Perhaps all people start out good, but temptations abound. Power corrupts, and money creates blood-sucking monsters. I do not just wonder how these people sleep at night; I also wonder how they wake up. Do they wake up thinking, 'Whose life do I want to destroy today? Which company am I going to bleed dry? Which city am I going to plunge into death and destruction when the floods come?'
I can only speculate, but I think these people no longer think. They have completely lost their moral compass. They do not consider right or wrong; they do what enriches them, no matter the cost. Perhaps they lost it long ago — they cannot even remember what it is like to have a soul anymore.
They used to be good people, but they changed — from public servants to ruthless despots. They used to know right from wrong, but now wrong has become right for the wrong ideology or the right price. How do you reconcile your Christian beliefs with unwavering support for perpetrators of crimes against humanity? What is this fawning praise and sniveling loyalty about? Idolatry? Idiocy? Sycophancy?
They took the lives of the poor and the powerless. Can there be a greater sin? And in the guise of waging a war they knew could not be won — at least not with guns, unless they were actually dumb. You only need to read history. You only need to read the narratives of other countries. This formula has failed time and again. You sold your soul to the Devil.
This is what baffles me. We take such great pride in being a Christian nation, yet we lie, cheat, steal, and kill. It is a regular day for everyone. What have we become? An ultra-religious person justified lying by saying it is a part of life. Well, that was the lie she chose to tell herself. I choose to reject that lie even though I do not go to church unless it is for a wedding or a funeral.
I do not detest those who read the Bible, but I confess I cringe when I hear them quote the Bible and then post the meanest and snarkiest comments online. I have nothing against church-going people, but I do feel sick when lies slip like honey through their lips. Is it just coincidence that the social media pages of some of the nastiest bashers on cyberspace are packed with pictures of Christ on the cross or the Virgin Mary as well as biblical quotes?
I do not understand how these people can reconcile their loud and proud religiosity with their mean-spirited, diabolical, and depraved selves. A pillar of the community, greatly admired for his business acumen, family values, and deep religiosity, hides a dark secret. He is the Harvey Weinstein of the business community. But the depravity is not confined to individuals; it is now institutionalized. The morally bankrupt are now the stewards of society. Crass is the new swag; corruption the new currency.
Some of the kindest people I have met in my life do not even know God as we do, but they do not lie, cheat, steal, or kill like we do. The coup leader, the collaborators, the fugitive, the traitors, the thieves, the killers — they know God, they believe in God, they invoke His name. But they do the Devil's work, not God's.
Perhaps all people start out good. But then the Devil appears — handsome, suave, and charming. Dressed in designer bling, he hands out first-class tickets to Europe and suitcases loaded with cash. And that is how human beings become blood-sucking monsters who lie, cry, betray, perform, and go Facebook live at the Devil's bidding. It is not about knowing God. It is about falling for the Devil.
