The Duty

 

I read many things, and I enjoy Agatha Christie novels. I will quote from her book, Murder Is Easy, and then comment on and develop the theme of her quote.

The murdered doctor’s wife, Mrs. Humbleby warned amateur detect Fitzwilliam that great danger was afoot: “She said, rather unexpectedly, ‘The world is a very wicked place, Mr. Fitzwilliam. Do you know that?’”

My response: Being a Christian and a Victorian, Mrs. Humble by firmly believes in good and evil as real forces at work in the world, at work spiritually, morally, socially, naturally—and that is my view too.

Christie: “Luke was a little surprised. ‘Yes, perhaps that may be.’

She insisted, ‘No, but do you know it? It’s important, that. There’s a lot of wickedness about. One must be prepared – to fight it. John was. He knew. He was on the side of right..’

Luke said gently, ‘I’m sure he was.”

‘He knew the wickedness there was in this place,’ said Mrs. Humbleby.’”

My response: She lays out a moral program which the good Christian is to practice in this Vale Of Tears. She is to believe that evil exists, and that Jesus, God and the good deities lay a moral duty on us to believe such, know such, and to fight such. One is to fight evil, one must be a soldier of God on the side of right, pushing back the darkness and cruelty of evil, for this is the Devil’s world, and we are born sinners. We run in packs, and Satan owns our groups, our group-living, our altruist ethics, so this wickedness is entrenched and institutionalized, widespread, enduring, persistent, almost impossible to dislodge.

Dennis Prager, our wise, decent Jewish elder and mentor, had made a claim nearly identical to the one made by Mrs. Humbleby: That we are not just to be good and loving, but are here to fight evil openly, officially and relentlessly, that is what it means to be good and that may be the primary route to heaven.

I agree with all these views and conclusions and I have incorporated these points within developing my moral system, Mavellonialism.

Now let me point out how clever Satan is: I believe he is most effective when his most ardent followers do not know they are working for him, whose motive is selfless love of humanity, operating and acting to make the world a better place, all for humanity which they do and avow that they love.

The fanatical idealist is cable of utter viciousness and murderous, genocidal violence against those standing in the way of the implementation of his program. This true believer is a lethal, living demon who would be shocked to realize what he is, and how his efforts fail miserably at making the world a much better place.

My conclusion: Yes, fight wickedness, but remain modest, humble and detached as to one’s own capacity to be violent even to kill In the 20^th century, historically unprecedented killing was done in the name of idealism and reform, so this motive to fight evil and do good is easily inverted and one serve Satan rather than fights Satan.