[Anamensis]

Perhaps it was the conceit of Miss O'Conner to hold up these pitiful characters and say they are a mirror of all humanity. They are a mirror of the religious view of humanity, which likes its victims full of self-loathing. For after all, people don't need "salvation" if they feel good and straight and whole already. Religion must tear down self-esteem, remove confidence and pride, and inject self-hatred and fear into the psyche to tenderize the meat enough in advance that when "salvation" is offered, the tortured victim is ready to confess to anything in order to make it stop. That morsels of kindness can be found in these wreck-heaps is akin to finding kernels of undigested corn in feces. Sure, you can, but wouldn't you rather just have a nice, fresh ear of corn? I would.

[JMJ333]

Religion must tear down self-esteem, remove confidence and pride, and inject self-hatred and fear into the psyche to tenderize the meat enough in advance that when "salvation" is offered, the tortured victim is ready to confess to anything in order to make it stop.

I fear you have been reading too much Nietzsche. =)

[sitetest]

Dear Anamensis,

Thanks for your thoughtful response. You certainly have gotten to the heart of the matter. There is a difference in world view. Miss O'Connor believes that we arrive on the scene already marred by original sin, and that as we grow and mature, we make more of a mess of it.

You believe otherwise. And if you're correct, then her fiction is worse than grotesque, it's morally odious.

However, Miss O'Connor might cite in her favor the fact that much evil is done in the world by human beings. They are not the actions of good, straight, and already whole human beings.

sitetest