I believe that people are born essentially good. I believe however, that a corrosive environment during a child’s formative years can cause a person to become bad to the point of being evil. I believe that every society has its own “norms” and what may be considered “bad and evil” in one society, may be considered “good” or “normal” in another. When a person goes between societies, it can be difficult for them to “adjust” because of their upbringing and expectations of what results their actions will cause.
As people migrated into areas that were inhabited by other societies, the more powerful society would often inflict their rules and laws and understanding of what was “good” on the less powerful society and would “look down” on them as being inferior.
Over the years, mankind has used many things to differentiate themselves as they determined “inferiority”. Where someone came from, their sex, race, ethnicity, occupation, wealth, politics, religion and more were used to determine inferiority. Education systems often taught what the powerful wanted taught and ignored presenting the “other society’s side”, thus teaching the children social and cultural norms that strengthened one side being seen as powerful and the other as inferior. Children were taught to see others as inferior, perpetuating the problems between the different groups. To use taunts, insults, and belittling names and other bullying tactics to keep themselves “on top” and remind others that they were inferior.
Through the years, I have known people who thought of themselves as “good Christians”, yet their behavior said otherwise. I have also known people of other religions and faiths, who exhibited a more Christian behavior and sense of ethics and morality. People whose caring compassionate actions spoke loudly. People who were often seen as “Angels Among Us”.
While I understand that the Christian Bible says Jesus said that those who believed in him would go to Heaven, I believe that all of the “Angels Among Us” will be there also, regardless of their religion or faith.
I believe that people need to share and work together to combat the sense of inferiority vs power, and that together we can make a difference.
Dale Weir
Sept. 17, 2019
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ReplyDeleteHI-- My previous comment was intended for Jackie. I am not sure how it lodged itself under your entry.
ReplyDeleteYour credo is so coherent and inclusive, I felt a strong sense of justice and welcome in your statement. I can't help but agree that God shows less discrimination about our categories than we do. God is not impressed by our power, but by our mercy and kindness toward others.