Captains Courageous - Suspicion and Paranoia

Greetings Dear Reader,

Suspicion - "The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is very much shorter than we think." – Jean Luc Picard – Star Trek TNG: The Drumhead

The deeper we delve into division over issues as a society, the easier it becomes to accept lunacy as common thought.  There is sound reason for having solid immutable principles such as presumed innocence and freedom of speech.  If we abandon this “prime directives” even when we think what is being defended is abhorrent then we create precedent for the decent to become abhorrent.

Consider the current outrage over certain racist ideas that are gaining loud expression.  I agree that racism is horrid and must be squelched at every turn.  If, however, we drive expression of those views underground instead of openly opposing them, we create a rat’s nest for breeding hatred in secret.  We cannot control the hearts and minds of others.  We can fight and win with love and kindness.

The problem with making anyone guilty of a crime because of his or her thoughts and words is that we cannot always assure that we will control who decides what is “hate speech”.  We leave a dangerous door open that contains a ravenous beast behind it.  We put into motion the thinking that people can be criminalized for thoughts and words.  What happens then when your philosophy or faith becomes the unpopular one? 

We can fight all hatred and prejudice through love and kindness.  We can turn calls for hatred into opportunities for goodness.  We can defeat all of this if we keep in mind that we must not become evil to fight evil.  Picard again sums it up at the climax of this episode.  “You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy. ‘With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.’ Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie as wisdom and warning. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged.”

As a Christ follower I must assure that all humans are treated well or I am contributing to evil, not fighting it.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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