THE FOUR MOST HIDEOUS WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE | 2001-12-07
For centuries Catholics tortured and killed Protestants and Protestants tortured and killed Catholics. Today's terrorism is a continuation of a very old tradition.
To a person who truly believes in Heaven and Hell -- and I see no reason to call oneself a Christian if you don't -- temporary agony in this world is literally nothing compared to the eternal joy of Heaven and the eternal pain of Hell. If you are not very, very, VERY careful it is a very short jump from there to the Inquisition and terrorism.
It is precisely those who believe most sincerely who must always be aware of this threat. If you believe in heaven and hell it is easy to think that you cannot spare the body in saving the soul. That same insanity can be expressed in the four most horrible words that can be uttered, the basis of most real torture and horror in the real world
Not sparing the body for the sake of the soul is not cruelty. It is Mercy. Inflicting agony and death to save a person's soul is done FOR HIS OWN GOOD.
A person who is not clinically insane has to show some decency unless he uses those four words
"FOR YOUR OWN GOOD"
There is nothing theoretical about this.
History is full of examples where sane dedicated people did things to others that would make a sadist cringe. In every case they did it under the banner of THOSE FOUR WORDS.