Pastor And Some Of The Followers example essay topic

In his novel, "1984", George Orwell warns us against three things. He stated that people are only out for personal gain, and will use any means to reach their goals. He also warned against these types of people who are already in power. And lastly, he warns us against the lost of privacy through constant surveillance, and how we actually allow this to happen.

If we all have the traits to become evil, why does it become a reality only in some? Before this question can be answered, we must first ask what evil actually is. Evil is "an intent to cause emotional trauma, to terrorize the helpless, to prolong suffering, and gain satisfaction from it all". Someone is considered evil if they willingly and gratuitously inflict harm on others. These people cannot empathize, they revel in others pain, they dehumanize their victims, they are narcissistic, and grandiose (they play God). People are not just born evil.

There are certain factors that contribute to this type of outcome in a person. There is a usually history of abuse or neglect. They felt unloved, or even unworthy of love. There is also the possibility of there being a chemical imbalance, causing abnormal brain functions, thus, making someone incapable of certain human emotions such as empathy, compassion, or pity. Other things that can cause someone to 'snap' could be sexual inadequacy, maternal smothering, paternal abuse, and narcissistic borderline personality disorder (a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy). They tend to have a way to justify their actions.

They will use an ideology, or beliefs that what they are doing is what is morally correct, and therefore have every right to commit the acts that they do. Take Reverend Arthur Allen for example. His church, the House of Prayer, has a firm belief in corporal punishment. After a young boy complained to his teacher that he was in pain, and the teacher found welts on his body, the police and county officials began to investigate the church. However, even when the investigation was going on, the parents of the children in the congregation would not agree to stop the punishments for just two days. The children were taken away and the pastor and five of his followers were arrested on charges that they participated in the beatings of these children.

This is also not a first time offense of them. The pastor and some of the followers who were arrested had been convicted on similar charges before. Allen, who is awaiting trial still stands by his beliefs and continues to support corporal punishment. He believes the courts are wrong in prosecuting them for this. He states, "We " re getting persecuted. They want to dominate us with their way of life".

He believes that since this is his religion and that it is "God's Will", there is nothing wrong with his way, and continues to stand by them. Jim Jones was the leader of the cult known as The People's Temple. As ruler of the sect, Jones confiscated passports and millions of dollars and controlled his followers with threats of blackmail, beatings, and probable death. He also staged rehearsals for a ritual mass suicide. On Nov. 14, 1978, United States Rep. Leo Ryan of California arrived in Guyana with a group of newsmen and relatives of cultists to start an unofficial investigation of alleged abuses.

Four days later, as Ryan's party and 14 members from the cult prepared to leave from an airstrip near Jonestown, Jones ordered that the group be assassinated. When he learned that only Ryan and four others had been killed and that those that had escaped might bring in the authorities, Jones activated his suicide plan. On November 18, he ordered his followers to drink punch laced with cyanide, an order that the most of them obeyed passively. Jones died of a gunshot wound in the head, most likely self-inflicted. Troops reached Jonestown the next day, and the death toll was eventually placed at 913, which included 276 children. They also seem to dehumanize their victims, making them sound inhuman.

John Wayne Gay referred to his victims as "worthless little queers". Ted Bundy called his victims "cargo" and "damaged goods". Jeffery Dahmer ate his victims. When Hitler saw that a ship carrying 900 Jews fleeing Germany had been turned back by Cuba, he stated, "See, the world doesn't care about these people. We can do with them whatever we like". Timothy McVeigh said that the infants and toddlers that he killed in the bombing were just "collateral damage".

Under the leadership of Pol Pot, the government of Cambodia caused the deaths of at least one million people from forced labor, starvation, disease, torture, or execution while carrying out a program of radical social and agricultural reforms. Everyone does have the capability to commit evil, however, it seems that only some tap into that part of their personality. It is easy to prevent evil. It starts in the first three years of life. If a child is given attention, love, and compassion, they are extremely less likely to become evil later in life. Those children that suffer from abuse and neglect are the ones who have a higher chance of becoming the next Dahmer, McVeigh, or Hitler.

Looking back on the history of any person who has committed horrendous acts, you see a common link. All have suffered some form of abuse or neglect in life. If the common denominator is known, shouldn't society now be striving to stomp this problem out? ~~

Bibliography

Ripley, Amanda. 'Whippings in the Pulpit. ' Time (April 2, 2001): page 47.
Begley, Sharon. 'The Roots of Evil. ' Newsweek (May 21, 2001): pages 29-35.