Monday, December 29, 2008

Good, Bad, Other

I believe that both of the following statements are true:

-People are inherently good.
-People are rotten to the core.

Obviously, the two statements are contradictory, but then again, so are people.

I think 'good' and 'bad' are largely a matter of degree, context and perspective. Dropping atomic bombs on civilians at Hiroshima and Nagasaki might not seem like an act of "good", but those early atomic bombings are historically credited with bringing World War Two to a close and saving lives by making a ground war in Japan a moot point. Was bombing Hiroshima a 'good' act?

Ask Harry Truman and Barefoot Gen the same question and you will get two different answers.

To certain religious Fundamentalists, acts of violence can be seen as easy tickets to a rich and Divinely rewarding afterlife...they think they'll arrive at the Gates to Paradise and be greeted by a Celestial Scorekeeper who will review their record:

"Hmm, says here you killed two doctors, a nurse, three women and one fetus when you blew up that abortion clinic...nice job! Welcome aboard! Here's your harp and halo."

Or:

" Your suicide bombing killed twenty heathens on their unholy pilgrimage to a Church that doesn't follow the proper rules...mmm...excellent work! I think you will find martyrdom suits you. I have some virgins for you, right over here."

That sounds crazy to me.

Fundies make me nervous. They think they can get away with murder in this life by being rewarded for it in the next life...they believe that all you have to do is observe the proper ritual or ceremony and all will be forgiven.

Never let a Fundamentalist guard your back. They'll fuck you over and let God (who, of course, is on their side) sort it out.

Take George W. Bush for example: For years, he listened to Fundamentalists-look what that got him- a 20% approval rating, nearly all of whom are Fundies, and a staggering legacy of shame, corruption and incompetence.

Bush has undoubtably made decisions that have led to human death. Lots of deaths. He often mentioned his religious faith while announcing and defending his fatal policies. Does merely asking for forgiveness in the proper manner make it OK with God? Some faiths claim "yes", some do not.

What happens when Bush arrives at The Final Gate? Will he get punished for his bad actions or will he get rewarded for whatver good intentions he may have once had? Will he be damned by his God or will he be forgiven?

Wait and see. Or not.

8 comments:

NYD said...

It took me a while to work through the past posts, but catching up was well worth it. Yes! Catwoman was a turn on But let's not forget Bat girl. She passed away just over a year ago, didn't she?

I have often wondered if the American gov't would have dropped those bombs on Germany?
Maybe it seemed easier to imagine Asians as less like themselves and therefore more deserving of annihilation.

I don't know what President Bush will find at the end of his life, but he has a long time coming before he gets there and every night will leave him with the knowledge of what he has done. By the time the gates have opened for him he will have suffered plenty. Maybe not enough for many folks, but the horror will be great.

Enemy of the Republic said...

I believe Bush will come back as a suffering Iraqi. He has a lot of karma to deal with.

Good post. I struggle with the human dichotomy of good and evil all the time. Don't we all?

Allan said...

NYD- I was thinking about you while I was writing that. I have also wondered the US would have nuked Dresden or Frankfurt etc. if D-Day had failed. Somehow I doubt it...we had a huge Pearl Harbor mad-on for the Japanese which made killing them more palatable- plus, they weren't white. Look at who we are bombing today- they aren't white either.

I think Bush is drinking and that he is so miserable that he probably enjoys the blackouts more than the lucid moments.
It's a living hell and one that I wouldn't wish on many people.

E-I wonder who or what Bush was in a past life. Stalin? The Bubonic Plague? Torquemada? Abba? Hitler?

Great rhetorical question.Yes, most of us do. I think Bush does have a conscience, albeit a skewed one...but he's a drunk. Drunks don't care who gets hurt.

yellowdoggranny said...

I don't know about
God or Allah, but the Goddess can't wait for Bush to die..she's going to bip him into another galaxy

Citymouse said...

Humans are so stupid.
And they can justify anything in their own minds. All I can say is that God cant be a Scorpio-- because if God was, all the guilty burn. (right after we made 'em do strange sex acts on film) Happy New Year.

whimsical brainpan said...

I think bush will have some answering to do for his actions. I'd say some of it would be to himself but I don't think the man is that deep.

Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

I don't believe in an after-life judgment or, for that matter, even an aferlife. I think people who do great good or great bad take those actions with them to theor grave. Ultimately you have to choose to do good just for the sake of doing good.

Allan said...

CM- Spoken like a true Scorpio!

Whim- He's going into rehab, I betcha.Prison would be better, but never happen.

C- I agree. We die, we are gone, so make the best of today...but it's fun to think about other possibilities.