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It's only semi autobiographical
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    • Wednesday, August 20, 2003

    I just got a leaflet through my door. Yellow it was. Well is, I still have it here. Basicaly, it tells me about a church service at my local hall, with a prayer group afterwards. It even has a little tear off slip at the bottom, asking if theres anyone, or any situation, I think needs prayer at the moment. Now as I may have stated before, I'm an Atheist, but for once this made me thoughtful. I could, if so inclined, argue that this leaflet was simply sent out to spread awareness of their service, and thus swell the congregation, and this may be true. But the fact is, this group of people, for no other reward other than the way they feel after doing it, are willing to expend their time, if not effort, to help others lives improve.

    Now my first reaction could quite legitimately be negative, "suckers" or "idiots" spring to mind, and if I'm honest, that may well be what I truely believe about what they are doing. However, ignoring the fact that I do not condone their actions, the fact that they realy believe they are doing good must count for something. Is a person a good person because of what they do, or what they think they are doing? If you believe the former, does that mean that these people who truely believe they are improving the world by getting together and praying, spending their time toward this purpose, are in fact no better than someone who doesn't care? If you believe the latter, what of people like Adolf Hitler, who committed acts of mass genocide, but thought he was doing good by improving the human race?

    Clearly this is a matter for the theologists out there, and not lowly Maths students like myself, but doubtless I will find an opinion to defend. Perhaps before answering what makes a person good, we need to define to ourselves what good and evil realy are. What basis do we make them on? Religion? Natural law?

    Or perhaps it was just a scam to get a larger congregation. Who knows.

    Now I'm restless, and I'm going to get some photos developed.
    Posted by: Anonymous / 4:11 pm
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