The Dirty Word: Atheism

[JDHURF]

That makes more sense than what I thought you were implying. I thought you were saying that forcing other people to pay for those programs was altruistic. Still, it would be difficult to argue that simply endorsing social programs is itself altruistic, although I would be willing to give you that the endorsing comes from altruistic sensibilities.

[J.K. Gregg]

Predatory altruism -- the act of forcing others to act altruistically -- stems from altruism's culture, and is a logical extension of altruism. If one ought to sacrifice for others, why not force someone who doesn't? It's what they ought to do anyway.

[Dennis]

[Dennis]

[JDHURF]

[Revenant]

immolating monks were attention whores --> not altruistic

[Gnostic]

Suicide in traditional Buddhism is forbidden. It states that one who does so will go to hell.

Therefore, in the minds of those monks who self-immolate for a cause, they are making the absolute ultimate sacrifice for that cause.

[JDHURF]

"Traditional Buddhism" is a meaningless phrase. Almost as meaningless as pretending that Buddhism has anything to do with some Christian conception of hell.

Assuming that you're talking about naraka, that isn't even remotely similar to the Christian hell.

I agree with you, however, on the issue of the sacrifice of self-immolating monks.

[Gnostic]

[JDHURF]