Depravity

I am sure you have heard of "The Fall." Not the cool season of colorful leaves, but THE Fall. The one where Adam and Eve had it made in the shade. Plenty to eat, warm weather, no biting insects to torment them. But then... Well, you know the rest. The curse: illness, sorrow, pain, weeds, wayward children, etc.

Religious thinkers have debated the human condition and human potential after the fall. Some say we're ok, you're ok. No harm, no foul. Innocent until proven guilty. The perfectibility of man and all that. We are innately good and maybe sometimes we could use a little boost up from God.

Others say we are born sinners. None of this help yourself up-by-the-bootstraps nonsense. No way you can make yourself a good person. Sure, you can practise ethics so that you're a better neighbor, but there is no way for you to build a ladder long enough for you to climb up to heaven.

Without getting into the many shades of theological differences on the point, I want to share a pivotal experience for me. With the coronavirus lockdown and the ensuing boredom of being in lockdown, I yielded to the temptation to watch a little television. Now I am going to cut to the chase. Long story short.

Thanks to seeing several episodes of "Judge Judy" I have become completely convinced that mankind's natural state is TOTAL DEPRAVITY. You are welcome.