--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, ruthsimplicity <no_re...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > ><snip> > > HUMANS do stupid shit. That does not mean that > > they are incapable of doing smart shit, or even > > the occasional good shit. I'd be willing to bet > > that Adolf Hitler did one or two good things > > in his life. Can you concede that possibility, > > or was he ALL EVIL? > > I don't know Hitler but my guess is that he was all evil and the good things > he might have done were for reasons that had nothing to do with goodness. > > > > I think that using the word "evil" is an attempt > > to claim absolutes where there are none. And more > > often than not, it is also an attempt to excuse > > one of the lower emotions in the person who is > > using the term. > > > > "He is evil, so I hate him." Well, isn't hate evil? > > > > "He is evil, so I think he should be executed in > > public." Well, isn't killing evil? > > > > "He is evil, so he should be thrown in prison, > > where I hope he will be raped and tortured." See > > your own statement above. If you were to believe > > this, then wouldn't you be just as guilty of > > justifying rape and torture as the person you > > called evil above? And wouldn't you have prob- > > ably felt calculatingly rational *as* you > > justified it? > > > > I do not wish evil on anyone. I do not support the death penalty precisely > because I find it debasing. I do not want anyone to be raped or tortured > even if they raped or tortured. But I still believe that some people are > evil. You of course are free to disagree. Ever meet any murdering > psychopaths? I have. Meet any child rapists? I have. >
I commented earlier that everyone is on the road to enlightenment, but that doesn't mean that some people aren't facing the wrong way and moving quite rapidly... Lawson
