The fight against evil (PROFOUND & POWERFUL - MUST READ!)

RenewAmerica.us ^ | 4/2/2006 | Fred Hutchison

[Zacs Mom]

I'm hoping I'm on the mend but I won't know whats going on until sometime later this week ~ I've got a major test set for Wednesday and then a review of the results on Thursday. I'm still so darned weak it is frustrating but I can manage a bit more each day (I think) ~

I am looking forward to getting past this testing stage and moving on with treatment (whatever that maybe) ~ I'd love to be able to do at least some of the little things around here, like vacuuming. lol

I think the spring-cleaning bug is nibbling at me and making me itch to get busy!

(((((((((thanks for the continued prayers))))))))))

[onyx]

You have my continued prayers.

I'm telling you, I was thrilled to see your post!
Spring has sprung here, but I am not motivated to do ANY cleaning.

[betty boop]

Evil is essentially narcissistic. It serves no higher causes. It appropriates higher causes, like Islamic devotion to Allah, to serve its own narcissistic ends of hatred and revenge. Those energized by evil will always be able to find the grist for their conspiracy theories and propaganda mills to keep their programs of hate in operation....

It is astonishingly naive to suppose that the anti-American hate-machine will close down if we are nicer to jihadists. This would be like telling Jews in Nazi Germany that it was their own fault they were on their way to the gas chambers because they were not nice enough to the Nazis. The Nazis took the Jews who were nice to them and put them in charge of torturing the other Jews--so that pure German hands were not soiled with the filth of Jewish untouchables….

Evil exists, boys and girls, and it is not reasonable. It cannot be bargained away, placated, appeased, or persuaded. It will keep on coming until someone has the moral courage to stand against it….

The fastest way to breed a monster is to tell a child that evil does not exist, and then to tell the child that he is an angel. The self-esteem movement of the 1970's and 1980's did more to inculcate the denial of evil than any other movement of the recent past. It bred a culture of narcissism and denial that is the breeding ground of evil….

Most men of great evil have both an inflated sense of pride and an impenetrable denial of evil….

How are narcissism and denial interrelated? Well, inordinate self-love, self-absorption, and pride are delusional. One cannot sustain a delusion without denial. As the delusions of pride are inflated, higher and higher walls of defense and denial must be constructed. Of course, the more absurd one's illusions, the easier they are to puncture with reality. Vulnerable illusions must be sheltered behind thick walls.

Wonderful essay, TXnMA! I especially appreciate the discussion of C.S. Lewis’ “men with chests,” and his insistence that education above all is about training in virtue. These “ancient ideas” are little appreciated in our own culture today, seemingly for the reason that we no longer take the problem of evil seriously. Increasingly we live in a “headless world” in which reason itself has become “unreasonable.” It should little surprise us that our culture is increasingly narcissistic and given over to sensuality -- not to mention the construction of quite monstrous second realities to which society's children are actively being recruited as we speak. (e.g., the "gay lifestyle" [an oxymoron if ever I heard one], the doctrine of Jihad, etc., etc.)

Thanks so much for the ping, TXnMA. The article deserves further reflection.

[FBD]

bump and bookmark

"...It is astonishingly naive to suppose that the anti-American hate-machine will close down if we are nicer to jihadists. This would be like telling Jews in Nazi Germany that it was their own fault they were on their way to the gas chambers because they were not nice enough to the Nazis. The Nazis took the Jews who were nice to them and put them in charge of torturing the other Jews--so that pure German hands were not soiled with the filth of Jewish untouchables.

Evil exists, boys and girls, and it is not reasonable. It cannot be bargained away, placated, appeased, or persuaded. It will keep on coming until someone has the moral courage to stand against it."

[CyberAnt]

It seems very obvious - even their "culture of corruption" fits right in line with this article.

Just yesterday, Pelosi was defending McKinney's actions as "no big deal".

Thanks for posting this article Dark Skies, it's very enlightening.

[Dark Skies]

Glad you liked! I thought it was a great find.

[ChessExpert]

Excellent article.

I started copying and pasting some especially good text fragments, but there were too many.

Some of my absolute favorites are in post 5.

I checked the reference in post 36 and it's hard to put down!

Those who think religion and intellect are at odds could learn otherwise by reading this article. Unfortunately many of our better minds have been led astray. But they may yet return to a path that is straight and true.

Thanks for posting the article!

[ChessExpert]

When I read in the days after 9/11 that Reuters refused to use the word "Terrorists" in any of their writings about the attack, I knew we as a nation were in trouble.

Good point.

"Those who deny the existence of evil are often outraged when good men give evil a name and fight against it."

The reaction to speeches referring to evil come to mind:
Ronald Reagan referring to the Soviet Union under communism as the "Evil Empire"
George W. Bush's identification of the "Axis of Evil"

[attiladhun2]

In the coming war in our country you know who the DUmmycrats will side with. Many of these same posters at DU with names like "Dark this" and "Dark that" will be persuaded to put on suicide vests or join the "reconquistas". Vermin does what vermin is.

[attiladhun2]

Democracy is the road to socialism. Karl Marx
Which is why the Founders were against establishing a democracy. The word they used for "socialism" was "democracy" because they had seen in ancient Greece and Rome how factions could use the power of the people's votes to transfer wealth from one group to another. They could thereby keep themselves in power by voting more largesse to their constituents. Sounds very much like today, which is why the present system will eventually collapse because of high taxation and accumulated debt.

[hosepipe]

[ The word they used for "socialism" was "democracy" ]

There are three words found NOWHERE in the U.S. Constitution..

1) Democracy..
2) Democractic..
3) Democrat..

Its by design not an oversight.. it was done ON PURPOSE..
WHY?.. Why indeed.. The 2nd amendment was Given in case we even BECAME a democracy.. Like NOW.. So that we could make it all right again..

[EternalHope]

Good article.

Thanks for posting.

[Dark Skies]

"Dark this" and "Dark that"

Hey, I'm not vermin...but I do like cheese.

[attiladhun2]

I was speaking of posters on DU. "Dark Skies" is completely innocuous, having no moral connotations.

[the invisib1e hand]

"Democracy is the road to socialism. Karl Marx"...Which is why the Founders were against establishing a democracy

I think the founders predated Marx by a bit and outweighed him in the realm of reason. Marx also felt that Capitalism led to socialism inevitably. Which would be true enough but Moral restraints. I'll let you decide where they come from.

[MHGinTN]

It sure sounds like you don't believe there is a satan, the personification of evil. In such cases it is not surprising to try and use any term that avoids acknowledgement of what you don't believe exists.

[hosepipe]

[ It sure sounds like you don't believe there is a satan, the personification of evil. In such cases it is not surprising to try and use any term that avoids acknowledgement of what you don't believe exists. ]

Hmmm.. Satan?.. O.K. I'll do that.. God created Man to drive Satan Nutz?.. The Poor old Devil... Everything he trys to do can be come to nothing upon a quick turn to Jesus.. All the immense effort and convulated schemes of Satan can be brought to naught with a mere spiritual epiphany.. The hazards of murder, rape, drink, drugs, porn and dare I say it, adultry.. can be reversed, easily.. Even political bribary can be forgiven.. The spirit of evil is lame and don't feel good.. its gives hangovers.. You must come down when up on some evil drug, like a lying spirit.. Even lies to yourself get old, and denial too.. Satan draws you to yourself, Jesus draws you to you spirit..

You don't need to look too far for a bit of evil.. Look inward you'll find some.. Look to Jesus and you'll find the cure.. Evil does need a cure.. Until that happens a few laws in a Constitutional Republic can help.. Not the cure but they can help some..

[browardchad]

Excellent. Thank you.

[EverOnward]

a keeper - thank you!

[Victoria Delsoul]

We have all had professors who were talking heads. Their hearts were as cold as ice, while their heads ran out of control with their mouths endlessly chattered in soulless dialog. I had nightmares after a long conversation with a professorial talking head. I was terrified that I might also become a monstrous talking head. That is why I did not pursue a doctorate, but did a great deal of independent reading instead.

C. S. Lewis as a teacher was no talking head. He was careful to teach his students the Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance ideas of love, in order to educate the hearts of his students. Unfortunately, in this era of men without chests, romantic love has faded. Men without chests are incapable of falling in love. Sexual teasing has replaced courtship, and mere sex has replaced romantic love.

Great article, thanks.

I like this part a lot:

Men with chests love truth and virtue, and hate evil. They have courage, fortitude, temperance, authority, resolution, gravity, honesty, justice, self-control, and all the manly virtues (i.e., the Roman virtues). These are the natural warriors against evil.

Lord, send us more men with chests full of manly virtues so we can defeat the forces of evil in this generation.

Good point The war on terrorism is a fight against evil. President Bush has said so many times, and those who are overcome BY evil and are on their side can't see that the killing of innocent civilians at the hands of terrorists is an evil act. So let's put it into practice and take it to heart that virtues and good overcome evil.