On Speaking Ill of the Dead

Livejournal.com ^ | 2009-07-08 | John C. Wright

[Sacajaweau]

You don't worship the dead either.....

Michael made all his own choices. He got messed up because of them. Just another ordinary weirdo.

[DManA]

What if the wrenched fameoid is being deified. Should we still keep silent?

[FourPeas]

Thank you.

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

Many people who believe, actually do so for want of a justification tool, and as a psychological convenience.

[humblegunner]

you spoke ill of the dead who cannot defend themselves

Yeah, about a guy who shagged little boys who could not defend themselves.

I don't pray for child molesters.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

So I shouldn’t speak ill of Hitler, Mao or Stalin?

[autumnraine]

While true that our sins are equal in God’s eyes, I don’t intend to freak out at the passing of a mentally ill man.

I will say that the picture I saw yesterday of Michael Jackson inside a Publix that closed so he could walk around and ‘put things in a shopping cart like regular people’ kind of broke my heart.

[theknuckler_33]

Nobody said to pray for him.

[theknuckler_33]

"Nobody said to pray for him."

*screeeech*... whoops. Ignore that. Proceed.

[monocle]

So are we to praise Hilter, Stalin and Mao? What about Saddam Hussein? Ted Bundy?

[ottbmare]

I don't pray for child molesters.

We're supposed to, you know. We're supposed to hate the sin and love the sinner, and pray for our enemies. We are to pray that the evil receive the grace of faith and are redeemed. The great saints prayed for those who persecuted and killed them. Christ prayed for those who were killing him, and asked that God forgive them. We are to imitate Christ.

Now this doesn't mean that I spend time on my knees praying for Michael Jackson, as I have bunches of other people to pray for. But we shouldn't rule out praying that dictators, killers, child molestors, etc. see the Light.

[Reddy]

It’s about 2 weeks too late to pray for Michael Jackson.

[MortMan]

Speaking truth, at any time, is no vice. One needn’t be vicious about it, though.

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

You mean, he's already in... ___________________________________________________________________________

Luke 6:37

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

[RU88]

I’m of the opinion that as a rule one should show consideration to the family of the deceased. However if no one ever spoke ill of the dead how could history ever be realistically taught? That devils like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were humanitarians who delivered the goods?

[ottbmare]

I don’t know, I’m not sure time operates the same way in Heaven as it does here, or even if it exists at all. Time may be something that exists only within the universe.

[ottbmare]

I was just about to post something along the same lines. I’d draw a distinction between telling the truth and engaging in pointless vitriol, however. Truth should be foremost in our minds. So we can say, “Yes, Michael Jackson was in all probability a child molester and it’s wrong to glorify and adore him,” and still pray .

[jacknhoo]

"Speaking truth, at any time, is no vice. One needn’t be vicious about it, though.

I believe that is exactly what the term ill, connotates or implies in this sense.

I know there are two forms of the passion of hatred - loathing and hostility. .

Loathing can be a virtue, when restrained to one's evil actions or some things being derived of evil. Whereas hostility is always sinful, because one takes a keen pleasure or immense satisfaction in seeing that particular someone has a difficult or or hard fate/life.

[RU88]

That is a perfect course of action.