to
listen, click here
Axeliad
Sundstrøm said:
The selfishness of the group is no less
strong, nor is it stronger, than the
selfishness of the individual.
Niebuhr’s contention that groups – especially states – are amoral,
because they exist not to do good but to protect the interest of their members –
citizens – there’s truth in that. But even Niebuhr underestimates individual
human perversity. The Apostle has it right: “The good that I desire I cannot
do; and the ill that I hate – I reprehend – that is precisely what I end up
doing.” But his, the Apostle’s, true perversity is in his belief that he is
exaggerating here to make a point: it’s not really, entirely, true of him. For
example: of all people, he really loves those he hates – pagans, the
self-righteous, the weak in faith, women.
In truth, the only thing any of us, Paul included – the only thing any
of us truly loves is his own self-righteousness. And we don’t so much love it as
cherish it. And we relabel it; like a
store that raises prices so it can cut them, we mark out “self-interest” and
call it “the common good” (or sometimes “for their own damn good”). (We in the case
of the group or the state refers to the clowns driving the clown car.)
So, Reinie, the state isn’t amoral in pursuit of the interest of its
citizens but in the headlong chase of the self-interest of its charlatans. Except ! – the plot twistens – the charlatans
don’t know – they don’t even begin to know – what their own interests are. The
Fall creates this bloody, stinking, murky, shrinking, shrieking, cloying,
creepy, clawing morass: Sin is as much ignorance as willfulness. We cut the throats
of others to accomplish what is the good for us, but we’re wrong about it. The
good that we desire isn’t good at all. We aimed, we slashed, we missed by a
mile.
 |
| Embrace hope, ye who enter here. Was $12.99, NOW $9.98. |
02.22.17
No comments:
Post a Comment