The Difference Between Good and Evil.

I would place an understanding and knowledge of what is “good” and “evil” as one of the great pillars of essential human knowledge. It is most unfortunate that this great necessity of mankind is seen as exclusively religious in nature. Why? The very essence of government and law deals with how this knowledge is understood. For what is the point of a law if it does not accomplish some measurable “good”. Or why define a person as a criminal if they have done no perceivable “evil”.

Why should we educate our children in matters that are not “good” or of “good benefit”? What is science if it does not better mankind and provide something “good”? The first point I would like to establish is that at the very essence of everything that is rational or worth while is the concept of good and evil. Knowledge of good and evil is the very core of any discussion or consideration. Yet there is little investment beyond religion to make sense of what is good or evil.

Has there ever been a college course in studying good and evil? Of all the things of possible study is there a course in science, language, public relations, business or even sports where good and evil is studied in any depth? The sad thing to me is that very few that I have conversed with seem to know or care about defining what is good and evil. At the same time; everyone with an opinion about anything thinks they have differentiated between good and evil and thus they have their opinion.

For the most part people seem to draw an invisible line on a spectrum of choices saying that anything on my side of the line is good or okay and everything on the other side is not okay or evil. Another was of expressing this concept is that it is not okay or evil to cruelly beat some unknown stranger to death because someone is bored and needs to be entertained. But it is okay or good to help someone in need. The question is; how do we know one is bad and the other good? Some will say that what is good or evil is all based on the circumstance. What is good one time can be evil at another. How is that determined? What basis is there for such a conclusion?

In all human collisions of contention is the ever present notion that I am on the good side and everyone that is with me is good – every one that is against me is evil. Thus we have the “us against them” mentality. Every disagreement, every war, every divorce and every conflict has this idea as an engine. I submit that the great problem in any conflict is a misunderstanding of what is good and what is evil.

So what then is good and what is evil? Why is good and evil opposite? Why is there no common ground? As I stated in my introduction – often we think of things in terms of “destination” rather than a “journey”. Everyone thinks they can recognize good or evil when they “get there” but how do you recognize the first step to evil or the first step to good? The problem is that in the process of good and evil – once we get there it is too late. We are caught into the continuing the process.

Let me give an example: If we are to understand “bondage” as evil and “freedom” as good then every step we take towards bondage is evil and every step towards freedom is good. Applying the logic of science, the point is to isolate the elements of bondage and freedom and then experiment. We then begin to separate and try each step as a separate entity to determine its polarity. Those steps that make a difference we can then measure and determine what they are – good or evil.

It really does not matter if the point in consideration is religious, political, social, scientific or even private; if we use this scale (of reference to bondage or freedom) we can determine what is good and evil. You may call bondage and freedom by different names if you wish. You can call them damnation and salvation if you like. You can call them debt or receiving return on investment. You can call them joy or depression. You can even call them hate and love. The point is that one controls you and the other you are in control.

Most have this concept well under control it is understanding the next principle where most get lost. Why? Because evil is the enviable “natural” result while good must be achieved contrary to what must happen even to the violation of the principles of thermal dynamics. Okay maybe I exaggerated a little but I want to make a point that good requires a change.

All of this logic was put together to get you to the point where you could appreciate the difference between good and evil because the logic of it is so easy but the practice is impossible. I submit that the first step to evil or bondage is the effort of satisfaction of self. Likewise the first step to good or freedom is the denial of self or the sacrifice of self.

The Traveler

Intorduction to the Travel Blog

Although this is opened up as the Travel Log I will call it The Travel Blog. There are today, many ideas being put forth from many different perspectives. Some concentrate on religion, some on science, some in politics and some rely on scholarship and others focus on street smarts. Some would avoid any issue that may have some conflict in the areas mentioned.

I offer my insights and perspectives as one that tries to extract the very best from the entire spectrum of life experience. I do not pretend that my perspective has no bias. It is my honest opinion that a perspective cannot exist without bias. You may consider the possibility that a bias is a prejudice and I will not disagree. But you must at least understand that not all prejudice is narrow and foolish. If one has been stung enough by bees they will learn to avoid bees. This can work out quite well both for a person and the bees. If you do not have time to learn about bees – it is best to leave them alone and avoid them.

Mosquitoes are a different problem than bees. That is because you are pray to a mosquito that will seek you out to extract your blood. In addition one of man’s worse plagues (yellow fever) will flourish if mosquitoes are left to their own. I believe that some ideas are like mosquitoes and deserve a pre-emptive strike sending them into oblivion; some ideas, like bees, should be left alone unless you are willing to take the time to become involved and some (like butterflies) can be enjoyed and appreciated with nothing more than the curiosity and desire for beauty of an innocent child.

My travel blog is about the journey of life. Not as a map to any destination but a liahona (based on your good hopes, faith and desires) that charts a course as a method of travel that allows one to avoid the bees, swats the mosquitoes and not only appreciate butterflies but uncover some of their hidden secrets.

You are welcome to read for free. And if you like you may offer some of your own insights. But this is my blog and if I do not think you understand the issue at stake, instead of sighting confusion, I will not post your thought. Sorry but if you have not learned when and how to speak to things in someone else’s care, this is the only lesson, warning and lecture you will receive from me on that subject.

WELCOME

The Traveler


As a side note the reader may wonder why my references to deity are done with a missing vowel character. Virtually all the ancient scripture text uses this or a similar method to express reverence. If you find this practice foolish and worthy of criticism yet claim to respect scripture then your logic escapes me and beyond that if there is nothing better for us to discuss then I’m not sure we have that much to discuss.