Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The Inherent Evil of Absolute Truth



DISCLAIMER: I don't really buy into the concepts of "GOOD" or "EVIL". I think they bring supernatural beliefs into the concepts of "RIGHT" and "WRONG", which I do believe in very strongly.

Jerry Falwell was one of those self-important, self-righteous, pompous asses who decided that they needed to dictate to the rest of the world what was and was not going to be allowed and worked through lobbyists and right-wing, zealot politicians to achieve their political goals.

There is an absolute, direct, chain of responsibility starting with Jerry Falwell, running through Pat Robertson, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert, the election of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Oliver North/Iran-Contra, the election of George W. Bush and the ascendancy of people like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, the War in Iraq and the deaths of over 3,000 American soldiers.

That is why many on the right and in the Republican party are extolling his virtues while being carefull to do it from a distance.

Falwell liked to preach about Absolute, Eternal Truths.

I have a real fucking problem with that.

Once you announce that you Know THE TRUTH, that means that anyone who disagrees with you is automagically WRONG!

Let me repeat, I have a real fucking problem with that.

Nothing in this life, absolutely NOTHING, is that absolute. Only people looking for an easy life devoid of any critical analysis or thought, only people who are content to be told what is true because they are too intellectually lazy to make their own decisions are content with such a lame-ass philisophical framework.

"Good" is always you and people who think like you.

"Evil" is always "everybody else".

It doesn't work that way.

Everyone wants to think that they are the good guys. The terrorists planting IEDs and killing Americans don't think they are "evil-doers" working for Satan. They think they are good guys fighting for Allah. They think WE are the bad guys.

The radical Muslims are so sure that they are right that they will not tolerate any opposing views. Sharia Law, the most fundemental Muslim point of view, extracts harsh penalties for the slightest wavering doubt.

Fundementalist Christians are no different. Go watch Jesus Camp.

The concepts of Good and Evil are not absolute. They depend on your perspective, your education, your indoctrination, your culture, your experience and your world view.

So when anyone tells me that they have an absolute LOCK on The Truth and that anyone who disagrees with them is not only wrong, but also EVIL...the bullshit flags start waving like a motherfucker.

I got no patience with people wearing idealogical blinders, unable to accept different points of view.

Good luck, Jerry. I hope for your sake that you were right. Because if you weren't...man! Sucks to be you.

Any chance Lucifer can put a bit of cooling, soothing, medicating lube on that flaming ass-fork?

Maybe you should pray for that. Let us all know how that works out for you.

4 comments:

crse said...

The news has been cracking me up with the extolling you speak of! Anderson Cooper's picture of the day was Jerry Falwell sliding down a huge water slide in a christian based theme wearing a three piece suit. Because what is christian ministry if its not extravagant theme park building.... Anderson said nothing disparaging but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. He did note that the theme park JF had opened folded within months. Again, WWJD? Not invest in a damn theme park im guessing

Satyavati devi dasi said...

Jerry Fallwell is dead? God, I'm so oblivious to the world.

Oh, and btw, I *do* know "THE TRUTH", and do you think I'm intolerant of other beliefs?? I think the difference is that people who are actually insecure about their beliefs are the ones who go around ramming them down people's throats and refusing to even entertain varying views. There's plenty of ways to get to the goal, just that some people would rather take the stairs. You know?

Fanatics come in all colours, and the most unfortunate thing of it is that regardless of their beliefs, by becoming fundamentalists they miss out on the most central ideas of their own ideology.

Iwanski said...

This was a bad man.
May his ideas die with him.

Red Seven said...

Bravo. Well done.

(applauds loud and long)