He was talking about sin, and about how society didn’t want to hear about it anymore. He said, “‘Hell isn’t fashionable these days”, but he said it like he regretted it.
— Overheard in a bar
A few days ago, Tom Rees posted on a sweet little study that suggests people who are scared of one thing, tend to be scared of many things. Teach people to fear hell; they will end up fearing their own shadows.
But if that’s the case, then it might make you wonder about all those times you’ve heard someone complain no one gives a damn about hell anymore. Basically — if the study is accurate — those folks are complaining the rest of us aren’t living the fearful little lives they think we should be living.
Strange world, maybe.
I figure the odds are excellent that anyone who complains about a lack of hell in your life must be an authoritarian. What do you think? Good guess?
The test of real moral judgment is what you do when no one is watching. If you are incapable of acting decently or morally unless someone is watching you, you cannot be a moral or just person.
That’s an excellent point, Karen. Thank you!
You put me in mind of something I once heard: The mark of someone’s character is how well they treat those who cannot retaliate if they are mistreated.
It wouldn’t surprise me if there was an authoritarian connection.
It works out pretty conveniently, doesn’t it? Chronically fearful people are easy to control. Fundamentalist strains of religion understand this all too well.
Indeed, Ahab! Perhaps not enough is made of the fact it is in the interests of authoritarians and fundamentalists to keep people fearful.
Which are we supposed to fear more, hell or god?
That strikes me as an excellent and insightful question, Donna. Anytime someone turns religion into a means of social control they are creating a monster. They may start out with the best intentions of improving people, nations or societies. In the end, their dreams become nightmares.
Donna: Or the church leaders? Which they try to tell us is the same thing as fearing god or hell.
I’m beginning to think that joy and humour are the best weapons against that type of fear. However, sometimes authoritarians are even afraid of humour!
I’m with you on that one, Nymph! Thank you for an excellent comment.
I’m afraid of Michelle Bachmann.
She actually has a shot at the presidency, doesn’t she?
I’m afraid so. Did you read the article about her in the recent issue of Rolling Stone? She’s insane and unbelievably scary (not that one needs to read RS to figure that one out).
This is how the Republic ends, CD. It grows on me each day — that’s what we’re witnessing. The end of the American Experiment in self government. And it ends in treacherous fools.