Moderate Goodness

 

The extremes generally are evil, and a middle-of-the-road stance is usually good. That is moral goodness, more or less, as I define it.

 

If someone is too pure, then one tends to turn intolerant, and use mass movements, and group swarming to scare or force others to surrender to your holy cause. There is a close link between groupism, altruism, binary thinking, ideological fervency, and a willingness to force others to thin and live as one demands that they live. This is immoderate and evil.

 

Back in 1978 at UND in Grand Forks, North Dakota, when I took a Scandinavian history class, the professor noted that the severe Danes so religious and without fun were called sad Danes, and the ones that were decent, religious, but a bit less wound up and would drink, dance and party a bit were referred to as happy Danes. God wants us to lighten up a bit, and be good spiritually and morally, but be happy and enjoy life a bit too. God, the moderate, sides with the happy Danes.

 

Another history professor at that college (I have a minor in history.) in those years referred to the WASPS in the years before the Civil War being horrified at those sinful, scandalous German Catholic immigrants that were religious, and worked hard, but would drink and enjoy dancing and their oompa music on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. This was scandalous to the teetotaling, self-righteous Anglicans and Baptists.

 

Those German Catholics were good, industrious and pious people but they were worldly and enjoy life also. God the moderate would side with the German Catholics in this instance.

 

Be principled, but laugh at yourself. Do not take yourself too seriously, and have a beer, and play volleyball with the kids and neighbors this Sunday evening.