Yes, tiassa, evil and darkeness exists in this world... So does goodness and light... They are all here in this world for us to see... They are also aspects of human nature which we actively choose to participate in or not to participate in.
So, if I'm reading your post correctly ... It's better to subscribe quietly to an inadequate system than attempt to address the problems? You see, I'm challenging the fundamental "action" they take.
No, tiassa, you are not reading my post correctly... Or, perhaps I am not getting your drift... It seems that you lend more credibility to complaining and doing nothing than to taking action which can make a positive difference in this world... You originally asked why nobody does anything to address the ills of the world... My point was that a good many people DO take action.
Again, of course, as individuals we cannot address ALL of the ills in this world... It would be "unreasonable" to think that one could... That is why it is important that we choose our battles wisely. Take a real, live, woman named "Bea" for example. For a full quarter of a century after retiring, she spent every day, seven days a week, soliciting food from the public and she personally cooked and served nutritious meals each evening for hundreds of people in a large city. That's more than twenty-five YEARS of meals for the poor and indigent of that urban community who, otherwise, would have gone hungry. But, sarcastically speaking in tiassaisms, let us not forget all the lies she told and the problems that she created with her "holier-than-thou, do-gooder attitude!" She should be smacked, huh, tiassa? Give me a break! What she created, in addition to healthy meals for the homeless and hungry each evening, was a network of people who you speak of with contempt... business people and other "do-gooders" in "Bea's" community who were able meet in the common dining area to brainstorm with each other and help with shelter, clothing, medical attention and employment for their poorer neighbors. Consequently, she helped people, she provided motivation for others to help people to help themselves. Could she have addressed the problem another way? Sure. However, she went beyond complaining and finger-pointing, chose a tough battle to fight... "hunger" in her community... and she did the "best" that she knew how for her fellow human beings. In other words, she took "action" to make a positive difference in this world.
There are many "Beas" in this world tiassa... Unfortunately, so many people, like yourself, tend to focus on the "negative" in this world to the point of disregarding and/or overlooking the "positive".
As far as my side note, I would like to point out that I was not assuming your views on those matters, nor was I attributing the championing of such causes to you, personally, tiassa. It was midly interesting, however, to see you jump into that subject matter like a pig jumps into sh*t, though.
I mentioned godlessness and, once again, you brought in "mainstream churches"... Snore... Sorry if this offends you but, your continued inability to discern the difference between God and earthly churches and your obsessive need to stereotype anyone who believes in God into "defenders of the mainstream church" is quite monotonous and boring, to say the least. Not being diabolical or evil, I realize that my views bore you, also, tiassa. Let's just say that we don't share the same view of the world in terms of it being macabre.
As far as my distaste for the championing of the rights of criminals before the rights of victims, for the record, I do not consider "the accused" to be a criminal. I hope that this statement clears up at least one misunderstanding up in your mind.
I agree with your statement about "hope"... without action, it is a waste of time. Again, that is why we need to go the extra mile to pull ourselves up out of the "pig-stye" which you perceive the world to be.
There is something that I am wondering about, tiassa. On the one hand, you complain bitterly that nothing is being done about all the "evil" which you supposedly perceive in this world, yet you seem to enjoy wallowing in evil.. Seems quite contradictory to say the least... Or, is that WHY you support the "do nothing" way of life? Because, in truth, you actually enjoy the wallowing?
Which brings me to another question... What, exactly, is the "truism" that would be uttered by your "friends" at your funeral if you were to die today, tiassa?
[This message has been edited by truestory (edited December 06, 1999).]