I'm leaning towards yes.
Posted on 02/07/2007 6:36:07 AM PST by gobucks
While I don't care much for Mailer it should be pointed out that the USA was founded by a people who were generally Calvinists. Calvinists believe that people are NOT fundamentally good at heart but rather fundamentally bad. That's why the US government was created with has all kinds of checks and balances built into it.
As pointed out in the article its the french revolution (rousseau) that came up with the idea that the men are basically good and that its society that's bad -- and society that makes men bad.
The calvinists believe that men have no righteousness of their own. (all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God)Rather Jesus imputes his righteousness before God to those who believe in him.
The French have come up with the opposite formula. What they do-- and what the communists & democrats have learned to do-- is figure out their own worst evil and impute that evil to the opposition.
In Sum: Jesus imputes his Righteousness to those who believe in him.
French Dems, commies impute their evil to their opposition.
All people are born evil, or at least sinful.
Consider that I have dark hair and blue eyes, my sister has blond hair and blue eyes, my brother has brown hair and brown eyes.
That argument holds no water. Just because one child in a family has a certain genetic trait, the fact that a sibling doesn't have the same trait does not prove that genetics is not real.
If we have no problem with believing our genetic makeup determines our height, our hair and eye color, our hand usage, our foot size, our intelligence (or lack of),our sense of humor, etc. - why is it such a stretch to think it might not also determine our sense of right or wrong?
I firmly believe that nature trumps nurture most of the time. Of course there are always exceptions but you very often hear about cases where identical twins are adopted into two totally different environments yet end up with striking similarities in their behavior.
Most old sayings have a kernel of truth in them. One of these is "Blood will tell".
Hitler failed the entrance exam to Art School. Problems with figure studies. the Art School suggested he seek admission to a school for architecture [his buildings were quite good. Since Hitler dropped out of school, and had no diploma, he could not apply to architecture school.
I don't think we are inherently evil per se, just easy to tip one way or the other (precariously balanced?). As we grow, we develop more conviction, furthering us away from that edge, in one direction or the other. The truly evil probably develop in that direction. The sheep that follow remain near the edge, forever easy to manipulate.
You know, I have read that but the way you put it so bluntly, for some reason, caused me to snicker.
Satan laughs at us, when we ignore his power. He reigns over the earth, after all. When we draw characatures of the devil painted in red, with horns, pitchfork, and a menacing grin, Satan is entralled in rapture. For the devil wants us to discount him, to pretend he isn't as dangerous as he is. He is EVERYWHERE. And to mock his existance puts us in peril.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
No. ALL people are born evil (Romans 5:12-21).
I tend to believe that, if there is a God, I could see circumstances in which some evil people - like Hitler - are chosen to do a needed bidding.
It sounds horrible but, in a grand sense, it's logical.
Hitler had a 'gift' for finding the right people for the job he wanted done. And most were not from the slums.
Himmler was the godson of one of the Bavarian princes, and his father was a school administrator. Himmler attended college and technical school.
Heydrich spoke seven languages, was an Olympic class fencer, flew combat missions with the Luftwaffe, and was a very good violinist [his father was a professor of music, with his own conservatory]. Both Himmler and Heydrich had siblings, none of whom were criminals.
Speer, who ramped up German war production as Minister of Armaments was a trained architect [and gave Fritz Saukel to slave labor quotas Saukel was tried at Nurenburg for filling]. Kammler, the SS general who was resonsible for building projects, including the camps was an architect. So, I believe, was Col. Blobel, the CO of unit 1005, and the officer responsible for the Babi Yar massacre.
SS officers involved with the Einsatzgruppen included a plethora of lawyers, a former Opera singer and an ex- minister. Heydrich's staff was loaded with lawyers.
The sad thing is that today no one has read "Human nature in its fourfold state" (Boston) or Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion" or Jonathan Edwards, or Luther's "Bondage of the Will" or ANY of the classical works that deal with the effects of fallenness and sin on the human soul. As a result, we have a secular society which is genuinely perplexed over what is clearly evil, yet it has no grounds for classifying it as such. Moreover, we have a liberal, humanistic church which echoes the man-centered voices of our age in affirming that people are "basically good" and that all we need is a bit of a nudge to sanctify ourselves. Therefore, we don't need grace. Therefore, we don't teach it, but focus on silly silly exhortations to be "better" Christians (more bible reading, more prayer, give more, more evangelical duties).
As a result, we are just as aghast as the pagans when true evil shows its face...., and no wonder, for we are pagan in our theology of the human condition
"For lack of knowledge My people are destroyed" says the old book. Too true.
Once somebody can give me a definition of the (thoroughly unbiblical) concept of "free will," then I will be happy to engage in how the bible teaches there is no such thing. Rather, the bible teaches that we are genuinely responsible for our actions, yet our will is completely enslaved to an evil nature. It does not attempt to reconcile these two ends of a paradox. Unfortunately, our biblically illiterate church of today has shown God exactly how to resolve the dilemma by throwing out the biblical teaching of the depravity and enslavement of the human will...... Nice work if you can get it.
Nope. Brothers don't have the "same cartload of genes." On average, siblings share half their genes. But it can be less than that, or more. Children of the same mother also don't develop in the identical prenatal environment.
My opinion: this guy doesn't know what he is talking about. Yes, there are some people who are, as the saying goes, "born to hang."
On the day I was born, the nurses all gathered 'round And they gazed in wide wonder, at the joy they had found The head nurse spoke up, and she said leave this one alone She could tell right away, that I was bad to the bone!
This is a serious subject. And I think it is entirely open to question. The one thing I am reasonably certain of is that if a person has no conscience, which such people as serial murderers don't have, they can murder without feelings of guilt. I would posit the view tha why some people don't have consciences ought to be the study of inquiry.
I challenge you to produce a true sociopathic adult who hasn't committed one or more serious crimes.Yes,it may well be true that not all of them are killing,raping,kidnapping,molesting,etc....but those who aren't are defrauding,selling drugs,stealing the life savings of little old widows,etc.
When he was rejected at the art academy.
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