Why do people focus on differences so much?

Question

It seems we focus so much on differences in our religions/beliefs.

I'm sure there are a lot of similar ideas we have, such as treating others as yourself, helping feed the poor, give shelter to the homeless, etc.

What does that say about people, and do we purposely seperate ourselves?

Is that the true evil in the world?

After all, it's the seperation we make that causes war, world hunger, etc. If we could all get together under a common ground like those I mentioned, we could really help people.

Is it evil to be so selfish as to have to prove we are right when we could swallow our pride for the greater good?

Answer 1

Human nature
We tend to fight things that are different from ourselves

Answer 2

I believe in neutral ground. I believe in common ground. We can still have both universality and individuality. It is finding a balance!

Look to where the argument starts and why. People find themselves defending themselves for a reason. I want a peaceful loving world where we respect one another. What stops us from achieving that?

People who are manipulative, fearful, arrogant, power hungry, mislead...all sorts of things. They will always exist and those of us that see what could be...our hearts break!

Change the self and change the world.

I learned today that the word Halocaust means burnt offering and that it is better to say the Shoah, dark time. We have had and are still having many dark times. There is something terribly wrong that we still have such horrors in the world. I feel it.

Let love flow through you, from you, all around you. Be a light in the world, I light that affects positive change and healing! It dosn't matter what your beliefs are as long as you believe this!

Love, peace, hope...

Answer 3

No we should not separate ourselves, nor should we withhold the truth in order to maintain harmony. The Bible clearly states that salvation is accompanied by good works, and that it is not our good works that earn our salvation, it fact our good works are useless without faith in Jesus Christ.

If we all lived the way God intended there would not be selfishness in this world, all would be treated as I would like to be treated, there would be no poor or hungry or homeless people, because we would love them as God loves them. But we have fallen from eden, through original sin. That sin has led to sin birthing sin till we have before us the world as it is now. Not that we should not try, we should. But not at the cost of compromising the truth.

Answer 4

I feel like I should be around a campfire singing after your speech!

On the contrary, we are called as Christians to be separate and NOT part of the world because the world is going to get what it deserves for being what it is, EVIL. True evil is that which God has told us is evil. You further make the philosophical blunder that this world is supposed to be Heaven on earth and that is our mission as believers. Our mission as believers is to spread the Gospel, not be social activists. Have you not read the new testament?

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. -Romans 12:9

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. -2 Corinthians 10:5

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. -James 4:4

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. -1 Corinthians 10:21

Really God causes wars eh? Which of the major wars in the 20th century were about religion??????

Answer 5

You are very wise. Love starts with celebrating our human kinship and enjoying our differences. That's what makes people happy.
What seperates and alienates us is the work of evil, and to overcome it we need to smile, to share, to be willing to listen and to care. And so often you find someone who will smile back.
People who think their diversity is a challenge to others, might be emphasizing the wrong things all together. We're more alike and more like brothers and sisters when we just let God be God, and be ourselves. We weren't put here as people critics, we aren't here to write off anyone. We're here to encourage even the people we don't like to just be themselves and live in peace. We all have the same Father God.

Answer 6

Allow me a smile for your marvellous intuitive insight. You've seen the problems which arise when the "Me" and "I" arise in people's consciousness and you can see how this even extends to ideas of belief and how it can narrow a person's awareness and wisdom, wonderful insight.

There are many similarities between the different Faiths and Non-Deist systems yet many refuse to see them or ignore them, often preferring this ignorance due to simple selfishness "My Faith is right and your's is wrong" rather than making the simple choice of acceptance allowing others to be equal in validity.

It says a great deal in regards to how people think and it becomes obvious as to the reasons for it, the clinging desire to "self" and the "good" feeling it give folks to tell others how "good" they feel, it becomes a chase to get the "good" feeling over and over, hurting others in the continuing quest to feel "good" about them"selves" and their Faith while plainly hurting other's feelings with no second thought.

There is no wisdom in harming others...none.....let alone for selfishness....even allowing others to hurt us is preferable to initiating suffering upon another....if I have no ego then there is nothing to hurt...do you follow me...?

Hurting others with such dispassion should be considered a wrong view, yet it continues with complete abandon and often encouraged by those who consider Love a virtue, surely wisdom would make it obvious to see the action of seperation as opposed to inclusion as the opposite to Love and Compassion...for how can Compassion be ascociated with exclusion...?

Peace from a Buddhist....

Answer 7

Maybe because every single person who has ever lived, lived a unique life and therefore is unique in all of history. It's pretty difficult to find a compatible companion when everyone's unique, huh?

Until people realize that there's no 'devil' causing all of the world's atrocities we'll never focus our efforts on the true causes.

Answer 8

I honestly don't know why we focus on the differences.

I enjoy contrast and respect individuality. I would like to be given the same freedom by other people.

I also admit that some differences are not in alignment with my belief. (murder and child molestation as an example).

I don't agree with everything that everyone does.....but I accept the actions and beliefs of others, when they are not in conflict with the freedom or safety of another person's ability to live freely.

Answer 9

Because some people have a martyr complex, if they don't have the "Us" versus "them" thing going on, they couldn't claim to be persecuted.

I agree with you Happykid. There's too much hate in the world. It's time people learned to take it easy and just have fun in life. Not focus on all the small stuff that makes people different.

Answer 10

I agree with you totally. I've been rejected in personal relationships because of my beliefs so many times, and I just don't understand it. You could be the most altruistic, self-actualized person on earth but you still won't be acceptable to so many religions. It hurts a lot when I believe that we are all equal.

Answer 11

just the nature of ego.

to be a ego, you neen to be different than any one else,general mind naturally is intrested in difference. baby animals have to know the sent of there mother or they will not get her milk.

general minded people, notice ,external tr ates, and people that step on the path, --start to notice[ same-ness]
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the point of a religion,is difference. why Lutherans ,dislike Catholics..when the difference is only a few words.in the Nicene creed, and the lords prayer.

also the additude [im better than you are]