When we are young, we are taught to believe that evil is as simple as the opposite of good. We are taught that Good is in a constant war with Evil. Superhero versus Super Villain. Christian versus Heathens. Cowboys versus Indians. The hell bound versus the Heaven sent. The sinful and the damned versus the faithful and the saved. Black versus White. We have been generationally conditioned to battle anything we have been taught to fear. Orthodox Religions and Governments have always known this and so they reinforced and conditioned our Ancestors with a pathological fear of evil. What is evil psychologically? Anything and everything that threatens the established and accepted norms of society, religion, government and class.
It's only as we get older, that we begin to understand that evil is much more complicated and abstract. Evil becomes some how more inclusive and good seems to becomes more exclusive. It becomes even further convoluted when we find that what we thought was good is infact evil for others and what we have long considered evil, is actually good from another's perspective.
Slavery was once normalized by religion and Government and considered good. The Genocide committed against Native Americans during America's colonization was considered good. It was even justified by being called "Manifest Destiny" which was endorsed by both Religion and Government. The Genocide of the Jweish people in Germany was considered good and endorsed by other countries at that time by their refusal to intervene or acknowledge it. It's only as we evolved, did we learn to see that these things were infact, evil. Sadly, a large part of the world still views these things as good.
Oppression and bigotry under the guise of patriotism and nationalism, is evil. The demonization of "the other" (Other cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations or other ideas.) to perpetuate an agenda, to subjugate, alienate, deprive and to instill fear in order to control, is evil. To perpetuate a socioeconomic divide, create a class system to separate the masses and discourage unity, reinforce racial disparity and encourage the penalization and persecution of anyone that is different while rewarding homogeneity, is evil.
The fact, that we are sending our youngest and most impressionable, our most passionately patriotic, our most idealistic and healthiest, to other countries under the lie of promoting democracy and freedom when our country has been using Religion and Government for generations, to deprive freedom, legal, civil, human and equal rights from American citizens, all the while turning their backs on all those we've sent to other nations, when they come back broken mentally, spiritually, emotionally, economically and physically, is evil.
To promote hate, racial and religious superiority by giving it another, more palatable and unifying name like, "Alt-Right", "The Conservative Party " "Religious Freedom", "Anti-liberal" and "American Nationalists" to deceive, indoctrinate and demonize people, is evil.
To ignore, tolerate, justify, participate, endorse or to take part in hate, oppression, racism, bigotry, religious subjugation, the denial of civil, human and equal rights of others, in any passive or aggressive form, is evil.
To acknowledge these truths and to take part in fighting evil either passively or aggressively, is good.
If even one soul is enslaved, we are all on chains. If one person is religiously persecuted, we are all on danger of persecution. If someone is disenfranchised, we all sooner or later, will be. If someone is demonized, crucified, subjugated, discriminated against, attacked for being different and we do nothing, say nothing, feel nothing and accept this reality as normal, we are part of the problem. Accepting evil, is tantamount to perpetuating it on yourself and others.
I think it Evil to deprive, impede or take away the rights of others to freedom, love and ascension (in whatever they aspire to ascend to that uplifts them and the world.), while having and enjoying these natural rights for oneself. I think corrupting innocence, hope and someone's future with hate, ignorance and greed, is evil. I would dare say, these examples are the very quintessence of evil in our past and present and future.
The solution to this Good versus Evil situation? Compassion and a willingness to be a part of this world by defending it and others on it. Defending it by word, thought, spirit and actions. By being fearless and committed to protecting the human, civil and equal rights of others just as vehemently as you would be for your own.
That's as good a start as any.
"Quiero murrir un esclavo de principios no de hombre." TRANSLATED: ("I want to die a slave to principles. Not to men.") - Emiliano Zapata August, 1879 - April, 1919
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