Re: No One Is Evil (Off Topic -- #2)

2009-2-25 13:32:00

In a separate message, Larry K. [LWK] wrote:

"This is your basic 'straw man' argument -- arguing as if I thought that 'bad' people were always 100% evil. I have never said that, and in fact have agreed with you on this. If you are going to argue, then at least argue with what I am saying, and not with what I am not saying."

JJ:

My straw man arguments for evil were similar to the straw men that Jesus used when using the word. They were not to define your beliefs but to clarify my own.

As far as calling people evil, consider three people who fought evil and created positive change:

George Washington: I do not believe he ever called King George evil but the British did condemn him and his band of rebels as such.
Abraham Lincoln: Many not only in the South, but the North called him evil but I do not recall him ever singling out any individual as evil. He never called Jefferson Davis evil.
Ronald Reagan: Even though Jimmy Carter screwed up the economy in many evil or mislead directions Reagan never called him evil or any negative names. He acted according to the principles I teach and explained the error and worked to rectify it.

On the other hand, many called Reagan evil in a tone something like this:

"Reagan was a cold-blooded murderer, a union busting parasite, con artist, and a good liar. I'll shed no tear for the death of a tyrant. Nor will I stand by idly while the truth is sacrificed in a frenzied worship of a demagogue. Reagan was evil personified, he can rot in hell." (http://www.spiritone.com/~gdy52150/reagan.htm)

It is interesting that those who use the strongest words of pure condemnation are in the greatest of error.

I think we both agree on the following.

We both believe in identifying evil in the world, bring it to the light of day and fighting against it in every possible effective way.

If I am correct on this then I will assume there never was anything to argue about and we can move on.