It was me. I did it.

[Cainad (dec.)]

It was me. I did it.

All of humanity's problems, it's crimes, its sins, its stupidity, all of the evil and ugly things produced by human action: it's all my fault. I am the source of these terrible things that make people hate one another, all the little wrongs done and revenged upon everyone.

Hatred, grief, guilt, murder, and pain. All of these and more are my doing, and everything wrong with society can be traced back to me somehow.

I have a million names: Satan, sin, human nature, the Devil, godlessness, blind faith, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Pagans, capitalism, communism, hubris, and ignorance, to name a handful. Ever since humanity first appeared on this Earth it has tried to name me. But a thing cannot be killed by attacking a name given to it, so I persist in what I do, my action amplified a thousand times when humanity lashes out at another one of my labels.

They have never found me, they have never come close to destroying me. Whenever I am sought out, those unfortunates who are in the path of my pursuers see me standing right behind them who would destroy me, guiding them. When they try to flee from me and my influence, they find me standing right in their way. I can do all of this because of one simple fact.

I don't exist.

[Jasper]

What, do you want a medal or something?

[Cainad (dec.)]

 

[Coyote]

So  it was YOU who created marzipan!

Fucker.


coyote

[LMNO]

::phone rings::

Hello, Stalin?  What's up, it's Adolph.  Yeah, fine, fine... Hey, did you hear?  Sin and evil don't exist!  Yeah, I know.  Looks like we're in the clear now!

Ok, see you for cribbage on Saturday?  Cool.  Ciao!


::hangs up::

[hooplala]

Labels are just labels, but just because something is just a label doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Evil is just a convenient label, but tell that to a mother who's one year old child is kidnapped and murdered.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I got something a little deeper out of it than that... that the label is external, causing people to flail about them "fighting" a nonexistent target, completely missing that the thing they are fighting ISN'T EXTERNAL, and that the very act of fighting of this nonexistent external "evil" perpetuates the real, internal "evil".

Maybe that's not what he meant though?

[hooplala]

I got something a little deeper out of it than that... that the label is external, causing people to flail about them "fighting" a nonexistent target, completely missing that the thing they are fighting ISN'T EXTERNAL, and that the very act of fighting of this nonexistent external "evil" perpetuates the real, internal "evil".

Maybe that's not what he meant though?

I see your point, and to an extent I agree with it.  In fact, I do agree with it, but what WOULD we say to the mother in my example?  "Sure, your kid is dead, but the 'evil' is just in your internal mind."

Probably not a lot of comfort, despite how "true" it may be.  But then, is it our job to give people comfort?

Now I'm not sure if I agree or not.  Dammit!  Free thought!! 

[Cainad (dec.)]

I got something a little deeper out of it than that... that the label is external, causing people to flail about them "fighting" a nonexistent target, completely missing that the thing they are fighting ISN'T EXTERNAL, and that the very act of fighting of this nonexistent external "evil" perpetuates the real, internal "evil".

Maybe that's not what he meant though?

This is probably the closest interpretation.

::phone rings::

Hello, Stalin?  What's up, it's Adolph.  Yeah, fine, fine... Hey, did you hear?  Sin and evil don't exist!  Yeah, I know.  Looks like we're in the clear now!

Ok, see you for cribbage on Saturday?  Cool.  Ciao!


::hangs up::

Congrats. I believe you just made the same mistake as my Xtian friend. Hand over your Pope card nao.



My point was that there is no singular source for evil in the world (whether or not "evil" exists as an absolute is immaterial; bad things are bad things regardless for my purposes). Obviously this piece wasn't written for Discordians, at least not of the PD.com variety. 23PINEALFNORD Discordians might believe that the Curse of Greyface is responsible for all the bad things in the world, Scientologists believe it's thetans, hardcore liberals and conservatives blame each other, etc.

Many things may be "evil" or "bad," but they do not have a common source (physical or spiritual). Just like many things are colored purple, but are not all made with the same pigment. I have another piece in the works that may express what I mean more clearly.

[Vene]

Congrats. I believe you just made the same mistake as my Xtian friend. Hand over your Pope card nao.

Those cards are largely meaningless.  We all have that authority regardless of what a piece of paper says.

[Random Probability]

Vaguely reminds me of something I read in a short story once.  Might have been Vonnegut but I'm not sure.

Overall though, good point.  Keep it up and they might finally figure out that even order and chaos are imaginary bullshit as well.

"Conflicts between good and evil are only sicknesses of the mind."
                                                                            -- Capt. Obvious

[Triple Zero]

Congrats. I believe you just made the same mistake as my Xtian friend.

dude. don't use "you came to the same conclusion as a christian" as an argument to point out that somebody is wrong. that's just weak.

[hooplala]

Those cards are largely meaningless. 

WHAT!?!?!?!?! 

[Triple Zero]

dont worry, only largely. the bit where it says it's approved by the house of apostles of Eris is probably true. it might have been more of a sort of implicit approvement, though, perhaps nothing really official got written down as they weren't allowed to believe it if they did anyway.

besides, i'm sure that the one you have actually has magickal powers too!

[hooplala]

Whew!