Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor
self-control is gradually acquired; the desire to indulge in darkness diminishes
in direct proportion to the Light that shines in you and the Love that comes from you.
As Divine Love and Light grow brighter and brighter with each
conscious choice to draw nearer to Light and Love,
the desire to do dark deeds disappears."
~ Matt Moody.
Acts of Evil: What are their Origin?
Try to explain how the holocaust could have happened if not for the intervening influence of unseen evil? Further, try to explain the reason why a dozen suicide hijackers intentionally killed thousands of innocent Americans on Sept. 11, 2001, and how they could claim this killing was for a good cause?
Secular psychology’s explanations for such atrocities include Bad Upbringing and Bad Biology — and under the latter category comes . . . the Mental Illness Alibi. Are we to conclude that extreme acts of terror, violence, and abuse are perpetrated by people who are not really responsible for their actions, because they HAVE an illness? Can we say with all confidence: “It’s not their fault for they suffer from a Mental Disease that makes them, forces them, to do crazy things?”
* * * * *
If you apply the Mental Illness Alibi,
it must occur by necessary Cause & Effect,
for if the intervening bad biology is Constraint, then
individuals remain Response-Able for their crazy behavior.
* * * * *.
Changing Your Stripes, page 259
Alibis: Bad Upbringing & Mental Illness
Another secular explanation for evil action comes from the Bad Upbringing Alibi — the “cause & effect” conclusion of Behaviorism. Think this through carefully: If human behavior occurs mechanically due to causal forces, then why does society put people in prisons and hold them accountable for their unlawful acts?
The notions of guilt and blame are good-for-nothing unless humans are somehow “responsible” for their actions. It follows that in order for people to be morally responsible, they must possess free-will to choose between alternatives. Such a conclusion seem so obvious, yet whenever the Bad Upbringing or Mental Illness Alibis are invoked — which is every day in courts of law — free-will is essentially tossed in the trash!
* * * * *
While Constraints do “Cause” me to pay attention for a time,
they do not “Cause” the color and character
of my ultimate Response.
* * * * *.
Changing Your Stripes, page 260
Our outside “doings” get persuaded, pushed, and pulled every which way by the invitations, assignments, and oppressions of others — yet our inside “motions” of mind, motive, and emotion possess “final freedom.” This means, when we divert from Inner Liberty, we do so by contrary consent with an unseen dance partner. Even though all betrayals are done in “duet,” . . . you still get to own moral responsibility for “dancing” your part. Every diversion you’ve ever dreamed began with a satanic whisper, an evil invitation to dance with darkness, somewhere along the line.
* * * * *
While What You "Do" . . . is explained by
What You are Responding To,
What You "Be" . . . is entirely up to Thee.
* * * * *.
Changing Your Stripes, page 256
It’s-Not-Your-Fault Psychology can divert you from doing exactly what would help you most: own your stuff! This means, instead of encouragement to seek the Vote of Inner Validation that comes by accepting Response-Ability, excuse-making psychology persuades you to a compelling consolation: do what the masses do and ride the bandwagon of political correctness.
The Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders is an ever-expanding volume that legitimizes every nuance of human excuse. When wealthy defendants need to “get off,” excuse-making psychology comes to the rescue with a new Disorder. So while blaming your bugaboos on a bad brain, a bad up-bringing, bad biology, or the bosanova . . . add to this list, blame it on the Brady Bunch: "Your Honor, my client is innocent because he suffers from an chronic case of Television Intoxication Disorder."
The equally sad commentary is that such “defense” strategies are sometime seen as “brilliant” when they “work,” instead of being seen for what they are: dishonest manipulations. “We, the sheep-ple” are being systematically desensitized to thinking that legal proceedings are analogous to a game of sport, complete with plays, tactics, strategies, and victories — a legal game played as if truth and justice did not apply.
Changing Your Stripes, page 213
Cause & Effect: Mechanical vs. Meaningful
The fact is no one can enact an evil deed . . . unless that act is first conceived; without Satan dispensing deviating ideas, human beings would simply stay in their Orbit of Innocence — given Newton's Law, how could it be otherwise?
* * * * *
All diversions from a Physical Orbit require
an outside “Cause” to force . . . a different course,
and all diversions from a Be-havioral Orbit require
an outside “Be-Cause” to initiate a new direction.
* * * * *.
Innocent and pure people stay . . . "unless" they are given a reason to stray — betrayal requires an outside reason, an outside be-cause. Human beings were NOT born with an evil rationale or evil reasons within them, such must be learned. From the earliest accounts of human history, it was Satan who inspired the first "idea" to commit murder. Satan was the sufficient cause that initiated and inspired Cain's contrary logic that killing Able would be advantageous. Cain did not come up with this evil idea by himself! In this way, the devil is the prime-mover of all dark deeds.
Changing Your Stripes, page 254
There are a myriad of excuses, reasons, and rationalizations to dodge responsibility, . . . and those that do such "dodging" reveal their departure from the Light. The Creator designed earthly existence that humanity might be Response-Able and Accountable for their choices. And being infinitely wise and loving, the Creator provided a way to escape evil influence at every turn: The Apostle Paul taught that God will not allow "you to be tempted above that ye are able" (1 Cor. 10:13).
* * * * *
Satan's influence upon you
is ever . . . and only "constraint,"
unless you sell your whole soul to Satan,
then your dark bondage occurs via "cause."
This is the helpless state of most addiction
and insanity, and the only way
out, is to be . . . saved.
* * * * *.
When selling out to Satan, people become insane: This dark condition directly explains "how" people come to commit sickening and vicious acts of violence; nevertheless, they are accountable for all . . . to include the selling of their soul, and their resultant insanity.
Changing Your Stripes, page 257
* * * * * * *
You Need to Put Your Peepers
on the Words in My Book
You'll be so much Smarter and Happier if you do!
The Greatest Prize
for Life's labors isn't
in material possessions
or impressive accomplishments,
but in the progress of personal character.
You labor for your own becoming, this is your richest reward.
Who You Become is your greatest possession,
make it your Masterpiece!
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 274).
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- Matt Moody
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Changing Your Stripes
Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor