The Conch Has Been Passed

We hairless monkeys are strange and duplicitous creatures. One moment, we demonstrate that we're capable of great goodness, bravery, and compassion by giving to others, advocating for equal rights, and even sacrificing ourselves so that others may live. The next moment, we find ways to justify murdering innocents by the millions and then for the sake of efficiency, stuffing the lifeless, defiled bodies of our victims like cordwood into ovens to be disposed of like so much rubbish. So, what gives?

Humanity's propensity towards evil doing has troubled philosophers and thinkers for as long as our species has been able to think about more than just eating, sleeping, and breeding. At first, in our ignorance, we laid the blame for the darkness in our souls at the feet of malevolent deities. It was easier to say, "The devil made me do it" than to admit that our own selfishness, anger, ignorance, and arrogance are enough to inspire us to do harm to others.

Since evil was seen as the dark work of Set, Satan, Balor, Moloch and all the other members of the evil pantheon, it seemed reasonable that the shamans, priests, priestesses, and oracles who represented the good deities would be responsible for fighting the influence of the evil gods in their fellow humans. Of course, this was a problem because what was seen as evil by one person may not be seen as evil by another. For example, a person who chose to use herbs to heal sickness instead of offering sacrifices and prayers to a god might be seen as anti-god and therefore an emissary of evil. This, "If You Ain't For My God, You're Against Em" view of things led to inquisitions, witch burnings, being fed to lions. and many other forms of violence against those who simply didn't kiss up to the right deity. Side bar: Those poor lions. Christians are terribly high in fat, cholesterol, and are notorious carriers of hepatitis A and e-choli because they're often full of shit. Ironically, those responsible for fighting the machinations of the evil deities actually performed some of history's most heinous acts of murder, torture, and mayhem in the name of good. One has to assume that Satan, Set, Moloch, and their evil minions must've been pretty jealous because the holy do-gooders were doing their work for them. What's worse, the followers of good actually proved to be VERY good at doing evil.

In the modern day, a person's penchant for doing evil is viewed more as an individual failing or mental illness. So, the evil deities of old have found themselves out of a job. Unfortunately, in this age of mass communication, evil enthusiasts can easily find each other and share ideas. This has allowed them to mobilize and create things like FOX News, televangelists, social media, and country music. Thanks to technology, evil can be spread around the world in seconds. It's the kind of efficiency that Satan and Set would've given their left nuts for back in the bronze age.

All things considered, I think the Beast is us. We force asthmatic Piggy and his notions of decency and kindness off the cliff more often than not without the need for supernatural temptation. If Satan and his evil deity counterparts do exist, they must be pretty bored. I wonder how Satan is making ends meet since his services aren't needed anymore. I bet he can't pay the gas bill and the lake of fire has grown cold. If I had to guess, bankrupted Lucifer et evil all have been forced to take nine to five gigs as tobacco and NRA lobbyists.