Since Cain killed his brother, the question has been asked, “Is humankind basically good or basically bad?”
Flipping through the pages of any history book can certainly form a strong argument for the latter. Virtually every civilization on every spec of land on this planet has inflicted pain on “Others,” staining history with names like Hitler, Pol Pot, and Bin Laden.
Heck, get rid of the history books and take a look at modern examples.
I’m not just talking about political forces:
- A gunman walks into a church in 2015 and shoots nine members of the congregation gathered for a service.
- In Aurora, Colorado in 2012, 12 people were murdered and 62 injured when a shooter opened fire in a movie theater.
- The Sandy Hook massacre will forever be remembered for the deaths of 20 children and six elementary school staff members at the hands of a gunman.
Of course, there are more: Columbine, Pulse Nightclub, Fort Hood, just to name a few. Should I list every horrific example in even only the last two decades, I’d fill this page.
“But Scott,” you argue, “These are all examples of deranged, evil, hateful people. They’re not the norm.”
I agree.
