[davidsun]

Originally Posted by lemex

I guess I've been silent too long. I am really enjoying the conversation. I realized when you said just as you are, I wondered do not people know this already. The idea of easy (soft) love certainly has merit and truth imo, if you notice Jesus and all great teachers i trust don't pick soft love. Jesus for instance said love ones enemies. It is also said Jesus said (meant) love yourself. The great do not pick the easy and this seems to be the hardest of love. It is possible we think Jesus meant literally, not conceptually oneself. We do not believe we can be our enemy. That the enemy is not only outside as in the person next to you. The soft love for me is loving one friends or family for instance but Jesus mentioned hard love, love your enemies, love yourself. All teachers point out hard love. Sorry to interrupt.

People (in general) have gone from believing in a 'Supreme' All-powerful, demanding, judgmental, please-me-or-I'll-kick-your-butt to an I-Am-my-own-power-judge-and-jury-so-I-can-do-whatever-I-want-and-love-myself-no-matter-what, all-permissive 'God', and from being the 'subjects' of ruling Kings, Queens, Autocrats, etc.) to being no-one-has-the-right-to-tell-me-what-I-can-or-can't do (small d) democrats.

The real problem is that whichever way the pendulum has historically swung, for the most part the wielders of power, i.e. people themselves, have generally been 'selfish' (either incapable of or unwilling to subordinate their desires-n-emotions for the sake of conjoint-Life's long-term 'good') as they ever were! Hence, my wisdom 'seeding' quest.

With regard to people who neglected the best interests of and/or unconscionably abused 'children' and those who were 'weaker' in his time, Jesus said "Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."

I say the same to people who now 'narcistically' neglect even if they don't overtly abuse what is necessary and desirable for the planet and others on it (including plants, animals and butterfly- and bee-including ecosystems) to healthily flourish.

And I include the same warning and (because people in general are still not listening) the prophecy that Jesus made to those in his 'time':

"Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"

"Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ[ed]; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences [hello coronavirus!], and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false[!] prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end [by 'sacrificially' not just self-indulgently loving themselves as they are, but tough-loving what is really good!], the same shall be saved."

In my treatise, I discuss what I think 'saved' actually means. Too much to go into here.