There are two things which the progressive-socialist-communist mind-set seems to confuse: Self-interest and selfishness. It almost always labors under the mistaken idea that these two things are congruent. And its greater error is to hold that capitalism is a selfish system whereas socialism and communism are immune to this.
Selfishness, greed and envy are always condemned in the Bible. Self-interest, on the other hand, is understood as a natural and good quality. Both the “Golden Rule,” and the insistence that we must “love our neighbor as we love ourselves,” imply the principle of self-interest.
If one does not love oneself, then the command to love your neighbor as yourself would be meaningless gibberish. Certainly, we are to love ourselves and to seek our own welfare and preservation. The Apostle Paul even states as an axiom: “No one ever hated his own body” (Ephesians 5:29).
This brings us back to the consideration of self-interest. I believe that self-interest is not only my desire to protect myself and to seek my own welfare, but also extends to the same interests for those near and dear to me: My family.
Selfishness, on the other hand, implies that I am greedy and envious. I want things for myself only, without any consideration of how others are affected. By the way, this is a trait common to humans, and is not limited to any political system.
Riley T. Jay
Seneca
Opinion
Voices: Mistaken idea
- Opinion
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Our View: A better way of limit terms
A Missouri House committee on Tuesday endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to serve 16 years in the state Legislature, either the House or the Senate.
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Your View: Is it our fault?
When did coveting things and money take over character? What happened?
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Your View: No way to run a school
All throughout the state of Missouri, you’ll hear much discussion about teacher tenure and the indefinite contracts that go along with that. Most — if not nearly all — jobs in the private and public sectors have no such career protection.
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Your View: Prime suspects
If it’s too cool in the house, you can turn up the heat if you think you can afford it.
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Our View: Worldwide concern
There is growing concern worldwide that Israel might launch an attack on Iranian nuclear plants.
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Other Views: FAA deal up in air five years
The Federal Aviation Administration bill was delayed 23 times, but the agency finally has a law giving it $63 billion and full operating authority for the next four years.
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Don Ray, columnist: Obama's pipeline excuse an election-year cop-out
On Jan. 18, President Barack Obama announced he was rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project — a project that had its beginnings some 40 months ago (September 2008).
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James Whitford, guest columnist: Broken people or broken system?
Are the people broken or is the system broken? If you walk into Watered Gardens, our rescue mission, it may seem the people are broken. But it’s a rescue mission. It just feels that way. And sometimes, it just looks that way.
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Our View: Meaningless in Missouri
Missourians have an opinion about who should be the Republican candidate to run against Barack Obama in November. Too bad it won’t matter.
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Carol Stark: Joplin’s future depends on today’s land ethic
Leopold’s small book of essays and philosophical writings about the ethical call to love and respect the land made a big impact on the conservation movement over 60 years ago, and it continues to do so today.
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