Justice vs, Mercy

If you read my post yesterday, then you should already have some idea as to what this post may be about.

LDS teachings (although I'm sure other faiths teach this too) surrounding Justice and Mercy are as follows. In addition to what I learned in Sunday School and Seminary, I had the wonderful task of writing my mission president a whole long essay on these principles after I confessed some sordid improprieties to him many years ago, so one would hope I know what I'm talking about...

This post will likely end up being long, confusing and there's always a chance it won't make any sense at all. What can I say... Welcome inside my brain!

Justice is basically the idea that things need to be in balance. If an act is performed in opposition to a particular law, then there is a consequence attached. If you adhere to a specific law, there is generally a blessing of sorts attached. At the end of the day everything should balance out. Good choices bring good consequences and bad choices bring bad consequences.

Mercy is the idea that consequences to bad decisions can be avoided. In the religious sense, if one commits a sin as defined by the institution, then a series of rituals may eliminate the need of the perpetrator to undergo eternal consequences.

From a religious standpoint, I have a problem with these two principles.

First is the idea that a loving God would set us up to fail. Generally when sin and justice are taught, it is always from the standpoint of... If you sin, you must be punished. I think mankind is generally pretty good, and while we screw up on occasion, overall we're a pretty decent bunch of people. I think approaching the idea from a more positive and uplifting side would yield far better results, but it might result in less guilt based income and attendance at churches!

Second is the idea that we are powerless. I'm all for humility and the understanding that there are things greater than each of us, but at the same time, if we are indeed the offspring of God, I would think that certain powers are inherent in our being.

OK, so lets look at this from a couple of aspects, which I feel are all intertwined:

First a religious aspect. There appear to be two chapters in the the history of religion from a standpoint of religious law.

Initially we had the law of Moses, primarily described in the Old Testament. This was a law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If someone injured another, they would have to be injured in return. It was a very just system. Very black and white, where every law was clearly defined. It didn't require much thinking as everything was spelled out, from which animal to sacrifice as penance for a certain sin, to how many steps could be taken on the sabbath.

When Christ is said to have come however, the claim is made that the law of Moses was fulfilled, and a new order of things was ushered in. Rather than a strict set of laws with associated punishments, teachings were put forth about turning the other cheek, and going the second mile. It required a person to think more, and to forgive others. It was about seeking for something better and breaking outside the box of the law of Moses.

Before I 'Church' you all out, lets consider a different aspect though...

I think I've noticed a similar pattern in the idea of evolution, but rather than jump direct from religion to evolution, lets perhaps consider the idea of Karma as a segway between the two.

Karma is basically the idea that energy which you generate out in to the world is returned to you. If you spend your life doing good and serving others, chances are that positive energy will be returned to you. Whether that be due to those among whom you work, trying to repay you for your kindness, or whether it's just some cosmic rule, the idea of 'You reap what you sow' is one that is fairly sound.

I'll leave that one for a second and come back to it later however...

Evolution and in particular the idea of 'Survival of the fittest'.

In the animal kingdom, things are very just. If you are an animal and are born with a defect of sorts, then natural selection dictates that you will either die young, be eaten by a predator, or if you make it to adulthood, be unable to find a mate with which to reproduce.

Basically, if you have an attribute which is unnatural, or contrary to the natural law, then the consequences are that you will either be killed off, or your line with die out.

Conversely, if you are an animal born with a mutated gene, which instead of limiting your abilities, enhances them, then you will prevail of other members of your species, avoid predation, and when the time comes to select a mate, you will have your pick, and likely pick a mate with superior genetic qualities and improve your species, or quite possibly, generate the start of a new species.

Evolution still occurs in the animal kingdom. Species which cannot adapt to changing conditions die out, and new species are developed. Nature is in a constant state of change, generally for the better as the forces of evolution come in to play.

Humans have reached an interesting point in our evolution though, and while it may be to our detriment, I find it fascinating none-the-less. With superior intellect, humans appear to have moved beyond evolution. In the past where the weak and sickly would be cast out, or be unable to find breeding partners, humans tend to take care of the weak and the frail, and there is always someone willing to take a sickly person under their wings and help strengthen them.

Because of compassion and mercy for other human beings, we're now shaping our species, rather than allowing natural forces to shape it for us.

And lets go back along our journey to this point and see where else it affects us...

With the idea of Karma, humans have within us the capacity for change. While the reasons may be due to religion, increased knowledge, or acknowledgment that our actions may have been causing harm, our intellect allows us to re-examine our lives and reinvent ourselves if we so desire.

While a lifetime of injury to others and harmful deeds may be hard to rectify or leave behind, humans do have and sometimes choose to exercise their ability to change.

And we find ourselves back at the beginning with how this all relates to religion.

I may have stated it before, but I think it's worth repeating. Whether the story of Jesus is real, or (more likely) a story which has morphed through time to pass ideas onto new generations, I think there is much we can learn from it. Whether it's fact or not, should be pretty much irrelevant.

The story of the bible, the gospels and all of that can teach us a great deal. Pertaining to the discussion I've attempted in this posting it tells the journey through which we as humans pass in life. We begin life in a very black and white world. If you take my toy, I'll grab it back. If you hit me, I'll hit you.

However, as we grow and become more aware of who we are as humans, we develop within us the opportunity to see another person in different ways. We develop the ability to forgive, to assist and to love.

In effect we move from the law of Moses to a higher, and more meaningful law.

The gift of self awareness is both powerful and miraculous. It's just a pity that religious organizations like to harness that gift to provide for themselves an income and a steady stream of devoted followers. Taking that precious gift for themselves and relegating their membership back to the law of Moses or the natural laws of evolution.