Anything good can corrupted, transmuted into horrible wickedness. The attempt to make things better fails for several reasons. First, the metaphysics are cruel and inhumane. The theology is flat false and imperialistic. Second, the devotees seeks to coerce compliance by resorting to wielding the sword, the threat of involuntary conformity. Third, a violent, bad means always undermines the most noble, humane end. If they resort to bad means, that is what they are working towards, nothing else. Fourth, fanatics seek to expand the reach of their ideology through strengthening the state and the group, growing both. Here again, satanic means guarantee failure and the spread of darkness.
Fifth, all reform movements are derivative from the requirement to spread love in the the world: love of God, love of self, love of others, love of society, love of nature, love of life, etc. Love of anyone or anything is aggressive hatred unless the follow cautionary elements are part of the seller's worldview: the zealous idealist must come to cherish individual liberty above all things. Potential converts must come to see the wisdom of joining him, only if they freely desire to.
Sixth, the idealist requires attenuating inputs to dampen down his fervor: a sense of humor helps immensely. He must not take himself too seriously He must remain cautious and humble. He must be practical: his good Yankee common sense can prevent him from doing something rash and irretrievable, going of the deep end.
Idealistic, reform fervor transforms into something malignant as soon as the ethicist or political junkie seeks to enforce conformity with the "virtuous practices" or believing faithful to the current orthodox faith, secular or sacred.
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