The Beginning of the End of Mormonism?

[ajax18]

Schmo how you know something is morally right or wrong?

I know one thing you believe in having a duty to help your fellow human beings. I'm not sure to what extent you take that necessarily given that I assume you still own property and haven't given it all away to the billions of people who do not. Maybe that's a good question. How do you know how much property a human being should be allowed to have without feeling guilty for having too much? I assume you draw the line somewhere? How do you know where that is?

[Philo Sofee]

Schmo how you know something is morally right or wrong?

I know one thing you believe in having a duty to help your fellow human beings. I'm not sure to what extent you take that necessarily given that I assume you still own property and haven't given it all away to the billions of people who do not. Maybe that's a good question. How do you know how much property a human being should be allowed to have without feeling guilty for having too much? I assume you draw the line somewhere? How do you know where that is?

If it hurts others, and then intentionally done for that reason, it's morally wrong. If it helps others it could be valuable. It doesn't have to always involve giving stuff away. Sometimes it involves spending time. Or wasting it. That's what it's here for to use as we see fit.

[Some Schmo]

Schmo how you know something is morally right or wrong?

I know one thing you believe in having a duty to help your fellow human beings. I'm not sure to what extent you take that necessarily given that I assume you still own property and haven't given it all away to the billions of people who do not. Maybe that's a good question. How do you know how much property a human being should be allowed to have without feeling guilty for having too much? I assume you draw the line somewhere? How do you know where that is?

If it hurts others, and then intentionally done for that reason, it's morally wrong. If it helps others it could be valuable. It doesn't have to always involve giving stuff away. Sometimes it involves spending time. Or wasting it. That's what it's here for to use as we see fit.

That seems like a good working definition of morality, AFAIC.

I actually sold all my property. I am entirely debt free. I'm still contemplating whether I want to own again property again or not. I kind of like having a decent amount of liquid assets and not being tethered to a particular location. And at this point in my life, I can give without concern for the cost.

If I do buy property again (which I think is likely), it will be a small parcel (not enough to make me to have to finance it), just enough for my wife and I, and that's it. Getting older provides an impressive lesson on the value of having less (less really is more). Greed is for the unwise.

[Philo Sofee]

If it hurts others, and then intentionally done for that reason, it's morally wrong. If it helps others it could be valuable. It doesn't have to always involve giving stuff away. Sometimes it involves spending time. Or wasting it. That's what it's here for to use as we see fit.

That seems like a good working definition of morality, AFAIC.

I actually sold all my property. I am entirely debt free. I'm still contemplating whether I want to own again property again or not. I kind of like having a decent amount of liquid assets and not being tethered to a particular location. And at this point in my life, I can give without concern for the cost.

If I do buy property again (which I think is likely), it will be a small parcel (not enough to make me to have to finance it), just enough for my wife and I, and that's it. Getting older provides an impressive lesson on the value of having less (less really is more). Greed is for the unwise.

Wisdom. I did the same thing. No debt, small property, no toys, and my life is delightfully FREE of all the shenanigans that go on concerning debt, graft, greed, etc. Life peaceful beats life hectic absolutely every minute of the day......

[ajax18]

If it hurts others, and then intentionally done for that reason, it's morally wrong.

So if you execute a murderer with the purpose being to protect society in the future, not necessarily for the purpose of punishing the murderer, than that would be considered morally right under this definition correct?

Or perhaps destroying a private businesses is morally right if it's done with the purpose of promoting social justice even if it hurts business owners and the community as a whole.

And I guess stealing isn't wrong under this definition either because it's done with the purpose of making my own life better and easier, not for the purpose hurting anyone else even if that is an unintended consequence.

[ajax18]

I actually sold all my property. I am entirely debt free. I'm still contemplating whether I want to own again property again or not. I kind of like having a decent amount of liquid assets and not being tethered to a particular location. And at this point in my life, I can give without concern for the cost.

If I do buy property again (which I think is likely), it will be a small parcel (not enough to make me to have to finance it), just enough for my wife and I, and that's it. Getting older provides an impressive lesson on the value of having less (less really is more). Greed is for the unwise.

Given the poverty that exists throughout the world, is it selfish of you not to have donated that money to Honduran orphans and lived equal to other campesinos in Central America?

[Jersey Girl]

That seems like a good working definition of morality, AFAIC.

I actually sold all my property. I am entirely debt free. I'm still contemplating whether I want to own again property again or not. I kind of like having a decent amount of liquid assets and not being tethered to a particular location. And at this point in my life, I can give without concern for the cost.

If I do buy property again (which I think is likely), it will be a small parcel (not enough to make me to have to finance it), just enough for my wife and I, and that's it. Getting older provides an impressive lesson on the value of having less (less really is more). Greed is for the unwise.

Debt free is absolutely THE best feeling in the world. We've been in that situation for 30 years now. It is amazing to be at a place in life where giving becomes a part of your life in that you have a chance to reach out and impact someone else.

You speak of less is more. Wow, is that ever another timely message for me. I have been working to edit and reduce inventory around here that has accumulated for 30-ish years. I've pretty much done it hit and miss, but I've done it and patted myself on the back for what I have accomplished. Last night a couple of things happened that converged on me to the point where a sense of disgust washed over me and I realized that I'm not really close to done yet. So that is what I will be doing in January because less stuff = more freedom.

The final straw last night was when I watched this video maybe 1-2 minutes in length. It was from a minimalist I follow on youtube. It consisted of her showing clips from events over the past month. It toggled between her editing at her computer and her husband doing some maintenance work around the house. At one point you see him go into a hole in a closet floor with a hazmat type suit on and search under the house with a flashlight. Then he comes out of the hole with a certain expression on his face. The next thing you see is a shot of their beautiful Christmas tree when you catch sight of his reflection in one of the ball ornaments coming round the corner in his hazmat suit. Then...there is a shot of the tree outside, un-decorated and drying out dead in front of an empty house. The final scene is of her driving and pulling out of a Budget rental truck in the rain late at night.

As I watched that, I understood that something had happened about the house and that they could load up ALL their belongings for a family of four in that rental truck.

And that's when I got this wave of disgust about the ungodly amount of content that we still have here. That's when I decided to totally break free of it.

All I can say is that Thoreau had it exactly right and this has been bubbling up in me for years now. So it's time to really do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UFRAYK9Ec0

[ajax18]

Have you ever watched Hoarders Jersey Girl?

[Jersey Girl]

Have you ever watched Hoarders Jersey Girl?

Yes, I have. Why do you ask?

[ajax18]

Have you ever watched Hoarders Jersey Girl?

Yes, I have. Why do you ask?

IThat show always motivates me to start throwing things away. Hording really is a disease.