Thursday, 19 December 2024

On thinking the worst of people

I am inclined, absolutely sincerely - not as a pose! -  to "think the worst" of people; to an extent that maybe as much as anyone I know. 

Yet I am not at all "cynical" - I don't judge "everybody" to be on the wrong side of the spiritual war; but I do judge that a very large majority are on the side of evil. 

To anyone who might complain at my adverse discernment - I can say that you are in "good" company; in the sense that almost everybody in public life who has a high status is someone that I evaluate as an unrepentant servant of the agenda of evil.


Those currently on the wrong side (so far as I can infer); include nearly all nice and kind people, most people who are most altruistic, most people who do a good job, most of the most talented and creative people, most of the religiously devout and well-behaved - and indeed some of the people I love! 

That's just factual: it's the way it is in the world here-and-now. 

From where I am, and by my best estimate: Service to the side of the spiritual war that is against God and divine creation; is normal, approved, rewarded, and the default

The point is that people are unrepentant servants of evil, which means in practice that they do not regard their stance as evil - they are aware of the many reasons and explanations for their own attitudes and behaviours - they see plenty of people worse than themselves... 

So in the end they see nothing to repent. 


What are the prospects for all these souls? Mostly it is up each of them, and is mainly a matter of what each wants for himself or herself after death, on an eternal basis. 

I hope that many will choose salvation when they know it is true and not just a wishful day-dream; and will repent accordingly. This path is open, simple, easily done, and instantaneous. 

So there are always grounds for hope. 


But it seems likely - from what people say, as well as how they behave - that a lot of people don't want resurrected eternal life in Heaven; and it also seems that this "wanting" is not really something about which people seem to be open to persuasion.  

There are those to whom Heaven does not appeal, who simply prefer something else - some other state of being, or non-being. 

And there are those who really seem to believe that Heaven is evil, Jesus is evil, creation is evil, and God is evil: Those who are (from my POV) value-inverted. 


I don't know that these value-inverted people in The West constitute a majority, and they aren't as overwhelming a majority as those who are simply on the wrong side -- but there do seem to be many such people in the Western nations, far more and more obviously than ever were recorded in the history of the world. 


4 comments:

Lucinda said...

Good news: Salvation and eternal joy are simple and easy and a satisfaction of true love...
But the Bad News: most you people don't want it!

Your words here and in the next post reminded me of Book of Mormon prophet Samuel, which Mormons often read at Christmas. “O ye wicked and ye perverse generation; ye hardened and ye stiffnecked people, how long will ye suppose that the Lord will suffer you? Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light? ... ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head. whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free. He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death“

I know the Book of Mormon doesn't really connect for you, but you really remind me of some of its prophets!

Mia said...

I was called cynical the other day for thinking the worst of someone (who is very obviously bad!) - and also accused of experiencing “hatred” only because I am conscious of negative things about someone (whom I actually love). My whole life it’s been obvious to me that I am being trained to resist these types of criticism. More recently I think I am also being given the opportunity to learn more about love through them (the accusations also came from someone I love). Something like “loving from afar,” perhaps in the manner of St. Monica…a lesson in love and patience, which I very much lack!

Bruce Charlton said...

@Lucinda - That's a great quote!

I'll need to go back and re-read that section to get it in context.

Bruce Charlton said...

@Mia - This distinction seems to be harder for women. Or maybe this isn't true; and men are just able to affirm the theory, but not really do it in practice...

I mean, men can more easily think the worst of someone who they regard as wrong, but not *really* love that person (maybe just using her); while women can love a wrong person, but then tend to convince themselves he isn't *really* on the side of wrong, after all... .