I often see attempts to control the nature of man.
Nothing overt. Nothing that is even that self-aware. Just ideas. Behavioral limiting. This often leads to grand statements like:
"Society would be better off without God, or porn, or <insert personal vendetta here>."
But the flaw is in the belief that the bad doesn’t come with the good.
Think of all the wonderful/horrible things that mankind has done in the name of God.
Think of all the wonderful/horrible things that mankind has done in the name of Science.
Think of all the wonderful/horrible things that mankind has done in the name of Discovery.
Think of all the wonderful/horrible things that mankind has done in the name of Profit.
Is it sensible for us to say that these greater ideas are detrimental?
I used to hate FOX News. I used to wince at the shameless arrogance of its reporting. But you know what? It’s just serving a need. My problem isn’t with FOX News, it’s with the people who watch FOX News.
It isn’t the thing; it’s the people.
Many who want to dictate which factors are acceptable in society do so in the name of bettering man. "Imagine if the concept of God never existed," they postulate. This line of thinking usually assumes that man is inherently good, but that there are some bad influences that inevitably skew this nature.
The problem is, people aren’t inherently good. People aren’t inherently evil. People are just people. Many of them aren’t too bright. Many of them are extraordinarily kind. Many of them are condescending, and polite, and rash, and patient.
Many of them are wonderful/horrible.