On sinfulness

[Sojourner]

OK, so I just wrote a story about a former cop/attorney who suddenly went AWOL, then started (allegedly) robbing banks. The story mainly consisted of this guy's former associates saying, "I could never have believed it of him. He seemed like such a good guy."

Now. I totally understand the sentiment ... I've experienced it myself. I have a good friend who's husband is a felon. I know and like that guy, would let him watch my children, etc., but he defrauded some people and got caught, and is in prison. But I'd have never guessed he would be capable of knowingly breaking the law. People like W aren't felons -- those folks are sleazy and shady.

But I also recognize that any of us is capable of great evil -- and I think we all know this, somewhere deep down inside -- especially those of us who are Christians. Why, then, are we so shocked when someone succumbs to it?

I profess to believe we're all sinners, but somehow I must believe that most of us are immune from the "big" sins ... no one I know would molest a kid, or rob a bank, or commit fraud. But that's obviously not the case.

[DeoOptimoMaximo]

well, I believe most of us want to think the best of people and implicitly tend to trust them, until that trust is broken...

[Mrs. Bro. Adam]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Feb 17 2006, 10:47 AM'] ... no one I know would molest a kid, or rob a bank, or commit fraud. But that's obviously not the case.
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In certaintly wish I could say the same in my life.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Feb 17 2006, 11:47 AM'] Why, then, are we so shocked when someone succumbs to it?
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Because if so-and-so is capable of it, so am I... and I don't like to believe that I am...

[Thumper]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Feb 17 2006, 12:13 PM']Because if so-and-so is capable of it, so am I... and I don't like to believe that I am...
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Good insight, HSMom!

[philothea]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Feb 17 2006, 10:47 AM']I profess to believe we're all sinners, but somehow I must believe that most of us are immune from the "big" sins ... no one I know would molest a kid, or rob a bank, or commit fraud. But that's obviously not the case.
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I think it's part of the package gloss-over that Other People get. We don't believe they have any real problems either. We are surprised if they deviate from being blandly normal in any way.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Feb 17 2006, 01:13 PM']Because if so-and-so is capable of it, so am I... and I don't like to believe that I am...
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I think that's definitely part of it. I actually asked that question of one of the people I interviewed, and this is what he had to say:
"The reason you’re reporting on this is because it’s a unique story ... most lawyers are responsible. The fact that it's newsworthy suggests that it’s unique. It's not a pandemic that’s waiting to explode -- it's a unique situation."

Now, of course, this guy is a lawyer, talking to a reporter, and I suppose it was somewhat silly of me to expect him to be honestly reflective in what he said to me. He's not going to say, "Yeah, I do wonder that about myself." That wouldn't exactly do good things for his career ...

[Birgitta Noel]

Fr. Phillipe tells us that each one of us is capable of the worst sin. It's the there but for the grace of God go I thing. I used to think some pretty harsh things about people I knew who had committed certain sins, until I committed the very same ones.

[cmotherofpirl]

Yep.
I am never surprised when I read the news everyday. But then I believe there IS great evil in the world, going about like a lion , seeking someone to devour.
Many people naively think "well this person had a bad upbringing" or "its society's fault", or that person would "never do that". Everyone on earth is capable of the best and worst of human activity, including ourselves. Since we don't want to believe that about ourselves, we have a difficult time ascribing evil to other people.
If you believe those lines, when you do run into real tragedy caused by human evil, your perception of the world is shattered.
I read the Old Testament, so I have no such problem.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Feb 17 2006, 12:47 PM']OK, so I just wrote a story about a former cop/attorney who suddenly went AWOL, then started (allegedly) robbing banks. The story mainly consisted of this guy's former associates saying, "I could never have believed it of him. He seemed like such a good guy."

Now. I totally understand the sentiment ... I've experienced it myself. I have a good friend who's husband is a felon. I know and like that guy, would let him watch my children, etc., but he defrauded some people and got caught, and is in prison. But I'd have never guessed he would be capable of knowingly breaking the law. People like W aren't felons -- those folks are sleazy and shady.

But I also recognize that any of us is capable of great evil -- and I think we all know this, somewhere deep down inside -- especially those of us who are Christians. Why, then, are we so shocked when someone succumbs to it?

I profess to believe we're all sinners, but somehow I must believe that most of us are immune from the "big" sins ... no one I know would molest a kid, or rob a bank, or commit fraud. But that's obviously not the case.
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Usually, the "big" sins come as the result of a long downward spiral.

You know...lust for your wife on occasion and you respect her less, respect her less and you'll lie to your wife on occasion, lie to your wife on occasion and you'll find a way to "get away" with more enjoyable things, start looking for more enjoyable things and you'll end up committing adultery, get too into that and you'll start wishing your wife was dead and you had the insurance. Before you know it, you're in an Italian restaurant handing a hitman an envelope and telling him not to be sloppy.

Our consciences normally must be killed off first.