Names of submitters are withheld. Latest posting appears first. Want to submit your own Public Forum question?
● Question: We are studying your definitions of religious and antireligious under "Today's Character Issue" in Public Forum. If, as you indicate, religions may be virtuous or vicious, why should we vote for religious liberty?
Human Progress Reply: Our book, The Language of Human Character, and reality itself provide ample evidence that what is truly virtuous for one is truly virtuous for all, and what is truly vicious for one is truly vicious for all. Hence, despite one’s choice of religion, we must choose to grant virtue the liberty to bless us all, and we must not choose to allow vice to be at liberty to destroy our power to choose a truly virtuous religion.
● Question: I recently attended a highly publicized seminar offered by Adam Markel called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth. The seminar is endorsed by some big names, so I went. T. Harv Eker was quoted as saying "Don't believe a thought you think!" I was then taught "Nothing has meaning except for the meaning you give it." Should I agree with them?
Human Progress Reply: NO! First of all, how can you think you believe in Mr. Eker's quote? Second, can you believe Mr. Markel's relative meaning statement is true if you believe in Mr. Eker's quote? Third, why would you want to agree with Mr. Markel if key words like "millionaire" and all other words are purely relative in their meaning? Consider the following words in "Chapter Four: Words as Representations of Reality," from one of our books:
Despite such claims, people constantly and consistently communicate a true understanding of reality with other people by continuing to express commonly used word symbols to reconvey and represent commonly defined images or descriptive representations of certain designated portions of reality. For a very simple example, use spoken words to say to a young child, "Touch your nose!" If they touch their nose in response, then there has been pure use of commonly or mutually understood language and a true match of word symbols, their definitions, and those certain designated portions of reality they represent.
For another simple example, have someone sit on a chair. Then, without gesturing use spoken words to say to them, "Please stand up then sit back down." If they stand up and then sit in response, then there has again been pure use of commonly or mutually understood language and a true match of word symbols, their definitions, and those certain designated portions of reality they represent.
For another example, say to an older child or to an adult, "Let's each hold up four fingers when I say 'go.' Ready . . . go!" A match in numbers you each hold up again equals pure use of commonly or mutually understood language and a true match of word symbols, their definitions, and those certain designated portions of reality they represent.
● Question: Would you say your work is strictly religious in nature?
Human Progress Reply: NO, the language of human character is far more encompassing than that. By coming to a clear understanding of the meaning and value of the fruits of human character (human characteristics A to Z), you can then understand the true meaning and value of any and every cultural, historical, legal, normative, political, popular, religious, scientific, secular, traditional or other form of doctrine, dogma, ideology, philosophy or theology that produces, preserves or restores any one of those human characteristics within us.
● Question: Some people are saying virtue can become vice. See, for example, Mary Loftus' article entitled "When Virtue Becomes Vice," September/October 2013 Psychology Today, 52. Is that true?
Human Progress Reply: NO! Every virtue is given a positive two (2) defined numerical value in the three dictionaries in our trilogy. Every vice is given a negative two (-2) in the dictionary in our book The Language of Human Character. The mathematical proof is easy. Take any virtue such as "kind" (2) and multiply its effect by any vice such as "excessive" (-2). In 2 x -2 = -4, the -4 is a negative or vicious outcome because of the -2 multiplier; however, the existence, identity and virtuous (2) nature of "kind" is not changed by the equation. Thus, there is NO "hidden" vice in any virtue, and there is NO "hidden" virtue in any vice. This is also evident in 2 + -2 = 0.
● Question: You say your books can help me discern virtue from vice. How do they do that?
Human Progress Reply: The true meaning and value of every message and its source is determined and revealed by the value of the fruits or characteristics it produces within us, our families and society. Once you have used our books to learn for yourself the true meaning and value of human characteristics A to Z, you will know the true meaning and value of any and every human thought, belief, value, word, image, or action that produces each of those characteristics. From this you can more clearly discern what is virtuous and what is vicious.
● Question: What do you think of this blog on language by Lou Iacobelli?
http://everydayforlifecanada.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-corruption-of-language-should.html
Human Progress reply: Quoting a New York Times article, Thomas S. Monson said young people were "groping to say anything sensible on these matters. But they just don't have the categories or vocabulary to do so" (emphasis added; Thomas S. Monson, "Dare to Stand Alone," Ensign, Nov. 2011, 60). According to a 2006 UK study, we need to "rehabilitate" a "language of cardinal virtues" for young people and many teachers. See page 121 or search page 125 of the study at:
www.citized.info/pdf/commarticles/Character_Education_Full.pdf
● Question: In your trilogy why are there so many references to God and to Satan and to their works on earth?
Human Progress Reply: Words of virtue continue to represent real human conditions in the lives of real people. That which is virtuous is good. Our language shows our ancestors for many generations have come to know for themselves that God and his followers are the source of all that is good on earth. The virtues found in the author's trilogy reveal what God has done for our ancestors and can do for us, if we seek enlightenment, virtue and integrity as they did.
Words of vice also continue to represent real human conditions in the lives of real people. That which is vicious is evil. Our language also shows our ancestors for many generations have come to know for themselves that Satan and his followers are the source of all that is evil on earth. The vices found in The Language of Human Character reveal what Satan did to our ancestors and can do to us, if we allow darkness, vice and corruption as they have.
Ultimately, you cannot prove for yourself or for anyone else that God, Satan or their works do not exist. However, with God’s help and with the help of good books such as ours you can prove for yourself that they do.
● Question: How can I find out for myself if what you have written is true?
Human Progress Reply: Read our replies to Frequently Asked Questions under Public Forum.
