Do you believe in the premise that we are our brothers' keepers or do you believ

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   Do you believe in the premise that we are our brothers' keepers or do you believe that each should
   
   do for himself/herself?  Do you contend that the concept of we are our brothers' keepers encourages laziness, dependency, & passivity in others causing them to never wanting to achieve anything because they feel that others will take care of them?  Do you believe that society will be much better off if people adopted the concept of each person for himself/herself? Why? Why not?
   
   This question is addressing healthy, intelligent, & able-bodied people who are capable of helping, looking out for, & supporting themselves.
   
   

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2. 83

   tamarawilhiteposted 9 years ago

   We are responsible for our dependent family members, and part of that obligation is training them to be independent unless severely disabled. It is impossible to run a society in which we don't raise up productive adults to continue producing and supporting others.
   
   We are not obligated to take care of those who can but will not contribute. The Bible even says multiple places, he who will not work will not eat. So refusing welfare to drug addicts, the lazy, those who steal for pleasure or abuse others is not immoral - it is Biblical.
   
   And it is moral because it gives more for the young, old and disabled who cannot support themselves as well as gives the immoral and lazy a reason to get their act together.

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   1. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Concur with you but the question addressed healthy, intelligent, & able-bodied ADULTS.Yes, we should care for the physically, mentally, & emotionally challenged among us.Children are out of the pictures because we ought to care/nurture them.

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   2. 83

      tamarawilhiteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Then the answer is no - I'm not the keeper of those who should be responsible for their own upkeep.

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   3. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly, for that encourages & enables them to be forever dependent.  I believe that each tub sits on its own bottom.

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3. 96

   peeplesposted 9 years ago

   I believe both. I believe we should all do everything we can to help ourselves.
   However I also believe that when a person falls on hard times someone should step in and help. This was the norm until probably 20-30 years ago.
   Think of all the able bodied people who go through hard times. Temporary illness, loss of job, cut back in hours at work. These are things outside of their control. So why shouldn't we be decent human beings and step into help.
   I think we have gotten to a pretty crappy time in this world for a couple reasons.
   1. Many people believe that they can depend on everyone else. That is not only an issue for everyone they depend on, but also for themselves.
   2. People think that helping able bodied people is a bad thing. The bad people have ruined it for the able bodied who just need a hand up. There is no excuse for that.
   
   I truly believe that the moment we stop helping those in real need, we are screwed as a society. At the same time we must encourage people to do as much as they can for themselves or we are screwed. A fine line!

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4. 60

   wingedcentaurposted 9 years ago

   What do you mean "do for himself/herself"? Do people really "do for themselves"? Is it possible to be successful without help, a "helping hand" from others, a reference for a resume, for example, a "good word," put in for you with someone with an "inside track" with a company you want to work for?
   
   Does "anybody whose anybody" really become successful without "connections"? Can't the maintenance of those connections be considered "brother and sister-keeping"?
   
   Did "The Donald" become a real estate tycoon by "doing for himself"? I believe he was an "apprentice" in his dad's real estate business. Is "rugged individualism" real or a myth?
   
   I'll close with this. Noam Chomsky used to always say something to this effect: If we were a "functioning democracy" in America, April 15th would be a time of yearly joy and celebration.
   
   Why?
   
   Because we would annually celebrate the fact that we were, as a society, using our resources on programs for the betterment of all; we would celebrate the fact that we were directing the most help and aid to those who need help and aid the most.
   
   Instead, April 15th is a time of dread in the United States because of the way we are encouraged, by the propaganda system, to relentlessly privatize aspirations.

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