any and having it.

it makes me think of a girl who got pregnant in high school not once - but two or three times.  each child she sent off to live with her sister or social workers.  she could not afford to take care of the children.  they didn't really know their mother as a mother.  more as a sister.  i don't know if she was able to ever mother them.  i hope so.  but, you can see the consequences shifted to the children.  they were 'responsible' for their mother's behavior because they ended up having to take care of themselves a good part of the time.

every government has had some sort of moral code - whether we like it or not.  otherwise, we'd have no justice system.  everything would be just.  the roots of this system are morality.  noone thinks of that really - but if you see huge swings in what is allowed vs. not allowed - you can thank people who do not want morality involved in law.  what was once a crime - may end up being called 'petty' theft.  now, in the middle east - you steal and your hand is chopped off.  or used to be - until 'petty' theft was allowed.  people can steal your money, your credit cards, your identity - and this is considered a crime that you have to almost go after yourself to get results, i hear. 

did you know that at atm's in the mall - you have one last screen after your transaction has expired.  it asks 'do you want to complete another transaction.'  if you leave and think the screen has gone blank and cancelled itself - you might find yourself without the remaining balance of your checking.  make sure you stay there until it closes.

ok.  enough paranoia for today.  off to another topic.

[berrt]

it makes me think of a girl who got pregnant in high school not once - but two or three times.  each child she sent off to live with her sister or social workers.  she could not afford to take care of the children.  they didn't really know their mother as a mother.  more as a sister.  i don't know if she was able to ever mother them.  i hope so.  but, you can see the consequences shifted to the children.  they were 'responsible' for their mother's behavior because they ended up having to take care of themselves a good part of the time.

Maybe that's the real art of life - do what you want and let others take the consquenses (at least the bad ones).   

every government has had some sort of moral code

Think about the nazi system. When criminals make up the goverment by themselves they can do anything.

[elspeth]

Think about the nazi system. When criminals make up the goverment by themselves they can do anything.

The unfortunate thing about parties like the Nazis and any 'evil' dictator you care to name is that they have a plan and they get on with it. That's why they tend to do well - people who aim for power and have an intention 'to do good' generally don't and end up lost in the mess we call democracy.

Good is a much more woolly concept than bad, I think. Harder to define and in national terms much harder and more expensive to acheive. On a personal level, it can be difficult to distinguish between doing positive good and merely just pottering through life not doing anything positively bad.

Also, if makes me think of a line from a Terry Pratchett novel about defining what a fairy godmother ought to do when granting wishes - 'do you give people what they really need, or what they think they ought to want?' Doing good in the world isn't always about being nice to people and everybody ending up living happily ever after.