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: : : I think that one of the good things which socialist thought has brought to the world is the legitimising of care for others without the religious baggage.
That's fine, but it also introduces the idea of man being the measure of all things, no?
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: : "...the legitimising of care for others..."; the socialists brought that into the world?
: : Oh, OK, sort of like when the Soviets had claimed that they invented baseball and such.
: : Ever hear of the story of the Good Samaritan? The Second Great Commandment?
: No, you didn't understand what I said. You have only served to reinforce my statement. I care about the welfare of other people because I feel that this is right, not because I live in fear of God's commandments and I want to go to heaven.
Fine again, but that's only your subjective feeling, at best. What prevents others from taking the position that all Jews ought to be exterminated, or that kulaks should be liquidated? I think there is a strong case for religion, especially Christianity.
: I didn't say that socialism invented the idea of caring for others, only that it gave it political legitimacy without resorting to threats and intimidation from on high.
: And just to pre-empt you, communist regimes did indeed resort to threats and intimidation, however, the idea of socialism in itself does not do this.The bible and the church do.
You did good to pre-empt me. But it sort of nullifies your own point doesn't it? How do you compare the actual murder of millions to the exhortations of preachers in pulpits appealing to man's concscience?
