Posted by
EFuller on Saturday, April 14, 2007 8:42:29 AM
We each have the ability to dream
Of a world without evil,
While at least a bit of evil
Lives in the heart of each dreamer.
The Don Imus insult of the Rutgers women was wrong. Even though it was hyped by some for political purposes, it resonated with so many because we possess an ethical nature. Even from an early age we cry out against insult and offense, "That's not fair!"
But our sense of justice is corrupt. Just look at Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton – leading the moral outrage against Imus when they are guilty of the same sins. Al and Jesse display another characteristic of human nature -- even though we condemn others, we rarely condemn ourselves.
Rosie O'Donnell spews vitriolic insults against others, and nothing happens. So why did Imus get the ax while Rosie gets a pass? Our sense of fairness is not only corrupt and often self serving, it can be influenced by the opinions of others.
We are also quick to judge. Many in and out of the media condemned the Duke lacrosse players based on the allegation of rape – even when the evidence was contradictory. Even now some have no sympathy for the falsely accused athletes, grumbling that these rich white males got better treatment than most because they could afford high-powered attorneys. How selective our sense of outrage can be!
All of this illustrates two truths in the Judaeo-Christian worldview:
- People possess a special nature – call it "spiritual." We are qualitatively different than animals because we have a moral nature.
- We are all corrupt. This is seen in the self-centered and hypocritical way we judge others compared to ourselves.