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/ Subject >
Re: Epicurus in Review / NG > alt.philosophy /
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A Very Extended Dialogue
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>> Over two millennia ago some ancient Greek
joker named
>> Epicurus didst write: 1. Death is nothing
to us. When
>> we are alive we are not dead and when we
are dead we
>> are not alive to feel it.
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On 2March03 textman replies: That's a
very positive and
healthy attitude you have there, sir. We agrees
with you!
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>> 2. Do not fear the Gods. By the very definition
of God,
>> God or the gods are too wrapped up in their
own affairs
>> to bother about the trivial affairs of humans.
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Our Heavenly Father cares enough to send
His son in order
to help us get through the pain and darkness
of life. 
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>> 3. What we suffer from is easy to endure.
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It is possible for those with inner strength
to endure,
but I wouldn't say that it is *EASY*! Far from
it ...
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>> There is no such thing as unbearable suffering
that lasts
>> for a long time. All suffering can be endured
if you put
>> your mind to it.
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> On March1 Gary Childress replies: (yeah right.)
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I think Epicurus has a point here, Gary;
but only if we limit
"all suffering" to non-physical types of suffering.
The human
body wasn't built to suffer ceaseless agony,
and death will
put an end to it one way or another (eg. either
naturally or
by suicide). But emotional and spiritual suffering
is another
matter entirely! These *CAN* be endured, IF
you are strong
enough in heart and mind; but *only* if, as
Epicurus says,
you "put your mind to it".
.
>> 4. What we truly need in life is easy to
obtain.
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The physical necessities are relatively
easy to obtain ...
for those fortunate enough to be living among
the wealthier
and more "socially-enlightened" nations.
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>> Becoming dependent on extravagant goods
makes us worry
>> about hanging on to those goods.
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Those who *have* are worried about the
"evil intentions"
of those who *have not*!
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>> This makes us unhappy.
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Being dependent on *anything* other than
the Love of God
*necessarily* makes us unhappy!
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>> But the basics we really need are sufficient
to make us
>> happy and are relatively easy to get.
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> (maybe) -- Gary
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There's no 'maybe' about it, Gary. The
things we need to
make us happy are spiritual necessities, and
*these* are most
certainly NOT "easy to get"! Just look at today's
'up and
coming' generation (ie. the under 25 crowd).
These new people
are happily expressing their "hard-won" freedom
and autonomy
by participating in a culture of casual sex
and 'anything
goes' promiscuity.
.
Thus X-tina's recent transformation from
the wholesome and
nice 'girl-next-door' to one aggressive sex-goddess
both
reflects and creates the "sexual freedom" that
the young
are now enjoying. Accordingly, even the world's
cutest-one
released a video celebrating unrestrained sexuality.
So
that's just the way it is. Get used to it.
.
The only problem with all this wonderful
and abounding "free
love" is that it is NOT so free after all.
There IS a cost to
reducing human sexuality to the level of canine-realities.
And that cost is becoming dead from the waist
up, such that
apathy, and hardness of heart, and inhumanity
to all alike,
are deemed to be *COOL*!
.
Thus are we raising up an entire generation
of people for
whom poisoned minds and twisted hearts are
the norm ... And
where freedom means the freedom to despise
love --> ie. the
one thing upon which our collective happiness
depends MOST!
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Yes, fear for the future indeed! 
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No, eye very sorry, Epicurus, but the
chaos without only
mirrors the chaos within. So I'm afraid that
it's 'back to
the drawing board' for us!
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- the almost invasive one - textman ;>
x
textman
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