Tuesday, September 15, 2009
1. America really is good
Saying this does not imply that other countries are not good or that every individual or societal decision is "good." It does acknowledge the fundamental value that we all have. Too often, we become convinced that our shortcomings make us "bad." Those who might wish to oppress or surpress us have to first convince us that we are not good. Some suggest that our society must "pay" for the wrongs our citizens committed in the past. We don't insist that we are perfect, just good and worthy of God's love.
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So, this is a reaction to the perception that someone is saying that America is bad and thus must pay for the wrongs done in the past. Again, I think it is essential we make a distinction to our being and our behavior. None of us is perfect and all of us are beloved children of God.
ReplyDeleteMy concern is that this becomes a way to shield us from accountability. Is Bernie Madoff bad? Do we insist that he pay for the wrongs he committed in the past?
We invaded Iraq and as with Pottery Barn, so with life, “You break it, you buy it.” We are having to pay big time for that mistake.
Those who might wish to oppress or surpress us have to first convince us that we are not good.
Who is it that wants to oppress or suppress us? Are we talking Osama or Obama? Bin Laden calls us the Great Satan. I don’t think there is any doubt he sees us as bad and wants others to see us as bad. But this movement seems to be about internal politics. So who do you see as wishing to oppress by making us see ourselves as bad?
At one point or another I heard from nearly every man who ever joined the Abuse Prevention Program, “I am a good person.” Now, these are guys who are there under a court or probation order because they harmed someone. They want two things.
ReplyDelete1) They want to believe that there are good people and bad people. They don’t have a more sophisticated way to explain evil in the world than to say it is because of bad people.
2) They want to believe they are one of the good people.
My contention is that there are not good people and bad people or even people who do good things and people who do bad things but we are people and we all do things which may be seen as more or less good or bad, depending on our sense of how things should be and how the choices affect us. The notion that there are good people and bad people, or for that matter good countries and bad countries, is a cognitive distortion. It is a map for understanding reality which does match the real world.