MORALITY OF THE BEAST

A preacher said, “There is a war between good and evil being waged on this planet by God and the devil.  But when Jesus comes back it shall be as the Bible says, ‘the angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” 

The Gadfly said, “What you call good and evil are not two separate things.  They are one.  This means that what is sometimes called evil will also be one with God.” 

The preacher said, “This can’t be true.  The Bible says that Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This made them to know the difference between good and evil.” 

The Gadfly responded, “Name a characteristic in humans you find to be evil.” 

The preacher said, “That is easy.  We are an extremely violent people.  Violence comes from what is evil in us.” 

The Gadfly said, “When violence has wisdom and purpose, it is esteemed as virtue.  Would you not become violent to save the life of your children?  It is when violence is aimless and ignorant that it is commonly stamped with the label of evil.” 

The preacher said, “Then take what you call aimless and ignorant.  This is the element of evil in violence.” 

The Gadfly said, “Yet, sometimes aimlessness is a casualness which is praised as the freedom of the spirit.  And sometimes ignorance is praised as being the purest virtue, but at that time people call it innocence.” 

The preacher said, “Then take greed.  This is evil.” 

The Gadfly answered, “When greed lusts for wisdom it carries the name of goodness.  But when greed embraces material things, suddenly it carries the name of evil.  When rain falls upon the faces of thirsty people, the goodness of the water is not questioned.  But when one is drowning in water, its evil is clear.  Yet, water is neither good nor evil.  So it is with reality.  Sometimes we call it good, sometimes evil.  But all life is one.  So it is also with people.  Both the good and the evil are threads woven into the same cloth, and its maker shall not unravel this tapestry.  Rather, it will be displayed in honor, and every thread will contribute to the glory.  If our morality is to rise above the beast that is within us, it will have to move beyond good and evil.”