Dear Friends,
It seems to me, no one fears criticizing good, but all fear accusing evil. That is because we understand that there are consequences for ridiculing evil but none for abusing good. A good man, organization or group will tolerate the abuse, without a thought to harming the abuser. Evil men, associations and groups will exact revenge however. As a result, those that libel the good in our society are cowards, while those that point out evil are heroes.
We all know that evil grows in the dark and is often called darkness itself. That is why, when we hear criticisms of despicable people or organizations, we cringe. We know that if the wrong person overhears they might react violently. The evil among us are as prone to violence as the good are to forgiveness. Violence being in the nature of evil and forgiveness a quality of good. Those that criticize evil put themselves in mortal danger while those that criticize good have no such fear.
The Catholic church comes under much criticism not all of it unwarranted. However, the people that attack it have no worries they will be hunted down and stabbed to death. They are in no danger of being shot from a bicycle on their way to the store. Not a one among us fears the Catholic church today.
There was a time in history when this wasn’t true. Those that even questioned the Church’s teachings were threatened with burning at the stake. This wasn’t due to anything Jesus taught but due to the evil men that controlled the Church at the time. Evil works outside the tenets of faith, societal moors and the cultural ethos. Evil fears the light of scrutiny just as a vampire of exposure to the sun.
The reaction to criticism is a reliable way to determine if that person, organization or society is evil. If any criticism of such people strikes fear into those that hear it, we can say that it is most assuredly true, that person, organization or society, is evil. The fear we feel is as sure a way to prove evil exists as any. In this way we have a metric for measuring evil. The more violently the reaction to criticism the more evil we can say that group is.
To do a thing that has no peril, is not a brave thing to do, just as doing a thing that brings with it great danger, can be heroic. The soldier who runs through a hail of gunfire to save a friend is a hero but a person who allows a car to go first is not. Heroic actions require danger in their doing.
Not all dangerous actions are heroic however. Jumping from a bridge into shallow water is just foolish, as is swatting a bees nest, and not all good actions are heroic. Helping an old lady cross the street is an honorable thing to do but is not heroic.
So we can say that those who attack good people, organizations or groups are not heroes. No matter the hypocrisy they may point out. The heroes in society are the people that point out evil. Those that shine a light on evil put themselves in peril doing so. Those that attack a good man do not. Heroism is about forwarding good actions not undermining them.
Society benefits when good is highlighted and society is damaged when good is attacked. The good among us are attacked by evil without consequences but the evil among us is protected by their propensity to violence. This sets up a pernicious feedback loop. Good is diminished while evil goes unrecognized because of the fear of pointing it out. The prosperity of Mankind is undermined and those that would usurp power are protected by the darkness of fear they wear as a cloak. People turn away from good, and the cause of evil is advanced, until evil oversteps like the Nazis did. Then mankind is forced to act.
Men and women would be well advised to consider this carefully when they hear criticisms. If a shiver runs down your back, and you cast an eye about to make sure you are not overheard, the group being criticized is quite likely evil, but if an accuser yells his or her accusations loudly and without fear, you can reliably say the group being chastised is good. We diminish good and ignore evil at our mutual peril. The interests of Mankind are only helped when heroes stand up to evil. They are often jailed, abused and condemned for it, but the future of humanity hangs in the balance. That is why I say, to shine the light of criticism on evil is heroic, and to vilify good is not.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
