Monday, December 03, 2007

Aquainted with Evil - Innocence Lost


As a people, have we changed at all? Have we evolved at all? To loosely quote from one of Castaneda's books; "If you think you've changed a little, you haven't changed at all."
When I think back . . . back centuries . . . back millennia . . . I have little hope left. Little hope for all of us, for mankind as a whole, and for me who is a part of this whole.


For as far back as we can collectively remember through historical writings, art, stories . . . from the beginning of our existence we have continued to make the same ill-fated errors in judgment over and over again. To our detriment, we have continued to be the same 'people' we have always been, regardless of the difficult life-lessons we have experienced, the pain, the sorrow and the obvious karmic outcomes of our doings.

Since our beginning, we have engaged ourselves in wars, religious and political conflicts, prejudices, social hierarchies, poverty, rape, pillaging, addictions, greed, sexual exploitations, immoral and unethical behaviors, ignorance, denial and indifference causing us to be uninvolved.

Sure, we can argue that there also exists 'good' people: generous, caring, concerned, involved . . . just as there has always been.

WE HAVE NOT CHANGED. And that is fact.

A few days ago, the body of a young girl, Emily Sander - just eighteen years young - was found. She was a college student. She had her whole life ahead of her. She needed extra money. She found a popular-by-demand side job in the dark world of pornography; a world that would not exist if we were truly an evolving species. But, unfortunately, pornography does exist (as it always has) and it is raping us, especially our children, of the gift of innocence. It is an ever-growing business and our appetite has become insatiable. Pornography, for one, is destroying the fabric of mankind. I know from my own personal experience and the experiences of friends around me.

And then there is the recent news story of the eight-day old infant girl - sexually abused and murdered by her twenty-eight year old father. We can say, "He is a sick @*%&, " but the questions of "How could he . . . ?" or "Why did he?" should really be a question of "What happened to him that he, one of our own, became so filled with darkness and evil that he would ever have thoughts like that in his mind - thoughts that would lead him to do something so cruel, horrible and ungodly?"

The news continues to report the horrific stories perpetrated by mankind - stories we do not want to hear about, but must know about if we are to fully understand the crisis we are facing in this world.

All I can say, with much sadness and despair in my heart, is GOD HELP US ALL.

December 23, 2012 is quickly approaching. While I'm not a 'doomsdayer' by nature - I am actually an incurable romantic and optimist - I don't know where else we can go, what else we can do . . . except PRAY and clean our own minds and hearts of the trash and toxins that have accumulated within us by means of our mere existence and co-inhabitance among our fellow man in the outskirts of the garden.












Thomas Cole.
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (detail). c.1827-1828. Oil on canvas. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA.

7 comments:

the walking man said...

No mankind has not changed. as you say we are the same as we have always been "since the banishment from eden." In 6000 years of recorded western history there has been maybe 50 years of peace between nations and not one day of peace between people.

I would rather the Mayans be right and the world run out in 2012 then for it to continue on in the manner of civilizations where a few grab all they can including lives from innocents and the poor. That way at least people with a heart who are aware but sensitive to the brutality of the world will be at peace.

Unfortunately in order to survive in this world in which so much assails us as individuals it is a necessity to harden your heart somewhat or you will be bowled over like a head pin on a well waxed lane.

The only solution I know of is be kind when you can, be generous when you are able, talk to god about the people in your own field of vision and hope that next time it will be better.

Peace

mark

Erik Donald France said...

Hey Lindy,

pretty sad, huh? On the other hand, if we haven't essentially changed collectively, how can you also say we're getting worse?

Maybe we can listen to "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and hope for the best?

The problem of evil is a daily issue with each of us, I suppose -- but man, those examples you describe are truly horrible. One of the most horrible people I can think of is "The Angle of Death," Dr. Mengele of the Nazi regime. But only because of his sadistic glee -- there are plenty who cause misery and death to their fellow humans and other living creatures. In the end, though, Walking Man's concluding paragraph may be the only real daily option to choose. That and, when push comes to shove, try to be Atticus Finch.

Pythia3 said...

Thanks Walking Man, but I do HOPE we can change the course of our evolutionary karma. I don't WANT to sound like my grandma about the rotten world . . . but, unfortunately, we cannot block out the evil with good anymore.
I do my best, on any given day, to be kind, generous, compassionate. I take care of my little corner and help those in my field of vision . . . But, I have to admit, I still find myself getting caught up in the darkness from time to time. That black plague needs only the tiniest hook to begin its slow process of sinking of us.

Pythia3 said...

Actually, it's not a SLOW process. It's actually so quick that it leaves one with the impression that nothing happened.

Pythia3 said...

Hi Erik,
I didn't realize that I had expressed we were getting worse. It's always been as bad and as good as it is . . . but my pessimism must have been coming through. Sometimes, even a Pollyanna such as myself has to remove the rose colored glasses to at least wipe the gook off.
Cheers to Atticus and to you, Erik

Michelle's Spell said...

Things are rough these days, no doubt! It's a tough world filled with difficulty, that old vale of tears. But also moments of brightness like you! Love the pictures you chose.

eric1313 said...

First off, the pictures and art that you chose really does a great job highlighting your words.

We live in a day and age as filled with evil characters as good, even though evil more often than not claims to be good, and see their actions as somehow right. That really is frightening, that it is a choice, to commit violent acts, or even to go with the flow of history and stay quiet about what you do and do not know. To allow tyranny on any level with an ignorant grin, and not act passionately and compassionately, one from the other. Like your words seek to do all the time.

Thanks for the visits, it's a busy time for all of us. Hang in there, OK? Glad to read your words again.