Where did evil come from? What is evil? Is evil the same for everyone? Then, what is good? These are not easy questions but are at the root of who we are and what we are about. Finally, what causes evil? What causes a person or persons to become capable of violence, destruction, stealing, lying? On the other hand, what causes a wild animal to be unpredictable as in trustworthy or not? Is a wild animal that attacks, mauls, and finally, even kills, evil? Is the animal evil or is the animal doing what wild animals do? Then, how do we avoid being attacked, mauled, or killed? We try to avoid contact with the animal. We divide...either isolate the animal or remove ourselves from its proximity as best we can. Are we, like wild animals, also just doing what we do and being what we are? So what of a so-called evil person? Is the person evil or is the person just being who he or she is? Are we all capable of being evil? Are we basically evil? Are we capable of good? Are we basically good? What is the difference between good and evil? Who is capable of making a distinction?
If a person belongs to a community or a cult that runs itself on its own determined principals as to obedience of an ordained leader and that leader instructs its members in criminal ways, what determines good from evil? Would it not be obedience to that leader to be good and do as told, no matter how violent we may determine the action to be, or would disobedience to the leader not be seen as evil? If one is from a foreign culture and do not obey the laws of that culture, as in stopping for a red light, is this evil? Is this person evil for breaking a law or is the action itself what is evil? And how many times do repeated offenses make the person evil? How many lies make a liar? How many thefts make a thief?
On a very basic level, how does evil begin to function and take over a life? It would seem to have to begin with some kind of separation. Separation or division seems to be a root of evil following fear. Separation begins with division. "You are not like me and I am not like you". Separation begins with loss of identity through division. The main step on the way to becoming a criminal is loss if identity. It would be hard to be destructive or violent to what seems to be 'just like me'. When a person feels that they are not welcome, to not being included, to actual shunning, they feel they are thought to be inferior and consequently have lost a part of themselves. They have lost face. They have lost identity. They fear further loss of themselves up to and including total loss. They fear. They just fear. They do not know who they are or where they fit in. They are not accepted or even feel they are acceptable. They are angry. They have lost personal power. They are losing and have lost their power of survival. They are desperate. They will seek to somehow regain their lost pieces, their lost identity, their lost power of survival. They look for restitution. They look for their lost pieces. They must reclaim themselves. Someone has to pay. They will seek revenge, because in their eyes their offense is not as great as the offense committed against them, going all the way back to their root. The score must be evened. Because they feel broken off from some aspect or all of society, they feel the need to regroup and on their own terms. In this turmoil, it is evident that destruction, violence, and heinous crime will result.
We are touchy about separation. Separation is at our root going back to the precreation choice of Intelligence to separate or divide itself away from The Reality. That choice was never the choice or the action of Reality. Whatever or whoever made that 'other', that lost side, that Intelligence of which we are all included, chose to divide from Reality. Why? We must consider the word 'divide' for it is pertinent to our understanding of creation as a process of division. The word suggests that Intelligence was and is in some way in on Reality but also in on the abyss of Nothingness. That original choice of Intelligence to separate is tricky to comprehend. But as we ourselves are of Intelligence, we can look to ourselves for a possible understanding. The answers lie within our own makeup, within our psyches, within our stories, within our religion and our myths.
To begin understanding, firstly, we must realize that Intelligence must exist apart from the Intelligence of Reality and yet be capable of kind of proximity and the effects of that proximity. It divided... Intelligence divided from Reality. Here is the first and basic step of the process of division that defines creation and, by its very nature, brought about creation. Now creation was never the goal of Intelligence. The take over was the goal, the switching of places with Reality. But what was intended did not happen, but what did happen was the facsimile, the creation of image ....the image of Reality. In other words, the scheme was a failure. But what we must not loose sight of, is what this sets us up to be. We are people, with characteristics, with scars. We have remembered what we chose and how we failed. This has all become a part of our psyches. It is deeply embedded in our genes. It has made us who we are and we don't like it. We do not like who we are. We don't like violence and yet we are a people of violence. We say we know love, yet violence thrusts its way and pushes all else aside, for we are people of fear. We are a people of lost identity. We are people of shame for the mistake we were caught at. We made the wrong choice and brought about the opposite of what we hoped for. We carry this shame. But more so, we carry the fear of what we have done. We are people, that above all else, are people of fear. People of fear need to counteract that fear and so we have a great need for power. To belong to, ensures power. To control ensures power. To be needed, to be respected...... money, property, ensures power......ensures identity....covers fear.
Please refer to Posts #63, 78,and79.
To be continued next post... BB
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