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From: liz@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: why demand axiomatic moral standards?
Message-ID: <2087@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Aug-83 00:33:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.2087
Posted: Tue Aug 23 00:33:46 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Aug-83 02:34:08 EDT
References: <1265@tekgds.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 28

I'd just like to comment on something Charles Perkins said about
Christianity -- that Christians are not altruists since their goal
is salvation.  This isn't true.  Salvation is a free gift which is
obtained when a person becomes a Christian.  There is no need to
work for it.  (This doesn't mean that we don't try to do what's
right -- on the contrary, our response of obedience to God is out
of love for Him which comes from knowing His love for us and what
He's done for us.  It's really all Him saving us.  Good works are
not required for salvation but are a natural by-product (if you
will) of faith in God.)

Actually, Christians should be altruists (at least) in the sense
that Paul Torek has been using the word.  The command "Love your
neighbor as yourself" implies considering other people's needs as
important as your own.  Also, "Each of you should look not only to
your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Eph 2:4)
shows that we should be considerate of others while at the same
time not totally neglecting of our own needs.

Why, philosophically, should Christians love?  Simply because God
has loved us in spite of ourselves.  Saying that someone is not
worthy of love is saying somehow that they are not as good as you
are.  But that is a judgement that you cannot make knowing that
you're really no different from them...
-- 
				-Liz Allen, U of Maryland, College Park MD
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