The morality of what we cannot alter... Cannot Change!..

(Also appeared at : Journey in a Broken World 26 / 08 | August / 2009)


Title: The morality of what we cannot alter... Cannot Change!..

Apologetical Article by Marc Aupiais

Shadow sprayed across the moon... this night. Night, darkness... Hiding the terror, the horror of the deep black, deathly shadow of lightless fog.

The thick, heavy dark clouds passed across innocently harsh waves of the reflecting moon. The trees splintered shadows, as the light filtered down in airy silver sheets of visible nightmares.

Within this place, horrors happened. Within that place, people were hurt... People- We... We never heard about, never saw... Or knew at all.

Yet, if this airy place exists, if it is as whole nations are at times... Evil, horrendous, murderous and worse. If it is real- do you truly care what occurs there? Do you mind if infants are killed, or children hurt? Do you care if women are abused, men treated as animals? Would you still care if it were done by your government, race, culture, ideology or party, or religion?

What happens out of our control, we are not guilty of. What happens beyond our ability to know... We are not guilty of. These things, we read about afterwards- in articles by media and books by persons, who never encompass the fullness of happenings. And sometimes we learn hate from these, or believe what is not true or really sourced. We find sometimes- we learn the devil's lesson, and unwittingly mimic the faulty beliefs of the oppressors- while holding as martyrs- the oppressed.

We are never guilty of what we had no chance to prevent- or fight against. Yet, there is another dimension at play- another role of the conscience's dice.

The reason the Christian must become part of a creative minority, as the Pope called our modern day mission when still a Cardinal- my reason for this, not his, which I do not remember, my reason which I shall speak of: is simple. The Christian must look sceptical at the news, and statements of officials of so many groupings. He must be suspicious of those tasked with the care of souls, and suspicious of those opposing them. He must attempt to see the truth, to dig deeper and understand the real issues at play.

What we do not know of- we are not guilty of not stopping. What we cannot stop, we are not guilty of not succeeding against... Yet- what if we were able to know and chose not to know ... What if we could have strengthened our cause, and endurance, and have fought against evil... And won?

We are not guilty of what we cannot stop, but we are guilty if our negligence is our own doing- this is why gluttony is a sin, and sloth is evil.

Yet- what of that we cannot stop, it seems, when we come face to face, nose to nose with it- we merely observe its happening and oft forget morality. We look coldly at history, and justify acts of evil, or ignore them, or heartlessly study these... in icy cold. When we cannot act- we turn morality off; we observe?

The truth is- that when we do so, we learn apathy. When we consign ourselves to doing nothing, to neglecting even judgement of evil as what it deeply is and neglect keeping memory... When we turn to holding tight onto justification of evil- we forget the effect that which we cannot halt has... Even... on us.

There are times we tolerate evil, but the righteous must only do so for a time. There are times when doing nothing is right, but inside we must condemn the evil we watch. Inside we must note it, and should we ever be able to combat it justly- we must ensure justice prevails.

I may not be able to prevent abortion, or oppose the killing of other innocents throughout the world- but I can observe it as evil, speak of it as inhumane, note it- and attach the wrong to those guilty of it- and account for this as evil- whatever it is. It must be remembered, whatever the evil- and the one who did it must not be forgotten for what they have done. Forgiveness, as sound theology relays- is not weakness or amnesia. Forgiveness is a state when one analyses a situation and does what is most right, most just and Godly to do.

I may be helpless, but do I pray? And should I be able to act- do I do something... Something solid and powerful, something tactical and worthwhile?

... Shall I choose to do the right thing- or lose my life in refusing to do wrong?

To be a Catholic is to never stand by and do nothing when evil takes action... It is to act or omit action in the way which best benefits good over evil- or less evil over greater evil.

One does not have to be righteous to have God on their side. The world is a system, thereby... Sadly, truthfully... where there is greater evil, all suffer. The smaller evil becomes, the greater the situation is... for all.

We may not be able to stop evil, or even confront it- but we can win the small victories we are able. We can win the victory within, that of Faith- a mind set which attempts to view the world as it really is. Every matter, every issue in the world pertains to proportional truth, and to falsehood- and to their children- life and death...

If all we can do is acknowledge something is evil- at least we may take a step to truth and hope. If we can do more... We should wisely, prudently, cautiously, if not boldly and firmly act! It takes creativity to be good, does it not..?

Judgement in the kingdom of Dust, in this veil of tears, the banishment from heaven!

(Journey in a Broken World )

Article by Marc Aupiais

Sand blows immersed, and infused inside the small night breeze. In the distance, the ice creeks, and mourns an unknown death, as frost slowly seeks out the uncovered parts of the green grass, and in the distant sky there is a castle. Figures with wings, they slowly mount the passages, they move up and down- to a ladder which opens into light, and paradisaical beauty of heaven above. A sound, like the dying of an animal, or a crying child makes the ears freeze, as the combination of desert on one side, and paradise between, and icy tundra on the opposite comes to be noted.

We judge, do we not? Fiery expanses and ashes blow against our face! We see, and we define, sometimes we see paradox, snow in the desert, or many other things- yet do we now say that it is not snow- for our judgment. True judgment, Righteous Judgment- is but so often followed by war, or diplomacy- under the yellow, gold and white flag of freedom.

Real judgment is the sort which is observation- we see snow in the desert, and wonder at it- and consider what it means, and perhaps act. False judgments always are evils which attempt to lie- to say a person is not human, or snow is not snow. True judgment is apposed to heterodoxy- to common incorrect belief, to wrong assumption, to undefined precepts for action. Real judgment is noted of Saint Paul "The Spiritual Man- he judges all things- yet he is not judged" (Paraphrasing his wording in his letter to the believers in Corinth)- surely the rebuking of misinterpreting by some of the words of Jesus : "Judge not least you be Judged!"

To judge- we must always treat people as their dignity is- sometimes this means war, sometimes, it means enmity, or many things...

I describe this kingdom I see, I speak of opposites as one- yet opposites which are true in this kingdom. It is a fool who sees white falling in the desert and says- no, it is not so- and a mad fool also- for either he sees it, or he doesn't- yet to deny it is utterly devious, and harmful. In fact, it is apathy which does such damage- people who know something is wrong tolerate it- in other words, they judge- not man but God, who speaks in their conscience. Now, how much worse than judging another man! Those who lie to themselves and others about what they see- about their conscience, and tolerate evil without just reason- these judge God, and condemn the oppressed.

These crucify Christ on his cross. Non-judgment is utter foolish enmity with God. In fact, in Africa, we note the "unbiased" view of our leaders- as mass murderers and better men are treated as equals- as governments and terrorists are concerned as equal at the negotiating table. We see people starve for this apathy- which condemns itself utterly when it justifies itself via faith.

In the stream of the rivers of time- we see all things come to pass- but it is short term to treat right and wrong as equal- in fact- justice must be done. In the Congo we now see revenge for Rwanda taken.

Refugees, they are not saints- anger touches- and enters, hatred fills, these are people, with emotions- do not be surprised if they pick up arms. With one injustice, another chases it. When injustice is permitted- when terror is allowed- it continues- small and large.

It is the gravest of sins- that we should participate in mortal sin- by doing nothing. Let us judge utterly, but judge via truth, and the morality of faith, and the manner of faith's way forward. Light, it breaks the clouds, golden, and sunset- it enters the heart. Do not ignore conscience- but act prudently, and with timing which is of benefit- yet never ever back off from justice- for in this you condemn your soul!

Let us be prudent in judging- and act in just the right proportionate doses of action- in truth, and the prayer God wants of us!

(Clarifying what just judgment is: it is not petty, not foolish, not evil, yet while we say so much of not "judging", which is a condemnation of the counter-society so often present among those who think this is Christian- we need to say what we actually mean in this veil of tears, and so us who know clarify, in any case... I was staring at a painting of a boat, and simply had to right down the complete images which molded into my consciousness- and their meaning I gave them. When we say this, now you know what it should mean- it fits in somehow- and has proportion- do not judge by appearances- but by conscience, and always ask when in doubt- those who have proven themselves true, for more, research it in our engine- with very professional sources, and others.)