Ramblings, just incoherent ramblings

(Originally written June 6, 2006 in Book 3)

Philosophy of Religion
John H. Hick

"Doomsday"

I guess I shouldn't mock as there is yet two hours left for the beast to emerge. Actually, I would have been somewhat disappointed if God as Satan had chosen to act in such a predictable manner. Honestly, who am I to judge God or Satan? May the Lord have mercy on me if I offended Him in ay way and may He protect me if I marked myself with a bullseye.

Anyway, the purpose of today's journaling is to discuss crime and punishment, the death penalty, and imprisonment. The prison system of America is in shambles. It is impotent. I think that it may be one of the biggest failures in our government's history, So now that I have exposed my bias, I cannot in good faith simply tell you to accept it as fact. But, explore for yourself and check if you believe that the American justice system is effective.

Today, out my argument we must start far before prison, before justice, and even before crime. The starting point is what is society's and what is individual?

First, there is individual man.

Second, there is individual man.

Every individual being has the right to do whatever he pleases without impediment, Unfortunately, even in this simplest scenario it is implausible:

Steve wants land 'A' and Joe wants land 'A'. Both have the rights to land 'A'.

But if both Steve and Joe have the right to land 'A' without impediment we have a problem. Both have the rights to land through individual fundamental rights. But if both Steve and Joe have the right to Land 'A' without impediment we have a problem. Each of their rights impedes the other's individual fundamental rights. Thus, there is a violation of that right if either man claim's land "a" of the other man's individual fundamental rights.

Now there is a major problem for human society. We have a paradox: either every human being will either respect one another's right to something by not doing anything or by overpowering others and exerting their right as supreme. If the former is chosen then we will sit idly until we die and if we choose the latter (which has been repeatedly chosen we will live in a world of Hitlers, Stalins and servants. Nietzsche would be proud.