What one quality would make the world better? - Page 2

I wouldn't say religion itself is the root of all problems in society. Anything, whether it's religion or government or what, that either tells people that they're better than other people or tells people just to do what they're told, is just setting things up for trouble. I'm not saying organized religion is a good thing, but I don't think it's the root of all 'evil'. Maybe intolerance is, or any seperating force that causes people to perceive each other as different from themselves. Which brings me back to my original argument in favour of empathy.

But I entirely disagree that making everyone athiest would solve any problems. Maybe just the concept of everyone believing in the same thing promoting tolerance, but making everyone the same religion works just as well. Both have the same problem: surety(sp?). Religious people are sure of their religion just as atheists are sure that there is no higher power. Sureness and close-mindedness are promoted by most religions /and/ apathy. (There's always the exeption of Buddhism and more philosophical religions.) Which brings me back to my original argument in favour of skepticism. =P

Maybe agnosticism or some other set of believe that embraces the idea that you don't or can't know, but I wouldn't specifically center it around religion and so I stick with general skepticism.

After reading everything everyone else has to say and considering it, I think for the moment I'm sticking with my original two.

The only quality people need is a pure heart.

The evil in our hearts is the reason this world is so messed up.

nonretardedness (not talking about retards)

... seriously

The only quality that everyone needs is wisdom. Argue about it all you want but I guarantee that if everyone had this quality we would have world peace.

One word- Tolerance. We're brought up to see things as right and wrong, religeon, government, friendships, competition, everything we currently fight over could be avoided through tolerance. Compassion also is right up there, those two things are what we need more of.

Wisdom.. In a sense. You become tolerant of the waitress' mistakes when you have worked in a restraunt. The cops mistakes when you have been one. Stuff like that. Im not sure if that's wisodom, but whatever it is, thats the root.. Understanding I guess.

If you are wise then you understand everything. If you understand everything then you know the solution to every problem. If you know the solution to every problem then there are no problems. Eh? maybe?

Wisdom may mean having a better understanding of things, but I don't think it means that you know every solution to every problem. Although, maybe if we were more wise we be better at working together to solve problems. I'll buy that.

Maybe our definitions of wisdom differ. I don't see or yet I don't know of anyone on this earth that is truly wise. If a god were to exist, the creator of all life, I would say that he is wise as he has a complete understanding of everything. In this world, I think a person can only aspire to be wise, but not actually achieve the title of wise. Call me crazy.

I do disagree with your definition of wisdom, in that I don't see it as an absolute. I think that every person is wise to some degree, in that they have a basic understanding of how things work. Some obviously just have a better understanding than others. But let's say that wisdom is absolute, and that to be wise means to have complete understanding of everything. If everyone were wise, that would mean that there was nothing left to discover about the world. There would be no mystery left to anything. We would all know exactly when and how we are going to die, and what will happen to us after we die. I can't imagine that people would want to live in a world in which there was nothing left to know or do or discover.

I was answering Decius' qeustion.

quote:

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I was answering Decius' qeustion.

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and we were talking about ChrisD's original post.

So is it right to assume that if everyone were wise, by my definition, there would in fact be world peace? Also, isn't it the life of a philosopher to discover the unknown? What if you were to succeed then? Would you kill yourself?

The bad is what makes the good so good and the good is what makes the bad so bad. Without bad things you will never appreciate the good things in life. People need to take in the good as well as the bad.

Wisdom wouldnt solve anything. Give a kid stealing nuts and bolts from a railway line wisdom, he will come back and steal the whole railway line.

Wisdom would only make us more sophisticated in perpetrating evil!!!

A pure heart is mans greatest need, and only Jesus can give that to you!