The End of Endless Punishment

by - Terrence J. White

Many are the vociferous, almost paranoid voices now calling for greatly increased punishment and monitoring of persons now or formerly guilty of sexual crimes against children. Each newly-reported crime brings renewed calls for increased punishment or monitoring, a punishment or monitoring often of persons whose offenses against society were either minor, or which occurred many years ago. The length of time in which the accused has dutifully tried to again be a law-abiding citizen, or the relative severity of the initial offense (or lack thereof), seem to matter little in today's climate of mass-hysteria on this subject. As is well-known from the field of psychology, reason and common-sense too often disappear completely when primal human instincts are aroused. This is particularly true regarding small children, or societal mating taboos. Constitutional guarantees of basic civil rights are unfortunately often held, in the minds of many persons not given to much thoughtful consideration, to be of little worth, and easily dispensable, when it comes to a hated, feared minority such as "registered sex offenders".

Marc Lunsford, whose daughter Jessica's tragic murder some years ago caused him to take up the 'crusader cross' of anti-pedophile activism, is reliably reported to have testified before the United States Congress in March, 2009 using (inter alia) the following words:

[My] job now is to declare war on child sex offenders and predators[,] and to get [Congress] to join me. Instead of them stalking our kids, we will stalk them. And instead of them being our wors[t] nightmare[,] we will become theirs...

Sadly, Mr. Lunsford is only all-too-representative of a growing number of persons in our ostensibly 'enlightened', 'progressive', 'rational' society. These persons such as Mr. Lunsford even sometimes go so far as to express their wish that all "registered sex offenders" should be put to death, utterly ignoring in the process whatever civil or constitutional rights those hapless 'offenders' may once have enjoyed.

While the rape, murder, or unwelcome sexual 'molestation' of any child is surely unfathomable and reprehensible to any sane and humanistic mind, such a liberalistic soul must also confess that 'two wrongs never make a right'; that no crime - however tragic or horrifying - ever justifies virulent hatred and persecution in return. Hate, violence, or pain should never be repaid with more of the same, because that makes an otherwise justifiable, ethical person into yet another unethical, brutal monster.





Yet this is precisely what is presently happening.

Those who have made mistakes - even serious ones, unless they shall have been demonstrated to be a true threat to their society - deserve the opportunity, by virtue of still being children of the Living God, no less than you or I, to remake and reform their lives. God made them, and placed them here on this earth. God pronounced his Creation "very good". This includes human beings. "God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man," wrote Shakespeare, some four hundred years ago. Short of proving themselves without a doubt to be truly dangerous to society, then, who are you or I to contradict God's Will in placing such other persons here among us? They still deserve the chance, provided they never again repeat their tragic mistakes, to reintegrate themselves into society. This means, of course, reintegration upon an equal footing, with no further social handicap or stigma laid upon them.

Yet sadly, our infantile, knee-jerk society does not at present allow this to happen. Too often, persons who have made mistakes such as relatively minor sexual offenses against children are treated literally as second-class citizens, from that day forward, to the end of their days. And we are here not speaking of those who commit far more terrible offenses against children, and who surely need to be locked away for life. No, we are speaking here only of those whose offenses were relatively minor, though surely regrettable. Too often, those persons continue to be literally brutalized by a society pathetically unwilling to forgive, much less forget. Too often, they get swept into an awful net more properly reserved (if it is used at all) for those probably un-redeemable persons guilty of far more terrible and serious offenses.

Is this ethical, or moral, my friends? This writer submits that it is far from either.

The body politic of society, being led and blinded far too much still by the primitive animal instinct of fear, is all too often very much like a half-blind, lame, slow-witted horse - too easily led and manipulated by those sub-elements within society who happen to have stronger than average wills, and correspondingly stronger than average desires to exert those wills, whether for good, or for 'evil'. Unfortunately for all of us, those elements with evil intent more often seem to predominate.

"Lupus est homo homini" (Man is a wolf unto man), the Roman playwright Plautus recognized as long ago as a full two thousand years. Humankind "is the only [species] ... that preys systematically on its own [kind]," echoed William James, closer to our own era. Sadly, there seems to almost always be an element in every society which think and act toward their fellow-humans only in terms of cruelty, brutality and sadism. The Nazis were of course a text-book example of this unfortunate tendency. And vulnerable societal scapegoats such as "registered sex offenders" unfortunately seem to only give such savage brutes precisely the stimulus they need to justify (in their twisted minds) their heinous, barbarous acts of cruelty and sadism, acts perpetrated upon those least able to defend against them.

What is one to do when such savage brutes have gained control of the very reins of government, are ensconced in the very halls of Justice? How does one defeat this tragic, awful human impulse toward brutalizing others? This writer submits that there is really only one practical remedy to this problem: they must be publicly shamed. One must call them out publicly, and name them for the monsters that they really are. And societal opprobrium must then be heaped upon them, in the same manner in which they have tried to heap it upon others. Nothing else ever really seems to work.



But this must be done without resorting to still more hatred and abuse (as pointed out above). Otherwise, we are just as evil as they are. We know that our oppressors are immoral monsters (though the terrible irony is that this is precisely how they label us); we therefore must not stoop to their despicable level of immorality; otherwise, their labeling of us will become devastatingly accurate, and deserved.



Such a process, though it may take ever so much time, and see ever so many precious human lives ruined or destroyed before it can take hold, is really our only legitimate hope: the only real beginning of the end of this endless, eternal punishment of one segment of society by another, more powerful, more ruthless segment.

Yet there is more.

In the following section, the argument may well seem to directly contradict what has just been stated (above). However, this writer submits that this is really not the case:

The previous section just read suggests public shaming as perhaps the best way to combat the overwhelming tide of hatred, cruelty, and abuse being directed at "registered sex offenders" by a very vocal minority of our society; the next section merely suggests a better alternative to the message in the first one, not necessarily a contradictory one.

Kindly allow a brief explanation:

This writer's best answer to the seeming contradiction is, that one can publicly shame one's 'enemies' to the same degree that we could all agree that a truly dangerous child rapist would need to be locked away for life, for the good and safety of society. The first argument was addressed to concerns on a 'worldly', practical level. The following argument goes to a much deeper, spiritual level, and offers a solution which may in fact render the proposed solution of the first section quite moot.

This writer would go further still, however: the "public shaming" should never be done on an individual basis, as is presently done to "registered sex offenders," but only on a group, or collective basis. Only this method will have the potential to rescue us from the apparent contradiction.

An analogy: Jesus, in the Gospels, repeatedly called his contemporaries into question regarding their ethics and behaviors; yet he never (to this writer's knowledge) did so on an individual basis. Was Jesus guilty of judging and condemning others, and thus contradicting his ethical message? On a one-on-one basis, no. But as far as group-think, or group morals went, perhaps it can be argued that he did. Surely the essence of his timeless message was to promote ethical morals for individuals and for groups, and to condemn lapses in both levels, but not so far as to point to specific, individual failings.

When reading what follows, therefore, it would be well to keep these points in mind.


The Purpose of Suffering

"Behold, I show you a more excellent way .."

There is a way in which this suffering and punishment inflicted upon us, though not eliminated entirely, may at least be rendered somewhat more bearable. Though this is a more difficult path, it is nonetheless the "more excellent way," the way more to be desired than either gold or fine jewels. When once discovered, and fully realized within oneself, it becomes a source of bliss and tranquility - even in the midst of the cruelest of sufferings.

The late mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell often quoted the ancient maxim, "participate with joy in the sorrows of the world." Most people, however, probably won't have a very clear idea what he meant. 'Theosophical' writer and sage G.R.S. Mead left us a valuable clue, in his "Gnostic Crucifixion," just what it was Campbell actually meant: "Let the disciple then first see," wrote Mead, "the suffering of the man [i.e., himself] through, not his own, but his Master's eyes."

He will first only see the mystery, grasp it intellectually; he will not as yet realize it. When he realizes it, there will then be bliss indeed, for he will begin to become the Master Himself. And the Master is the conqueror of woe - not, however, in the sense of the annihilator of it, but as the one who rejoices in it; for he knows that it is the necessary concomitant of bliss, and that the more pain he suffers in one portion of his nature, the more bliss he experiences in another; the deeper the one[,] the deeper the other, and therewith the intenser becomes his whole nature. His Great Body is learning to respond to greater and greater impulses or 'vibrations'.

The consummation is that he becomes capable of experiencing joy in sorrow and sorrow in joy; and thus reaches to the gnosis [i.e. revealed insight] that these are inseparable's, and that the solution of the mystery is the power of ever experiencing both[,] simultaneously.

This is admittedly a very difficult thing to learn to do, and requires much practice and training. Why recommend it now? And how is it possible to achieve, given that it may seem so very improbable?

It is recommended now, for the simple reason that times are now so very desperate, and the sufferings of despised outcasts so great, that perhaps they may be ready, through having been first humbled and reduced, to listen to such words of wisdom, and to actually follow them. Achieving it is possible, moreover, through tenaciously following one simple pathway: LOVE.

This writer freely confesses that this pathway is not for everyone. It is in fact the way "straight and narrow," of which there are "few .. that find it." It is the discovery of the true 'Holy Grail'. It is the way of becoming a Mystic, or Saint. The majority in this suffering world will (alas) never find this pathway (and will thus continue to suffer greatly), but it is here offered to you, so that you may have the chance to learn and grow, and thus raise yourself above your own sufferings. Would that all could realize this sea-change of perspective within themselves, and thus put an end to the worst effects of suffering!

Now, despite the way things may appear to some, this writer is no naive fool (certainly no 'Saint'). This proposal is no mere vain or pious posturing; he realizes the degree to which most people in today's cynical, even nihilistic culture will quickly discount such a proposal as offered here. Indeed, for many years, this writer too was among the most dubious and cynical of all human beings.

It is for these reasons, then, that this writer asks your indulgence, in order to explain how and why the discovery of Love within oneself can (and will) lessen the force and impact of the suffering inflicted upon us from others.

The lesson starts with one simple premise, and is found in sacred scripture: "God is Love." Nothing terribly controversial there, surely. Yet, to fully grasp the significance of this idea, one must deeply ponder it a good while. When one realizes LOVE within oneself, and creates a permanent home for it within one's heart and Soul, never forgetting to nurture it, and invite its presence, one in very fact has then allowed "God" permanent residence within one's heart, because "God is Love." This is harder to do, on a consistent basis, than might be grasped at first. This is why it was earlier said that much practice is necessary. But when a person has once felt the full force of "Love" (which is identical with "God"), one cannot easily forget the experience! It is a life-changing experience, if experienced properly and fully. Most people naively refer to being 'born again' in a wholly different context. Sadly, they have completely missed the point. The new "birth" is, in fact, a radical change in inner perspective on the so-called "outer" world. It is the discovery and internalization of Love (which is "God").

Next, one must begin to grasp the deeply fundamental idea that, as Campbell (again) also repeatedly said, you and the "other" person - even the one who persecutes and perhaps even kills you - are in fact identical - but only on a deeply fundamental, spiritual level. When one has fully grasped this idea, one realizes that one cannot then cause harm to another person, without also causing harm to oneself.

All else follows from these two very basic, but supremely deep, principles. When one realizes that one partakes of the same spiritual substance with one's persecuting "enemies," that you are in fact one and the same as those "other" persons, on a deeply spiritual level; when one realizes that in order to fully and deeply love oneself (or one's "God"), one must also equally love one's 'enemy' -that same 'enemy' who causes pain and suffering (even death), one begins to feel God-like compassion for all the other people who are lost and wandering in a maze of hatred, confusion, and - above all - FEAR. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives away all fear," is also written in sacred texts. Where there is love, there must also be compassion; "ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est." (Where charity and love exist, there God is also.)

Where love exists, habitually and consistently, fear can never find a permanent home. Where love and compassion exist, "suffering," as intimated above by Mead, almost ceases to exist. One recognizes the inner kinship with the "other person" causing the pain and suffering. One recognizes that all "persons" manifesting in this plane of reality are but seeming separate aspects of the self-same Deity, that God of this Universe, who manifests in multitudinous forms, yet mysteriously remains One and the Same. Certainly, the outward physical reality of 'suffering' may indeed continue to exist, but the inward effect upon your Soul - that spark of the Divine which resides within your heart - transforms that 'suffering' into an experience of veritable communion with God Himself. It is very hard, my dear friends, to describe this transformation, to one who has not experienced it. Like Whitman said, "not I, nor anyone, can travel that road for you: you must travel it for yourself."

May these precepts find a gentle home in your heart of hearts, and may you discover how to relieve yourself of your pain and sufferings. You may not be able to very much change how others affect you, outwardly, but one thing is certain: you are definitely able to change your own inner perspective on that 'suffering'. The process of doing this is one of great spiritual growth. It is worth pursuing! Have faith - there is a better day ahead. Keep your inner eye of Wisdom firmly fixed on this idea and experience of LOVE, and you shall know no more fear, and your present 'sufferings' shall be sweet unto you, and of only a moment's duration.

Take it from one who 'suffers' just as much as you do (yet whose experience of 'pain' has been greatly transformed and diminished). Does this writer suffer? Does this writer feel anguish of Soul? Assuredly yes: just as much as you (if not more). But the experience of it has been changed, in this writer's ken, much in the manner Mead described: sorrows have become sweet unto him, and no joy can be felt without a tinge of sorrow. And Mead was also certainly right in that the greater the degree of sorrow one can feel, the greater the degree of joy one can also feel. One cannot know great depths of joy, without also knowing great depths of sorrow and suffering.

This, my friends, is the way to overcome woe: by coming to know Love, which is God, and by realizing these truths outlined here. May you too find this out for yourself, and no longer need to rely upon this poor writer's word.

One final photo, to remind us that we all were sent by God to reside on this one planet (and that we have nowhere else to go.)