Comments on: The Simple Answer to Lost’s Biggest Question

By: imisscharlie

imisscharlie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:57:45 +0000

Roland, you are referring to Matthew, Chapter 10, Verse 35 of the New Testament. After reading it in full context, I take it to mean that what Jesus was preaching was taken to be so revolutionary, so radical, that he said that Christians would be severely persecuted for their beliefs. And he was right–they were and are still to this day. So he told them to be prepared, that his teachings would be very divisive, even dividing families. He goes on to state that what goes on in this world is irrelevant to what will happen after death. So if you live your life solely for your pleasures and treasures on this earth, you will lose out in the next. He was not advocating dissent, he was merely predicting what would happen when people disagree.

By: Roland

Roland — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:29:08 +0000

I don’t think there is anything wrong with what you say imisscharlie. That is basically how I live my life, I just do it without saying it’s because I’m this or that religion. My point was religion doesn’t teach that. My son is studying to be a minister, so I’ve had plenty of opportunity to argue this point with him, and he agrees with me that somewhere along the line christian hierarchy went wrong.

Just to throw a wrench in the works though when Jesus said “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW” what the heck is that all about?

By: imisscharlie

imisscharlie — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:17:48 +0000

Amen, brutha!

By: Tas

Tas — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:12:50 +0000

I to want to see goodness ‘win’ I just don’t know that we are going to agree on which side is the good side. I’d like Jacob to stop screwing with people’s lives for his own game (got that now that he’s dead ) I guess using the WW2 analogy, the Allies thought that the good side won, the German’s didn’t.
I do like the idea of Lost theorists solving the world’s problems on a forum. It does make you wonder why the leaders of the world can’t just say ‘let’s agree to disagree and leave each other alone.’

By: ilieintheshadowofthestatue

ilieintheshadowofthestatue — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:46:38 +0000

I’m quite optimistic about goodness winning out in Lost, if we by that mean e.g. that Smokey will not be able to start slaughtering/claiming everyone outside the Island.

It will be quite interesting to see if Lost has something more to say about all the people who died on the Island because Jacob brought them there.

By: imisscharlie

imisscharlie — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:28:24 +0000

To both Tas and Ilie–you have some very good and compelling points for your views, and I appreciate hearing them in such a civilized and courteous manner. Wouldn’t it be great if all world leaders and countries and religions could be as calm and rational as we all are on this site in discussing our differences!

I understand what you both say in regards to absolutism–however, maybe I’m just hoping against hope that goodness will eventually win out both in Lost and in Life. I guess we’ll see in a few short months how Lost will end, but as far as Life goes, time will tell over the very (I hope) long run!

By: ilieintheshadowofthestatue

ilieintheshadowofthestatue — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:09:12 +0000

Imisscharlie, thank you for your answers.

I have my view on good/evil and you have yours. To me, there is no intergalactic struggle between Good/God and Evil/Devil. To me, it is obvious that people are just a form of apes. Therefore, I just look at animals when I want to understand people. Then I understand why some Jihad fighters and some U.S. presidents react in the same childish ways when they feel that someone stepped on their turf – they stamp the other one as “evil” and then it’s clear that the other one needs to be eliminated. (Come to think of it, the Losties’ name for The Others seems relevant here.) To me, it is clear that the concept of “evil” is just a simplification and personalization of everything that is a threat to the individual and his group. Our brain constantly seeks patterns in its environment, but assuming that we are just apes there is nothing to guarantee that we come up with the correct explanation – any explanation that will serve well to keep us alive will do from a biological perspective. Beliefs in gods and devils are examples of these personalizations. Based on this, I guess it is clear that I don’t see any absolute good or absolute evil, and I don’t think that Hitler is pure evil and Mother Teresa is pure good.

In the end (of the show), it will matter more what view Jacob/MIB and the writers have on this topic, I guess. Apparently, personally I hope that they will go for a more intriguing story than just yet another good/evil epic.

By: Tas

Tas — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:56:17 +0000

The comment about Hitler was my point exactly – now, with hindsight we wouldn’t even think that BUT many, many people did, not because they were complicit but because they believed what they were told by someone they trusted. Should they have trusted Hitler, no, but they did and went to war because of these beliefs. Aren’t the people who are taking Jacob’s word for it that MIB is evil incarnate just doing exactly that – prepared to believe with littel, even contradictory evidence? Organised religion has been the cause of most of the wars and horror in our world. Unbelievably awful things are done in the name of gods – thoses who are supposed to represent the good in a belief system. Nothing is nice and simple.
On Hitler and Mother Theresa, I agree that they are pretty close to the edges of good and bad, but to say purely? With no, none, not any little bit of good or bad within them? That’s not reasonable, a guy on another post bought up Mother Theresa doubting her faith at times, that’s not considered good by her beliefs. Hitler made arrangements for the people close to him to take the cyanide pills with him. You may say that that isn’t good to help people kill themselves, but when you think about what they would have faced when the allies overran Berlin, that was pretty thoughtful, he could have just considered himself.

Now please don’t get me wrong, i am not in any way shape or form a hitler advocate, his actions and beliefs are disgusting, I am using him as a way to show that even with him, there is good, that just because someone says something you don’t have to believe it. Sin is not universal so how can there be a simple understanding and representation of pure good and evil?

By: imisscharlie

imisscharlie — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:41:27 +0000

Hi all! Can’t believe this discussion is still going on!
Dabs–first of all I’m very flattered by your response–you are one of the legendary posters on this site!
I agree that the extremes of good and evil are much easier to define than the more subtle decisions we are faced with daily. I also agree with you that until you know the whole story, you cannot fairly judge someone else’s actions. For example, Kate’s murder of her “stepfather”. Even after we discover the reason for her actions, the fact remains that she still did commit murder, something that I believe is always wrong. What we need to find out now, before the series ends, is if she can redeem herself by her actions. Is she truly sorry for what she did and is she willing to repent, maybe by a heroic action for someone else? We’ve already seen her charity to Claire in wanting to reunite Claire with Aaron, so maybe there is hope for her.

Tas–I disagree with you–pure evil and pure good DO exist–think of Hitler and Mother Teresa–but there are SO many situations where it’s difficult to judge. Your comments about Hitler really disturb me. The premise that anyone (Jew, Muslim, Black, White) could have “dirty blood” that will contaminate the world is a frightening and fraudulent assumption. It has led to so much warfare and chaos that I couldn’t ever accept it. And the people who did accept it in Europe of the 1930s were just as complicit and misguided as was Hitler.
As to your comment that God puts people in painful, suffering situations, I think that’s just random bad luck–being caught in the evil web of others who chose the wrong way. God isn’t a magician who can control every aspect of everyone’s life.

Roland–I disagree with your point about Christianity and free will. When it says to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, I take it to mean to live your life as Jesus would, that is, to follow his teachings. Love each other, treat others how you want to be treated, turn the other cheek, sacrifice for the good of others, forgive those who have wronged you–don’t be vengeful, and ask for forgiveness for your transgressions. It doesn’t mean that you go around like a holy roller spouting scripture all day! There’s a hope that exists in Christianity that you can sin, but you can always be redeemed/saved if you choose to examine your conscience and become truly sorry for your sins. I ask you–what’s wrong with that?

By: bodao

bodao — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:01:55 +0000

I’m not the one who created the referenced post (Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, B&W, those are not such simple matters). I’m a “HE” by the way LOL .

Let me say that I won’t disagree with anything said, am I just glad that people are paying more attention to the matter of religion and that such great discussions have came up. I think I agree more with ilieintheshadowofthestatue’s idea, but all ideas are welcome and the important thing is to discuss.

Very great comments have been posted here.