710. Commemorating Not Just One But All Victims Of Cruelty
Today christians commemorate the atrocious death of one man, whom they call Jesus and who is presumed to be one of those cruelly killed by the Romans about 2000 years ago.
There is no rational reason to limit commemoration to just that one guy, the way christians do. He was not special, even if he ever existed. There is no reason to commemorate only him for any alleged qualities of his mythical person. He he was merely one of many thousand victims, who had been crucified by the Romans:
Today christians commemorate the atrocious death of one man, whom they call Jesus and who is presumed to be one of those cruelly killed by the Romans about 2000 years ago.
There is no rational reason to limit commemoration to just that one guy, the way christians do. He was not special, even if he ever existed. There is no reason to commemorate only him for any alleged qualities of his mythical person. He he was merely one of many thousand victims, who had been crucified by the Romans:
"Crassus crucified 6,000 of Spartacus' followers hunted down and captured after his defeat in battle."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion#Ancient_Rome
It is good to commemorate his sufferings but for what he really is: A proxy and a representative of all those billions of people, who over the long human history have been made suffer fatal atrocities.
A minority of them may have deserved their suffering after having first themselves caused extreme agony to others, but most of them are the innocent victims of behaviors caused and even allegedly justified by animal instincts and/or irrational and foolish beliefs. Nothing can ever justify torturing innocent people and causing them the agony of a slow death like by being crucified. Each of the unknown and long forgotten victims is as worthy of commemoration as is this christian mythical Jesus.
Today is a good occasion to commemorate all victims of atrocities, and to remind oneself and to focus the awareness upon the innate option of the members of the species homo sapiens. We can be human by behaviors clearly distinguished from those of animals.
Being endowed with the capacity for rationality, for empathy and for having a sufficient theory of mind is not only a chance for a better life for oneself, but it also bears both the appreciation for and the obligation of consideration and responsibility for others.
Today is a good occasion to commemorate all victims of atrocities, and to remind oneself and to focus the awareness upon the innate option of the members of the species homo sapiens. We can be human by behaviors clearly distinguished from those of animals.
Being endowed with the capacity for rationality, for empathy and for having a sufficient theory of mind is not only a chance for a better life for oneself, but it also bears both the appreciation for and the obligation of consideration and responsibility for others.
True and real humans have the choice to not behave like animals.
Those who do not have this choice, are animals. Being genetically a member of the species homo sapiens does not suffice to be called human. This title has to be earned by dignified behavior, which includes to refrain from causing atrocities to other human beings.
