compy post: conversations with god(s)

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

The Baby Sun had been gone for a week, and nothing had spontaneously combusted, been covered in pink sludge or played disturbing music in that time. Mikami had finally accepted that it probably wasn't going to, and that the world around Hogwarts had returned to - comparative sanity.

Which left him free to think of other things. Specifically, the anonymous conversation he'd had on the secret post. He had no idea who the other commenter had been, of course, or whether their circumstances had been anything like his own, whether he should respect or revile them for what they'd admitted. But... God was trying to teach me something. It could have meant anything, it could have been a coincidence, it almost certainly was...

...and still, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

He couldn't just post asking to hear from that commenter again, though. They'd confessed anonymously for a reason, and there were too many other people who'd find it amusing to respond. Something more indirect, then.

Eventually he posted the following, anonymously, in the early morning when there were few people around and not much chance of being caught. Masuyo lay on his lap, occasionally adding remarks like sdffdr and ############# to the post, which he carefully edited out again. He hadn't been quite comfortable leaving her behind.

Have you ever communicated with a god, or other 'higher power', directly or indirectly?

If the communication was indirect, how did you know?

What did they say to you?

Do you believe that your life has a purpose?

Anonymous comments are encouraged. Please do not feel obliged to answer all questions if you don't wish to.

That done, he returned to his room. He'd check back later.

Comments

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

No. It's not.

Driving someone into poverty, exploiting those 'below' you, that's also a crime. It's one of the worst there is.

And selfishness and cruelty are parts of human nature, yes, but so are selflessness, and dedication, and honesty. We all have that choice, to listen to one side or the other.

I'd go on, but would there be a point? You know who I am, don't you? And what I am. What I've done. And I'm sure you'll dismiss every word I've written, because of that.

But you don't know me.

Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.

That is the law. It is not a crime to oppress those who have no recourse, by the letter of the law. The law and the justice it promotes favors those in power, regardless of the morality of the times because those in power dictate it.

What you promote, what you desire, is to create a Utopian society that dictates not only the actions of people, but their thoughts as well. Have you ever done anything truly selfless? Anything that did not, somehow, benefit you?

It hardly matters who you are. The conversation would likely proceed the same way.

I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Anything that favours one person over another, for a reason other than their own actions, isn't justice. I know that the system is flawed. I worked within it for years, I saw how much evil still goes unchecked. None of that makes the ideal of justice meaningless.

And I've heard that question before. I could say that I've stepped in to protect people from assault, knowing that I'd suffer for it myself and not be helped, or even thanked, and you'd tell me that I'd still done it to serve myself, to be able to feel superior. It's a tired argument, Mello, or Near. Whichever one you are.

Re: Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

Any law is going to favor someone over an other, regardless. Poverty or war demand actions that are considered unlawful by those either acted against or rich or at peace. Justice, therefore, must take into account these motivations if it is to be justice.

However, then you run into the trap of whether it is unjust to kill a man in the streets because there is a turf war occurring. Is war only defined by governments, or is it a personal thing? Is a thief who steals from the rich and gives to the poor the same as a thief who steals as his occupation?

What does it matter who I am? You wished for an anonymous conversation and now you will violate that?

By the fruit a tree is known.

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

I saw little point in pretending that we were still anonymous. But very well, I won't mention it again.

A war between nations is different from a gang war, or should be - as for the rest, what do you want me to say? I've conceded that not all situations are clear-cut, that the right thing is not always obvious. That's already far more than I would have a year ago. Feel free to take it as a win, if you want.

Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

I've not challenged your identity, so let's not.

Now that you know, are aware, that nothing is black and white, what will you do? How will it affect you? Or, will you continue on as you were, forcing the dissonance down until it vanishes again?

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

I didn't say that nothing is black and white. Only that not everything is.

Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

Name one thing that is black and white and I will find you shades of gray.

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Child abuse. Tell me how that's anything other then evil.

Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

Define child abuse. Where exactly is the line between discipline, training, raising and abuse? There are no clear lines. While there are acts that in some cultures are abusive, not every culture agrees. Is it abusive to spank a child? Is it abusive to deprive them of their play things and/or mates? Is it abusive to encourage them to develop along their talents even if that isolates them from their peer group? Define abuse...that is the gray area.

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

...so 'abuse' is a broad term. I'll be clearer, then. To take your first example, spanking alone doesn't qualify, but beating to the point of severe injury does. Unless there's somewhere in the world that it would be acceptable to put a child in hospital and claim it as discipline.

Re: Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

And if the child doesn't end up in the hospital?

We could belabor the point until we were splitting subatomic particles.

The point remains, gray must reside between black and white. It is the human condition.

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

But the black and the white are still real. They still have meaning.

Re: Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

I never denied they existed, just that they were the only options. There is black, there is white, but most of everything is gray.

Anonymous

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

It read like denying them to me.

There's never any point in the two of us speaking to each other, is there.

Anonymous

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

That would entirely depend on if we've spoken before or will again and what 'point' you are trying to gain from a conversation.