This is the first on what I hope will be a series of thoughts on the nature of good and evil, religion and its effect on politics.
My thoughts wander on the basis of good and evil. Many believe in the "scriptures" of their religion or in the speeches of their spiritual leaders. I wish to take it down to a more elemental level.
Actions can be described as neutral, good, and evil. Sleeping is an an example of a neutral act. It may benefit their person, but doesn't effect others positively or negatively. Arson is an evil act. I have yet to discover a society that doesn't think arson should be a crime.An evil act is one that negatively effects another person. A good act would be one that benefits another without any material benefit to oneself. All good acts should give at least some psychological benefit to the one performing the act. Buying something at the store is a neutral event, it benefits both the purchaser and seller.
Many of societies problems come from people believing in "scriptures" and not analyzing the good or evil of the deed.
Take the Ten Commandments, which some believe should be the foundation of our laws. It contains proscriptions that would hard to enforce in mixed societies, like keeping the Sabbath holy and "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery Do not have any other gods before me." This has always been strange to me. If there was only one god, then all god worship would by default be worshipping that god. What it is in effect saying is that all other religions are wrong. Not very good for a pluralistic society.
Many religions/societies believe that "outsiders" do not deserve the same rights as though who "belong". This allows or even requires them to do "evil" acts to others.
Friday, October 17, 2008
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In the 18th century, Immanual Kant wrote about his categorical imperative:
"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
In other words, act only in ways in which your behavior would become normal for everyone. Helping an old person by clearing limbs from their yard is a good behavior; while raping them would never be.
As a proud and positive atheist, the first five commandments don't apply. The last five are universal prescriptions, meaning, if everyone murdered, stole, lied, cheated, etc., then society would not exist, only barbarism.
When it comes to politics, I wish politicians could leave god at home. Wearing it on their sleeve is always suspicious, since these are the ones that are the first to have affairs. I even remember Wilbur Mills and Fannie Fox back in 1974. I think there's been a hundred since. Anyhoo, it seems if you're going to let one god in the door, then every other god has to be allowed.
Personally I think religions do more evil than good when abused by those who use them for political gain, however I do believe good and evil are real and spirituality is the will to do only good.
The Christians who tortured Jews at Auschwitz or the christians who tortured Muslims at Guantanamo and Abu Graib, or the Christians who burned witches at the stake in Salem, all thought they were doing good. The racists who are calling Obama a terrorist at Palin rallies think they are doing good. Why is that? The answer is education and propaganda...we learn good and evil it doesn't come naturally, we are brainwashed into doing evil by those who want power, or educated into doing good by those who want justice.
Good and Evil are relative yet we know it when we see it. We know instinctively waterboarding is wrong, evil, yet we allow it to happen because we are afraid terrorists will attack us if we don't. Evil is born from fear, Good is born from courage. Evil breeds evil like Good breeds good...God if he or she or it exists, and I believe God may exist or not exist both possibilities are equally probable...I hope if God exists it is Good, but maybe it is Neutral or Evil...who knows ? Or maybe there are many Gods not just one, some evil some good...nobody knows we have no proof of God's existence from a scientific standpoint, either you "feel" God or you don't however I'm sure if God does exist it doesn't prefer one religion over another it probably thinks all religions are stupid human creations that make God laugh or more probably cry,... Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha...never wanted to start religions they were just spreading around a little wisdom since they were more evolved spiritually than the rest of us, Jesus would never have approved of Abu Graib or the invasion of Iraq or the bombing of Lebanon or Palestinian apartheid by Israel or Christian hate towards Muslims and vice versa, neither would have Mohammed that I am sure of.
Good and Evil are relative to some extent what is good for some is evil to others, what you think could be a good act can actually turn out to do more harm than good, like Bin Laden's attack on the symbols of Capitalism or like Cheney and Bush deliberately allowing it to happen.
What it boils down to is, Wisdom and Courage produces Good and Ignorance and Fear produces Evil...this is why Education, not only academic education, but moral education, like learning not to be afraid, like taking Karate or Aikido to defend yourself against Bullies so you don't desire a police state to do the job for you or traveling to Venezuela or Iran or Cuba so you learn they are the same people as we are, wanting the same things as we want....this kind of education is key to making this a better world. As Bush made America "evil" I think Obama can make America "good" again voting can be an act of good or evil... vote with courage not with fear.
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