I do not demand that "everybody" agree with me.
That is the very last thing I want or expect.
Plus, I do not "demonize" people who disagree with me.
It is not my job to tell people what to think. It is only my job to show people where to look, if they want answers to certain questions.
If, then, the people who actually took up my suggestion to "go look" for themselves; which people later got back to me, and said: "Well, I went and looked, and didn't see anything"; well then, I really don't know what further to say to such people. Except perhaps: You cannot see what you are unwilling to look for.
Dear tacticalogic, thank you so very much for writing — and for being such a good friend over so many years.
How did you get this job?
And who is deciding which questions you're going to put constaints on where they can look to find answers?
betty: You cannot see what you are unwilling to look for.
Spirited: The natural condition of man is self-centeredness. Philosophically this is the idea of the Absolute One Substance, or monism. Since all that exists is the One Substance then everything else, including all human beings, are but aspects of the One Substance.
Pride (self-centeredness and covetousness) is the beginning of all sin, said Augustine. Self-centered men will covet against God (i.e., Nimrod, Buddha, Marx, Nietzsche, Teilhard), against mother and father, against brother and sister, against neighbor.
Operating beneath the politics and science of destruction-—socialism, communism, evolutionary atheism and adjuncts such as reductionism, naturalism, empiricism, redistribution of wealth, universal health care, depopulation schemes, Agenda 21,sustainable growth initiatives, and global change is selfishness and covetousness together with lust for power, greed, gluttony, envy:
“Pride is seldom delicate, it will please itself with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own happiness, but when it may be compared with the misery of others.” (Samuel Johnson, British poet, critic, writer, 1709-1784)
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” (Winston Churchill, British orator, author and Prime Minister during World War II, 1874-1965)
“When I say that Marxism is based on envy, I mean that the glorious revolution of the proletariat...was really a promise to put a final end to all the conditions that make for envy.” (Joseph Epstein, author and former editor of The American Scholar, from Truths about Socialism, Coral Ridge Ministries, p. 66)
Self-centeredness/covetousness (envy)is the principle of negation (of truth, spiritual virtues, etc) and rebellion (against moral law, manners, authority, rules, etc)in the fallen soul of every man and woman and has played a part in human dynamics ever since the envy-bitten Cain murdered his brother Abel.
From the time of Adam and Eve men have been denying the existence of “self” (soul/spirit) in order to negate free will (it’s not my fault) and conscience (how was I to know?) even while expecting applause and approval for whatever “great thing” has been said or done.
Against natural man’s tendency to selfishness and covetousness His Creator commands man to,
“....love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself.” Luke 10:27
The end of the commandment is selfless charity from a pure heart, a good conscience and unfeigned faith. (1 Thess. 1:5) He that loves his neighbor fulfills the law for he does not covet, negate truth by way of lies, nor try to spiritually murder brother by way of false witness, slander, gossip, libel, etc., which today is known as the politics of personal destruction.
Charity works no evil. It is not perversely puffed up with pride. It is not ambitious, does not serve ‘self,’ thinks no evil, does not covet, resent and envy and neither rejoices in another man’s misery nor derides, mocks, scoffs, and contends against truth and virtue as the envious do:
“When men are full of envy, they disparage everything, whether it be good or bad.” (Publius Cornelius Tacitus)
“Nothing sharpens sight like envy.” (Thomas Fuller, British clergyman and writer, 1608-1661)
The proud, covetous man is a hypocrite whose sharpened sight sees no evil in himself but sees it very clearly in others.
Pride, covetousness and hypocrisy (the principle of negation and rebellion) are at epidemic levels here in America: in the whole body of the Church, the White House, Congress, Hollywood, academia, science, etc.
Where ‘self’ is primary a culture of subjectivism and slander of other is the norm since ‘self’ deserves everything it can get, no matter the cost to other people and society.
In “Death by Envy,” Fr. George R.A. Aquaro points out that Christ’s earthly ministry centered on convicting the world of idolatry by provoking people (represented by the Pharisees) to envy and then murder. By becoming the scapegoat, Jesus Christ allows mankind to place their sins upon Him so that we might repent at the sight of His blood. (p. 101)