There is badness in the world.
Chris N., aka the Pondering Pig, has been commenting on the depravity of the human race.
Matthew, AKA "Mr. H" over at Its Later Than You Think has shared some thoughts about mental illness.
Then, over at Apprentice Human the following questions were asked: At what point do we think of someone as "sorta quirky" and when do they cross the line into "mental illness"? To what degree should "bad behavior" or criminal acts be excused due to a diagnosed mental illness?
I remember seeing a rabid dog when I was a kid. A neighbor brought out his hunting rifle and shot it point blank. Everyone was relieved. Was it the dog's FAULT that he was behaving in such a menacing fashion? Nope. Clearly, the poor pooch was sick. But the dog was also a serious threat. It needed to be put down.
Somehow though, when dealing with human beings, the answers do not seem so clear cut. What is the appropriate response when someone is discovered to be manufacturing, selling or even owning/viewing child pornography? Worse yet, what should be done for those who act on their twisted fantasies by physically/sexually harming little kids?
Clearly, the problem is rampant, not limited to a few isolated cases. Depravity and sickness seem to be spreading exponentially throughout our society. What can we do to stop it? How can we keep the ones we love safe?
I know scriptures council us to "love the sinner but hate the sin." Perhaps some can pull that off. Not me. I say the way the rabid dog went down was a mercy for the dog as well as for those who might have been bitten.
But knowing what I know about the inequities in the implementation of capital punishment and all the many flaws of our justice system, I'm not entirely comfortable suggesting we designate child rape as a capital crime.
How one is supposed to live a sane life in this insane world is a mystery. We are each confronted with evil in some fashion or another along the path. The degree to which we are willing to stand up against it, in my mind, is a measure of our souls.
But moving away from loose philosophical concepts over into the realm of daily living life in the midst of depravity is a complicated thing.
I certainly don't have the answers.
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3 comments:
Sometimes I think the eighteenth century British had the right idea: transportation. That's what they called it. In a nutshell, if the judge decided some evildoer didn't deserve hanging but was a danger to society, they put 'em on a ship and off to Australia they went. Good night and good luck. With a little of that luck England would never see them again. It was a rough go from the prisoner's point of view - but at least they were still alive. And it's a funny thing - the Australia of today doesn't seem a bit more criminally inclined than the US or Canada.
Yeah, exile does not seem like a bad day. However, I can't think of anyplace left on the planet that seems both habitable and isolated.
Speaking of exile..I've read a couple books about the old leper colonies that used to exist...sad but facinating tales.
Maybe we could errect a big fence around Gila Bend???
Hmm. Humans are so complex. We’re the ‘higher’ being…or are we? Are we just as wild as animals dressed in nice clothing? I don’t know. I’m not big on comparing animals to people, however the point you made was pretty thought provoking. What’s the limit, when an adult rapes a child? Or just rapes a person in general? It’s murder of their spirit, in my opinion. An eye for an eye?
The obsession with many ‘crimes’ or ‘fetishes’ has leaked into a mainstream of absolute chaos. It’s scary to think what goes on when no one’s looking. It’s even scarier to know that there are well dressed people with good reputations, such as John Wayne Gacy, who walked among us deceiving many…and hurting many….killing many.
The good and the bad. The yin and yang. What would happen if the world was all good? And what would happen if the world was all bad?
Something to think about. Do we need both in order to survive? Weird, huh?
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