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| The Dead Sea - 2011 |
Moral Judgement.
This is what we inevitably must render upon others relative to their actions and pronouncements. Many confuse this conclusion as outside our authority since it is a common belief that only the "law" and "god" are capable of judging any person or group of persons. Yet, every day, we make assessments through observation, through here-say, and through our own biases about others, individuals and groups. Therefore it is disingenuous and possibly hypocritical that we should not, even as we do. However, we can not and must not evade the optical and conclusive evidence of the moral behavior and beliefs of individuals, groups or institutions. We clearly understand that Nazism was inherently evil in the destruction of fellow human beings different from a chosen "higher class" of beings. We know that certain regimes around the world espouse doctrinal and interrelated political and religious beliefs, that when at odds with other forms of societal and religious or non-religious ways, fully disregard these as heretical and propose annihilation of the non-conformist. We are not too far removed in this "post-racial" period of the American experience when individuals of a different race or religious faith or nationality need "not apply" for jobs outside of menial labor; "not in my neighborhood" exclusion from housing and school choices; should worship to the chosen god, but not in my church.
There is a vast difference from bigotry and discrimination without knowledge of the individual in question and the judgement we must levy against others regarding their actions and pronouncements. If Hector is a cheat in his business dealings, then others will find out and avoid doing business with Hector and his economic demise will be certain. If the quality of eduction in a certain school is less than what the norm establishes, then parents will move their children to better schools, and should act to remove the incompetent teachers and administration as just desserts.
Individuals have the need to judge out of self-preservation. If exclusion and oppression is how a group treats certain individuals or others, then it is the responsibility of the oppressed to move away or stand and fight for their moral rights. It is very interesting to see how some people who judged indiscriminately, when faced with the reality of the worth or perseverance of an individual, can choose to evade the reality, but they can not change the reality. Then cognitive dissonance occurs and they must change their beliefs or accept consensual ignorance, which many choose to do so as to remain a member of their "group" for fear of being outcast due to their change in beliefs, which ultimately is becoming a mental slave. Only free people can use reasoning and independent thinking to assess reality, and through induction and deduction, make up their own minds about what is truth and what is not. You can not delegate your thinking, and when you do so, then you cease to be a valid contributor to your society. Things may be what they seem to be, but only you, alone with your own mind and empirical evidence can make that assessment.
Thinking and being are co-dependent and individual actions, the aggregation of such individuals form societies that are either moral or not. You either are or you are not.
In the final analysis, your attitude determines your effectiveness in everything, every time! LGL www.LuisLobo.Biz
