May 21st, 2023: Compassion and Morality

Can compassion exist independently from morality?

I have been thinking about this since Mr. Hinton (The father of AI) expressed his concerns about the future and AI development. Why? We might ask. Our ability to advance in AI and our inability to have some consensus about morality have been the challenge. Great minds don't necessarily know the difference between right and wrong.

So what is compassion? It means having sympathy and concern for the sufferings of others. Let us look at Micah 7: 18-19.

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us and will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."

God is forgiving when it comes to our transgression. He overcomes His anger with love. He will cast away our sins. When we consider morality, it is not about judgment. It is seeking and receiving God's grace when we fail. Without moral understanding, there will be no need for grace. When grace is absent, compassion will be the next casualty.