>On Fri, 19 Sep 1997, Brett Lane Robertson wrote:
>> I see a pattern here whereby those who have innocence receive grace in
>> exchange for forgiveness at the cost of their innocence to those who are
>> corrupted and who corrupt...the innocent do this out of awe and wonder at
>> the gracelessness of the corrupt, and out of innocence as to the nature of
>> corruption--but, this pattern may be followed imperviously to the detriment
>> of those who fit the profile of innocence and corruption regardless of the
>> fact of the matter.
>Is corruption the oppostite of innocence? If so, is it bad to be called
>corrupt?
>-Prof. Tim
List,
No, I am using innocence as a continuum and placing corruption at the end of
the scale. And that is not their only defining characteristics. Those who
are innocent: receive grace, give forgiveness, loose innocence, (thereby)
show less awe and wonder at corruption--become corrupt. Those who are
corrupt give grace, (accept forgiveness), are (therefore) graceless.
The pattern seems to be that corruption is the transmutation of grace for
forgiveness; and innocence the transmuting of forgiveness for grace. I
would further define innocence as purity and corruption as impurity (or, the
innocent do not buy-into or sell-out to an external standard, "law"; the
corrupt are not pure in this respect).
Based on this, it would appear that deviation from truth (mistakes,
fudge-factors, freedom, flexibility, "forgiveness" of which the innocent
has ample supply--thus their innocence) causes one to look to an external
standard for "grace" (acceptance of mistakes of which the innocent have
short supply--having had to use it infrequently). Corruption is therefore
"order which derrives from mistakes".
In the sense that it is order, it is good (in most cases, though order which
reflects reality is truth; and the innocent already know this truth not
having experienced its opposite)...in the sense that it is derrived from
mistakes at the cost of freedom for innocent people, it is bad. I would say
that it is more bad than good.
Brett
ps...I lost my train of thought. I think this has several loose connections
even contradictions. Can't seem to pick it up again, everyone take a shot.
Returning,
rBERTS%n
Rabble Sonnet Retort
Do not show your wounded finger, for
everything will knock up against it.
Baltasar Gracian