-Caveat Lector-
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Tatman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> "Ric Carter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > From: gene johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> ...
> > > Little lies need smaller lies to keep distortion going.
> > > And on and on it seems to flow,
> > > Building mountains of unknowing.
> > > Oh, the wicked webs we weave,
> > > When, in spinning, we deceive.
> > > ---Sknow White and the Slam Dunking Dwarfs
> >
> > We could probably construct a theology of deceit, a moral framework
> > designating the proper, improper and questionable contexts for lies.
> > Is it wrong to lie to those who wish you no good, to those who wish
> > to control your brain & life? Is it wrong to lie to agents of The
> > Conspiracy, to pawns of the Reptilioids & Republicans, to thieves
> > of souls? Do you lie when you withhold information, in full or in
> > part? Are 'lies' vastly different in: interpersonal relationships;
> > corporate/government contexts; financial exchanges; politics; sex;
> > storytelling; scientific inquiry; journalism; online repartee? Do
> > you allow your mind & files & notes to be picked-over by whomever
> > approaches you? Are truth and lies always distinguishable? Can
> > you mislead as effectively as if you were lying, by providing an
> > overwhelming flood of information, some of which can't be confirmed?
> > Are there lies, damned lies, and statistics? Is it true that figures
> > don't lie but liars figure? Is the gun more truthful than the pen?
> >
> There already *is* a "theology of deceit," as anyone who has been taught
> by the Jesuits is well aware. Its central theorem is the Principle of
> Double Effect, which states, approximately, that a lesser evil is
> permissible to prevent or halt a greater evil. This is what led Jesuits
> to undertake secret missions to Protestant countries and assassinate
> Protestant monarchs during the Counter-Reformation; to seek to convert
> the rulers and aristocrats in Asian countries while studiously ignoring
> the poor; to begin the importation of black slaves to the Americas to
> protect the Indians they had taken under their wing... In a lot of ways,
> I admire the Jesuits; they have done a lot, particularly for education
> and for the natural sciences. But the rest of their history scares the
> living shit out of me.
This seems like an instance of the principle: If *I* do it, it's moral.
This is an extraordinarily convenient way of dealing with the world with
a clear conscience. Killing someone isn't murder, you're just reuniting
them with their Creator, sending them to their just reward. Robbing
someone isn't theft, it's a way to provide yourself with resources to
undertake your mission. Lying isn't untruthful, you're just spreading a
greater truth; or simplifying an overly-confusing account of a complex
situation; or implanting the motivation for meritorious action. You can
always come up with a justification for whatever you do, as long as you
do it for your cause, not just for your own personal gratification. And
hey, if you're gratified, then you'll be better at accomplishing your
mission, right? So EVERYTHING you do is A-OK.
Ric "gotta go burn some heathens now" Carter
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