Letter: We must consider good and evil

The recent deaths of 20 precious children and six school staffers in Newtown, Conn., has resulted in a national outpouring of mourning and sympathy for the families as well as a major discussion about causes. It is important that we think clearly before courses of preventive action are taken. Such events have “always” happened. It is difficult to understand all the contributing factors and the weight to give to each, and placing the blame on one single issue with an exaggerated response is usually not helpful.

As an example, there may need to be a revisiting of gun ownership rules, such as denying convicted criminals the right to legally own guns. But I am reminded that Connecticut has more-stringent gun control laws than many other states.

So I suggest the national discussion include more-fundamental core issues. I offer three “beginning” points of suggestions. Each could be defined more specifically if anyone wishes to pursue such discussion.

First, the idea of the existence of “evil” is being given more credibility. I suggest we accept that evil is present within each soul at the point of birth (or conception), rather than one becoming evil because of evil actions. Such an evil propensity can be turned in a good direction with the influence of conscience, religion and proper cultural values. MorAL neutrality is a myth.

Second, let us remember the centrality of family, with a present and active father, as a major contributing factor to the health of children and the larger culture. More than one study has confirmed the strategic centrality of the traditional family for childhood development and educational achievement.

Third, columnist Cal Thomas stated, “If there is a source of evil, is there also a source of good? And if there is, has that source for good been offended by all the accumulated evil we are piling up, according to an upper hand?” Wow! I suggest this is a major point. More than one author has observed that a key to the greatness of our nation is its past steadfastness at proclaiming and defending personal freedom balanced with a core set of values that enabled us to cooperatively function as a society.

We desperately need a individual and culturewide “change of mind” about what is evil and what is good. The old fashioned biblical word “repentance” comes to mind. Surely we all can do some honest soul searching at such a time as this.

Larry E. Miller

retired pastor

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by nimby? - 24/01/2013

chem , bourbon-soda , we cool . may you walk the good road ...

2) Comment by bourbon-soda - 24/01/2013

@nimby, thanks for the explanation; sorry, I misinterpreted. My belief is that there is no imperative to respect anyone else's beliefs just because they are someone's beliefs. To the extent it is within my power, I hereby, in accordance with my belief, absolve everyone of any responsibility to respect my belief (that there is no imperative to respect others' beliefs).

3) Comment by chem - 24/01/2013

nimby, thank you for that. I should be clear the when I reference religion, I am talking of the three monotheistic religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

4) Comment by nimby? - 24/01/2013

chem , we have no church , no bible , just words passed down . we respect our elders , value their wisdom , believe man should not eat until everyone else has , care for the widows and orphans , honor those touched as gifted , value the word of women as equal . in our tongue there are no words referring to gay/lesbian . what is owned is shared by all . I don't believe any of this to be sinister, foolish, or dangerous .

5) Comment by chem - 24/01/2013

nimby?: You are asking a lot for others to respect your beliefs. I am opposed to religion, and in fact, despise religion for the grief it has imposed on billions of people. I might respect the person, depending on the circumstances, but I do not have to respect a person's belief if I find that belief sinister, foolish, or dangerous.

6) Comment by nimby? - 24/01/2013

bourbon-soda , as a Lakota I speak of the son who walked with the twelve , on this land . there was no church , no house of brick , mortar or stone . he spoke beneath the trees , under the stars as the most holy grandfather watched . I need enter no dwelling on any certain day of the week so that others may bear witness . respect my beliefs as I respect yours , understand ?

7) Comment by bourbon-soda - 24/01/2013

The parents may have violated the biblical injunction not to drive their children to anger. If you believe in the veracity of the Son who walked among the people but not in church, you may be in the cafeteria.

8) Comment by nimby? - 23/01/2013

many of the atheist I know came from religious homes where discipline and education where stressed . the parents were strict but loving . as they grew they became smarter than their parents , which was he parents wish . they were embarrassed by their parents ancient rituals and sought others of their like . they couldn't hate their parents so their resentment turned to anything/anyone who spoke of such . there is a difference between religion and the business of religion . it is a private matter and should be held as such . I'll agree I don't care for those who want to save me or help me find Jesus . I'm not a christian , don't believe in organized religion or the the church . I do believe in my higher power , in the son who walked among the people . evolution is a fact , some stories in the bible could be coincidences in history , miracles explained by a constantly changing planet . I promise to respect your beliefs , respect mine as well .

9) Comment by tradewinns - 23/01/2013

DMJ, we have free early childhood learning, headstart outside the home. and most have a loving mother inside the home. the problem with the outside programs is the kids have to return to their home after "class" and are subject to whatever is there. studies show early learning programs work remarkably well till around the third grade. then th performance drops off till the receipients are performing below the average student. my theory is the kids home is uninspiring and peer pressure begins. the parents are mostly to blame and should be held responsible for their childrens performance. our current methods are failures and incourage those in the system to continue to fail as there is little to no action to make them perform at a higher level. our wlfae system as created to erase poverty. it not only has not suceeded in that goal, it has blossomed to a budget killer and continues to grow. if any of the working taxpayers performed their jobs at the same level as our federal/state programs for the "poor",they would be in the program themselves. this has little to nothing to do with the original subject. sorry, got carried away.

10) Comment by chem - 23/01/2013

It still befuddles me that those who espouse their religion are typically the worst sort of haters and bigots. I feel sorry for my fellow primates that are so weak of mind - of will - that they must base their lives on fables made up by ancient Bronze Age mammals. And as far as this country being built on "those principals (sic), that is a lie of the religious right. This country was not built on "biblical principles." I guess it's too much to expect that those that cannot comprehend science could correctly understand the history of their own country. I guess it's true: If you are too stupid to understand science, try religion.

11) Comment by jdk944 - 23/01/2013

DMJ and Chem, your mindsets are a reason this country is heading the direction it's in - DOWN. I will continue to follow the Bible and the great men/women that founded and successfully built this country ON THOSE PRINCIPALS!! The proof of your ideas are in the tragedies of this country's downfall occurring all around us. Your positions are self centered, self gratifying and self absorbing where MAN is the answer. And thus your perspective is clouded with humanism and rationalizing. Yea, we have gotten it long before now from your posts.

12) Comment by DMJ - 23/01/2013

Billynurse, thanks. I can read. What's your point?

13) Comment by billynurse - 23/01/2013

& to Bighug - Good sarcasm pitch. It's not cool to ridicule the Rev's beliefs....and he didn't say you HAVE to go to church.

14) Comment by bourbon-soda - 23/01/2013

@tradewinns, thanks for response. I may have overinterpreted your position. Whether deliberate or not, the "blank blackboard" is similar to the old idea of the "tabula rasa" or "blank slate" theory, favoring "nurture" over "nature" in that chronic debate. I am not sure you meant to go that far with it. If people are naturally good but the bad ones are turned by some influence, a question is, what was that influence, and, if the influence was another person, how did that other person become a bad influence. I'm not intelligent enough either to answer it. I think a more sociological version is J.J. Rousseau's "noble savage," who was supposedly innocent until corrupted by civilization - but if the "noble savage" was innocent, which "noble savage" corrupted civilization? I think most utopian leftists are heavily influenced by "nurture" over "nature" - gosh, if only we could get free early childhood learning for example - but I am not an expert.

15) Comment by billynurse - 23/01/2013

DMJ, he wrote "a core set of values" , not "a core set of bannings".

16) Comment by nimby? - 23/01/2013

man is the most intelligent , highly evolved creature on this planet . he is also the most irrational . man will always be his own worst enemy ...

17) Comment by tradewinns - 23/01/2013

bourbon-soda great question. i'm not intelligent enough to know the answer to that, wish i did. just using my everyday experience, most people are good, very good in fact. however those with that bad streak make the rest of us uneasy. i try and leave religion out of my discussion because everyone has their own beliefs, see the idiot who states a baby is born with sin. the baby didn't do anything so why should they have sin, and besides god created us so he developed how we would reproduce so it shouldn't be considered sin. marrage is a societal creation it wasn't created by god. if it was a religious creation, it wouldn't be taxed.

18) Comment by DMJ - 23/01/2013

"a key to the greatness of our nation is its past steadfastness at proclaiming and defending personal freedom balanced with a core set of values that enabled us to cooperatively function as a society." I like that. I think such a statement applies to gun control as much, if not more, than any other issue.

19) Comment by [e-mail] - 23/01/2013

I disagree with #5 and agree with some of Mr. Miller's points. There is no denying that some people are evil to varying degrees by most definitions of the word, yet one constant is that they themselves do not view themselves as evil and are able to justify their actions to themselves. Meglomaniacs have and always will be a part of humanity, and they prey on the rest of us until they are stopped by us; they never stop of their own volition. As for making laws to stop them, that's a conundrum with no solution because the lawless are not the people who abide by laws.

20) Comment by bourbon-soda - 23/01/2013

How does a scale from positive to negative differ from a scale from good to evil, and how is it less arbitrary?

21) Comment by chem - 23/01/2013

"...there may need to be a revisiting of gun ownership rules, such as denying convicted criminals the right to legally own guns." Is it not currently illegal for felons to possess firearms? Is it not already illegal to murder someone? Or does the retired pastor believe that misdemeanors should also count. How about just being arrested for something where the charges are dropped or one is cleared of any wrongdoing. Good an evil are human constructs. Bigotry, hate, greed, and the lust for power are unfortunate characteristics of our primate species. Until we can get past all of those negative attributes, we will never live in peace with one another. The first thing that needs to go is religion. That is the most prominent source of negativity in the world.

22) Comment by Bighug - 23/01/2013

Every baby is born with sin, and must go to a church to be saved from eternal of torture. You know that's true, because the Bible says so. Good sales pitch, Rev. Miller.

23) Comment by bourbon-soda - 22/01/2013

Then who or what wrote good or evil on the first blackboard?

24) Comment by tradewinns - 22/01/2013

i disagree with no.1 & 3. i do agree with no. 2. i believe one is born as a blank blackboard on which everything is written and learned. if there is a physical genetic disorder (there you have the edge) lets begin checking for it and if found means to correct it. i do not believe there is a "source" of good or evil, except for the previous mentioned blackboard. if there were, evil would have already won.