Living a Moral Existence
Living a moral existence fulfills another desire and is what defines a good life. It involves acting with respect for others, particularly the elderly and the disabled, and showing compassion for them. Or, Lord Jesus, what do you think?
Jesus:
Amenemope, I concur that leading a selfless, dedicated life is the mark of a good existence. After all, you want people to be nice to you. Aquinas, Thomas In this case, I concur with both of you. I think that the human body, which is filled with desires for sensual pleasures, cannot contain real happiness. How can one aspire to live a good life of helping others with these desires that lead one to do all wrong things? Besides, happiness is a certain kind of good, appropriate to a man. It only through having selflessness that a man can achieve a good life.
Jesus son of Joseph:
That is very true Mr. Aquinas, only those who are humble and seek truth can achieve a good life. It is only those who are meek that will inherit the earth.
Amenemope:
I also agree with both of you, it is only through being humble that one can achieve ultimate satisfaction. A humble person will not raise their voice against those who are elderly and stand being cursed by the elderly. Even when an older person wrongs the person, the individual will not raise their hand to strike the old person. Such a person achieves a good life by attracting the blessings of the old.
Thomas Aquinas:
It is regrettable that men seek worldly pleasures and in doing so, they end up doing wrong things. Therefore, it is not the worldly powers that define man's highest good, rather, that height can deny a man a good life.
Jesus son of Joseph:
Indeed, for one to have a good life, they must hunger and thirst for righteousness. It is only when a person yearns for what is right that they can achieve a good life. Moreover, the worldly life is just the beginning of life whereas the next life will be the good life that all hope for. Besides, without the need for the next life, a person would live as they wish in this world without caring about others or doing what is right. Through accepting that there is another life, one can accept the challenges that come in this life and hope for a better life in the end.
Amenemope:
To add on that, man must guard his tongue for in it carries the power of destruction and salvation. Harmful speech destroys everything that has been created through man's relationship with others and the spirits. Love comes from the social interactions that are built among people. Through communication, others become attracted to you; hence, you attract a good life.
Jesus son of Joseph:
As Amenemope puts it, a good life is one achieved through building the right relationships with others and your creator. It is said that you should love your neighbor and your enemies as well. For God loves those who are kind and show compassion to all people. God also hates those who are unrighteous and those who are not humble and kind to others. Love cannot only be extended to those who are our families, friends, and those close to us, but we must also extend it to our enemies so that they can understand the love of God.
Thomas Aquinas:
Since people are not masters of themselves, they must consider living a good life. This happiness is achieved through understanding ourselves in relation to others, nature, and where we ultimately came from or will go once dead. Unlike other beasts, humans have a consciousness that guides them to know what is right and what is wrong. The power to choose rests in the hands of humans. Therefore, it is important to choose to do the right thing and that way one can have a better life as envisioned in the present and the afterlife.
Jesus son of Joseph:
The truth behind choosing the right thing before men and God lies in understanding that God is key to all happiness. A person should not be worried about the material things or the present life since it is God who provides for all people. Such worries only contribute to greed and unrighteousness among people. Through worries, people are forced to try to live in a way that they think is a better life, but the truth is that such life can only be achieved through God's favor.
Amenemope:
To put this matter to rest, we must set goodness before all people so that they may reciprocate it to you. It is important to be considerate of others and your creator to have a better life. Essentially, a good life stems from the life that we create for ourselves and others in this world and the relationship that we create with our creator.
