Did humans not have empathy at a certain time period?
The word empathy wasn’t even in used prior to 1909, and the modern greek translation of it is hatred. Humans may have felt something akin to what we mean by the word, but clearly, there is a need to align one’s understanding to what a feeling is,inborder to understand it.
If I feel fear, but do not have a corresponding defined idea of what is I am experiencing, I really do not know what is happening, what the feelings are which are causing a reaction.
An empathy may very well have been mistaken for love, or a sexual attraction, or a wanting to help attitude, but empathy means different feelings.
The above is arguable, but even if emphatic feelings existed prior to that word’s introduction into the vocabulary, we have no way of testing whether the feelings experienced corresponded to what we are experiencing under the meaning of that experience, as designated by the word.
Bill I think your whole concept of what a foot wash is about is being skewed by all this religious stuff. A foot wash is a place to get crunk and mack on hos. Nothing more. There’s nothing philosophical about it. Just a big party someplace where there aren’t a lot of cops.
Yah, not as scientific empiricists we don’t. But a Catholic would have a hard time requiring this. Raising issues around what amounts to the problem of other minds gets really sticky for theists with detailed scriptures. But from the scientific side it is generally now accepted to occur in animals. And this fits my experience. Animals can feel empathy and act from it. Just as they can get pissed off and sad, etc.
.
[size=124]
So, I guess, no one wanted to actually address the focus of this thread, which is:
My thesis for this thread: How strong is your faith? Would you be willing to wash my feet in this way? Could we videotape this sacred experience to show the world how strong a faith you have?
That’s alright. You can’t give something you don’t have.[/size]
.
If you show me a video of someone slapping a Child and say, would you be willing to love a Child like this, I have to focus on the way you are using Words. Likely you Think my example and yours are different, but it was not a resistance to talking about either faith or being kind in the extreme to someone on my part.
Who assumed that steve-o from jackass was showing faith?
Steve-o is a nut. I bet he’s also an atheist. Even atheists can be dumb turds.
.
[size=130]
Oh. Okay. I’m sorry. What I meant to say was:[/size]
…
[size=124]
The GIF I used was used just to express the actual concept of the washing of the feet.
The GIF in itself is unimportant as to where or why it was originally made.
I used the GIF here to help convey what I believe the Bible is attempting to convey.
Philosophically, if we reflect, we can compare our empathy, or lack of it, to our fellow human beings through the concept the Bible portrays.[/size]
…
Oh, shit. Wait a minute…
.
I responded to a post very much if not exactly like this…here…
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=182649#p2420343
The image with the licking goes beyond biblical washing of feet - And note: I see someone being self-abusive in the first image - in a direction I dislike, but there are seeds of the problems in the Christian version.
See my Exchange with Obe, in this thread, here…
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=182649#p2420369
I question the idea that Christian ritual is really about empathy. So to me it is like comparing apples and bicycles. As far as I can tell it was not the focus of jesus’ action nor have the various churches interpreted it this way.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_washing
I Think issues of faith and empathy are important ones. I am not trying to undermine the thread. I am Reading what you write carefully. However I Think there are some assumptions in the OP and thread that are problematic
and important.
I don’t Think footwashing is important, nor do I Think it has much to do with empathy. It is all about Power relations, humility as spiritual practice, and getting right with God, as far as I can tell.
I am trying to Think of portions of the NT that really deal with empathy, hmmm.
Perhaps you could answer you own questions:
how does your own empathy compare to the ideal presented in the Bible and how did you decide how they compare? Did specific instances of your being empathetic or not, or thoughts or feelings you had that seemed to live up to or not live up to the ideal?
What have you done that parallels footwashing and was an instance of empathy? Is this the form of most empathy -somethng parallel to foot washing?
.
[size=124]I appreciate your responses and everyone else who has contributed to this thread.
I Think foot-washing is important, I Think it has much to do with empathy. It is all about Power relations, humility as spiritual practice, and getting right with God, as far as I can tell.
Yes I have washed and rubbed someone’s feet as a sign of empathy and as a symbolic function of humility.
I am a little fluffed that no one here accepted the thread as it was meant to be.
In addition, I was requested to answer the thrust of the question that I was actually asking of viewers of this thread.
The fear here is gripping.
It’s hilarious. Everyone here is hiding behind a false moniker and yet you still are protecting that fragile false ego who, I guess, you are projecting yourself to be.
Not really interesting…[/size]
…
.
.
[size=124]
I appreciate your response and your attempt to understand a topic that may not be that easy to comprehend for some individuals.[/size]
.
I don’t think that that’s the issue here Bill…
I think some see your postings as trite.
But at the same time, it would be intriguing to find out what the real issue is? Just guessing: the washing of the feet has different meanings for different people, depending on what side of the fence you are sitting. It’s perfectly ok to read into this some kind of affectation, or religious symbolism, or meaning. Maybe the issue is just that: to show the ambiguity created by all the interpretations out there, with various shades of implied or intended irony.
.
[size=124]
[i]I don’t think that that’s the issue here Bill…
I think some see your postings as trite.[/i]
If some members here view my threads as trite, that’s fine.
Why would you focus upon those particular members as the issue? As something I should be concerned with?
I can’t direct anyone as to how they should react to anything. That includes my posts…
[b]
I appreciate your response and your attempt to understand a philosophical concept that is not initially easy to understand.[/b]
I thank everyone who has participated here.[/size]
…
.
OK, I’ll bite (it’s hard to take you seriously, though)
Forget about the act of foot washing/licking. It is not about foot washing. It’s about humility.
One can be genuinely humble yet never wash the feet of another and, of course, one can wash another’s feet and yet feel totally self-important and proud of their act.
Look at the Pope. He lives in the lap of luxury yet his annual washing the clean, powdered feet of the elite is supposed to show humility? 
Once the Pope dries their manicured feet with embossed, Egyptian-cotton towels, they slip on their scented silk socks and hand-stitched, kid-leather footwear and the humility ritual is done for another year.
On the other hand, look at those “Fear Factor” type TV programs where people do the most discussing things for fame and money. The contestants on shows like this would lick this old man’s feet without much hesitation and be damn proud of what they were willing to do to get what they want. (that’s part of our capitalist programming but that’s another story)
It makes no difference if you do acts like this to get a seat in heaven or win Fear Factor; both are about what YOU gain from doing the act rather than the other person. If an act like this is done out of genuine love then it’s the giver who receives. The real purpose of acts like this is to wash the heart of the one doing the washing.
I think you already know this, Bill and I think you want to focus on foot-licking because you’re the new forum clown – and it’s a good gif. Nothing wrong with that, just don’t expect too many genuine replies.
.
.
…
…
[size=124]
I don’t need any other members to reply.
Your reply was awesome and complete.
I really do appreciate your articulation.[/size]
[size=200]Pope Francis washes youths’ feet at detention center[/size]
…
.
Wow. I carefully and respectfully raised issues around what you wrote and you decide that I am afraid.
It seems like if someone has a different take on something, you assume they are afraid and you are superior. It couldn’t even be a language issue, which could be worked out between fellow humans. And there is no possibility that I might have some insight into empathy, footwashing and faith that you do not.
How empathetic was your response here?
Amazing take. I asked because if we are interpreting Words differently, asking the other person to get into specifics,from their own lives, can help Communication be clearer. I do that around all sorts of issues here, in situations where I want to understand the other person. I may be pretty sure I understand, but it is a back request.
This was seen as being afraid.
How…judgmental. How lacking in empathy, in this case, since you had no idea what I was feeling, but Went ahead and decided you could be sure.
Actually no, Bill. You are incorrect about what is going on with me in response to this thread.
It is unpleasant dealing with this kind of smug ‘mind Reading.’ And it has Little to do with my ideas of empathy or Christianity’s.
And that really is a shame.
For other members notice that chakra’s description was about humility, not empathy.
Now of course one could feel empathy in this situation, but it actually isn’t really the meaning of the ritual. It is not what the spiritual person is enacting or Learning.
Which is fine.
But it was in that area I was questioning
and for that I got a negative psychoanalysis. The irony that Bill could not apply humility or empathy
in a thread on at least one of the topics
is rather sad.
I’ll put him on ignore again.