User:Koavf/Template:Convictions

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< User:Koavf

1 Convictions
2 Important Information and Final Thoughts

[edit] Convictions

Who I Am

This user is a Christian.

This user is a Christian Anarchist.^‡

This user advocates pacifism.

viva

This user supports the Consistent Life Ethic.

נח	This user acknowledges the Covenant of Noah.

This user supports free speech.

This user observes the dietary laws of Kashrut.

PL	This user is pro-life.

This user believes that the death penalty should never be used.

This user has arranged for organ donation; have you?

This user is in favor of gun control.

This user believes truth is adaequatio intellectus et rei, or something like that.

ind

This user is politically independent.

This user is a Citizen of the World (Terra, ⊕).

This user supports the independence of Western Sahara (SADR).

This user supports the independence of Taiwan (ROC/ROT).

This user supports the independence of West Papua (RWP).

This user supports the genuine autonomy of Tibet (CTA).

This user believes in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

This user is opposed to the House of Saud.

This user supports the peaceful reintegration of the TRNC into Cyprus.

This user supports the peaceful reunification of N. and S. Korea.

This user supports the conservation movement.

This user supports the use of green energy.

This user supports the use of wind power, solar power, and electric vehicles.

This user supports recycling.

This user supports public transit.

This user is opposed to drugs and any kind of legalization of them.

~~PETA~~

This user does not support People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

My entire world view is based on the assertion that God exists, and created humanity in His image.

Since this is the case, all persons are the things in the universe most like God, and have immeasurable dignity and worth. This dignity is expressed in rights, the primary of which is the right to life. Humans have been given a rational will to make moral decisions, and the most fulfilling way of life is one characterized by love and genuine reciprocity between persons; the greatest love being charity. Persons are the only things which can be said to truly exist, and humans are unique among animals in our capacity to reason, use language, make choices, create art, have projects, create meaningful relationships, and we have souls. Since humans do nothing to merit personhood, there is also nothing they can do to lose it; their rights are immutable, equal, and non-transferable. Even if we have disagreements with others, we must respect their moral and rational autonomy.

Some of the rights that persons have are positive and others negative, and the primary purpose of the state is to allow flourishing and excellence among its citizenry. Domestically, this is accomplished by creating genuine democracy in a stable republic. In international relations, this is best accomplished by peaceful cooperation, sometimes fostered by intergovernmental organizations. Governments must provide for the entire well-being of the citizen - including education, health care, safety, and, above all, the rule of law. The wealth and affluence of some states is only the case because of a reciprocal relationship with other states (sometimes, this relationship is explotative.) Consequently, it is imperative to give back to those other societies to help them develop themselves and to show appreciation for their worth as persons. Ideally, humans should have no coercive state structures and should accomplish all means of the state through ad hoc and spontaneously create partnerships to achieve mutually-beneficial goals.

In terms of interpersonal relations, persons should always respect the rights of other persons, never treating them as a means only, and always as an end. Manipulation is always wrong. All persons have an intuitive understanding of good and evil, a conscience. This conscience is not perfect, though, and must be transformed by habit and reason. Compassion, kindness, and mindfulness are a few of the virtues that all persons should acquire, and since they can only be acquired by habit, we must practice care for the environment and fellow animals; not because they deserve it in and of themselves, but because we can better respect other humans if we demonstrate respect to other creatures. A truly compassionate life develops reverence for all other life.

This respect is also a moral imperative, since by demonstrating love toward God's creations, we demonstrate love to God also. God has entered into history at various times to guide the course of human affairs, but is more likely to act through persons on an individual level. To all who ask for wisdom, or truth, it is given in abundance, and perseverance is given to those who need it in times of trial. The greatest guide that has been given to humanity to help them understand the universe and their place in it is the Bible, and the greatest instance of divine intervention in human affairs is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It is because of His sacrifice that we can achieve salvation and mystical union with God. This is open to all persons, including those who have never known His name. Ultimately, it is impossible for any human to know who will be saved, as it is an intensely personal matter and relies on God's unknowable economy. We can only control our words, actions, and beliefs in this life. It is imperative that persons of the faith unite under the essentials of Christianity and maintain genuine and sincere attempts at healing the world with members of other faith communities.

Ultimately, there are several philosophies that contain some truth, but not all of them share it in equal measure. A philosophy can only be ultimately useful if it is holistic, that is, it takes into account all of the kinds of experiences that persons have. Humans are made up of several overlapping dimensions, none of which is most important or real, and all of which are dependent on the others for their fullest expression: the spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and social. Our spiritual life is constituted by our relationship to God, beliefs about other persons, intentions toward others, priorities and affections, and love. The mental component of our lives includes memory, personality and temperament, imagination, logical reasoning, creativity, and volitional will. We have a wide range of emotions: happiness, anger, sadness, and more. None of them is invalid, and all of them should be exercised at some time. Our bodies are our most important possessions, and we should take care that they operate in the best condition; if our brains are lazy, so then will our minds be. We are not identical to our bodies, but are embodied creatures and there is nothing inherently wrong with this; it is a part of the created order. Lastly, humans are social creatures, and in creating relationships with others, we learn invaluable truths about ourselves and the world around us.

We are all pilgrims, though, and the search for truth is rich because of reciprocity between persons - so feel free to let me know what you think. Above all else: love all, beware false prophets, and don't panic.