Holier than thou

There’s never a shortage of so called “conservatives” or “fundamentalists” or however one chooses to call bigots. In particular, religious bigots who are always at the ready to pounce and denounce “evils in society”. Theirs is a lust for “enforcing the moral fibers” of society with particular emphasis on LBGTs, having elevated themselves to crusaders of the faith. The more fervent they project themselves in public, the more they gain yards of recognition to being defenders of “goodness and purity”.

Liberals or “lefties” are dismissed instantaneously as the devil’s aides who allow for almost all kinds of evil under the sun, a kind of inconsequential flakes and fruit-lovers who are “still dumb enough” to chant “world peace” as mantras while marching to the beat of peace protests.

It’s always easy to pick out these religious bigots in a crowd. They speak with a haughty disdain, calling out the “sins” of the masses, cloaked in whitened sheets of morality and all the while condemning the other half of society that are “wayward”.

Yet, while their speeches may thunder with the echo alike the “righteousness of God” enough to make the heavens tremble in awe, their message always lack one crucial element – mercy. Now, we’re not talking about the “burn the body, save the soul” kind of warped ideology of holy mercy. We’re referring to mere mercy. No ribbons or accolades or grandiose type. Plain, simple mercy.

In retrospect, you can take the “Ark of the Covenant” as a prime example. While is elaborate façade contains the articles of God’s wrath, justice and provision (10 Commandments, staff of Aaron and manna), at its very to, that is, the cover piece, interestingly is called the “Seat of Mercy”. Well, this is pretty much self-explanatory.

In an even stronger worded reference, try this: “But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." See, regardless of how holy and cleansed one may be, it all comes to nothing if that one trait is missing.

So, to those intent on sculpting themselves to be society’s moral police, may we say this: There was this one angel who was the brightest and “best” in the realm of God heaven. He was magnificent and the most seraphic of all the angels. His name was Lucifer… and the rest is history.