Yes, absolutely! In addition everyone, specially politicians, should watch this 10 minute video - https://youtu.be/jJEuZrvNYg0

Glad you stayed on, dino! All civil discussion should be allowed here.

"I am charitable because I want to be..." Yes and being charitable is a good thing if you can be, but it must be personally decided, not by force.

Numerous "Christian" religions that brought the inquisition or witch burning or other means to assert their power to get people to grovel and sacrifice themselves on an altar they provide is far from where Christianity began. I don't think Jesus would approve. With that said, it looks like Christianity may be slowly rediscovering its roots as you point out in your last paragraph.

I must admit I haven't read ALL of it cover to cover, but I've certainly read a good deal of it along with other related works.

That's different than sacrificing your happiness. I am charitable because I want to be, which is different - I think. I've gotten into arguments with Catholics on this - compulsory giving being how I see their prescribed altruism. But, maybe we're splitting hairs. All you need to get to heaven, according to the Bible, is to believe. "...whosoever believeth in him...". Faith. Nothing else.

Speaking of religion...I heard just recently that only one woman is mentioned in the entire Quran. Mary. I found that interesting.

Blushing, your words hit me surprised. It's really not that good but it is True and Honest,
Glad you appreciate the attempt.

So delighted to see your latest MAGAzean issue, ouc. It reads better than, makes so much more sense than, has great humor compared to those MSM turds. In fact, there is no comparison between excellence and crap. If there was a Pulitzer prize for actual news backed by common sense I would nominate you :)

Rational self interest could be construed as: Rational Celf interest: Every cell in the body is responsible for it's own survival (and happiness relating to this question); so once those conditions are satisfied, the Value is always (automatically) passed on.

Passing on Value is done unconsciously by one that has taken care of self first. But what many have done Consciously probably was at the risk of sacrifice or aggrandizement . . . sometimes both!

Can't argue with you here. I'll just add that not only have they not read Plato, but they haven't read, (or understood) Our constitution either!

Some of what you think is childish is just OLD AGE!
Take it from me!
LMAO

Me dino came in late due to having company over today.
I was a Christian before I read Atlas Shrugged, all the while I read it and remained so after I added it to my book collection. Why did I read it? Have a brother, an ex-Catholic Protestant just like me, who Christmas gifted me with all 3 Atlas Shrugged DVDs which I also added to my DVD collection. I view Ayn Rand as someone special to both study and listen to. Save for one thing.
When I landed a month over 12 years ago, Christians were spoken of like idiots here. It inspired me to select Allosaurus for a moniker which means "different lizard." Thought it best to keep my mouth shut at first. There was a lot to learn that did not pertain to religion. Then someone started a discussion entitled "What Is Easter?" or something close to that. A brand new female member mentioned going to church. She was quite harshly insulted. I lost my temper and threw a hissy fit at the insulter. Powers that be deleted everything I wrote and I expected to be tossed off this board. Just about all of 12 years ago. Oh, well . . .

Survivor: Brutality Live

No rules, last one standing gets a pardon.
Waiting for the first season's episode to start!

The Bluster is on purpose, not genetic but poking others so we see them in new light, also, part of the NYC survival behavior.
Lots of NYC kritters end up here at the CT shoreline every summer. We Know them well.

While not exactly stated, I just assumed you could do a simple pigeon holing process between:
A) Rational Self-Interest
B) Irrational Self-Interest

The latter exemplifying the destruction of others, or other peoples properties, in seeking your own "self-interest". Profiting on a VAXX that you knew would increase mortality, decrease birth rates, and lead to more cancers and Excess deaths for years to come...

While you could argue it's all in your self-interest, I believe it is irrational to do so. Because eventually, if EVERYONE acted that way, your family/friends and even yourself may end up being a victim...

And if it doesn't work globally for others because what it does to you, then I believe that is where it becomes Irrational.

It seemed obvious to me, so I never thought about. Now that I have. I had to play with it a bit... To end up where I just stated.

Interesting.

The Cardinal virtues of Catholicism are Faith, Hope, and Charity. I don't think Protestestants can deny that these are key to Christianity. Faith is belief without evidence. Hope is hope of everlasting life in Heaven, for which there is no evidence. And Charity is loving God and your fellow man above all else, which is outright altruism in the sense Ayn Rand meant.

Can you deny that this is the core of Christian teaching?

But I get it, there are many churches in America, and a beautiful thing that has happened in America is that many church leaders think that they need to emphasize living the good life now. That's very positive, although only Christian in the way my Mama wanted Christianity to be.

"It wants you to sacrifice yourself and your happiness on Earth..." I never got that from it. Appreciate your comment.

Well done, AGAIN OGC!

Haiti!f Let them fight each other and the locals to whom they have given millions of gov't money and have gotten millions of private money back.......and the remaining locals are ... "annoyed" - should make a bundle on PPV....

Did not notice that until you pointed it out - thanks!

Agree with you assessment. Basically as I see it also. To WRT's point, stating that we do not buy into the sacrificing and grovelling that the current religions "believe or practice" does put somewhat at odds with parts of the Bible. But agreeing with his Mama, do not believe in a God that would not want us happy - with the caveat of "as long as it does not infringe on someone else's happiness".

Appreciate that...

I guess as Christian you should read the Bible more.

But, hey, my Mama used to say she couldn't believe in a God who wouldn't want her to be happy. So she made that an axiom of her religious views, though she considered herself a Christian.

I always hated the fact that although we were a bazillion times more powerful than ridiculous characters like Kim Jon Whatever, we were always afraid of what they might do, because "they're crazy."

Now we have someone in charge who has spent a lifetime making people think he's crazy, so the entire world is now afraid of us for a change.

I always laugh when otherwise-intelligent Americans claim ridiculous things like "Trump is crazy!" and "He might start a nuclear war!", because that is what we want our enemies to believe, while otherwise-intelligent Americans are not supposed to be so easily fooled by the obviously-orchestrated Trump show.