ON INNER WHISPERS AND EVIL

Someone who is more dear to me than possibly even myself has lead me into the danger-
ous area of listening for those inner whispers from that part of me that is greater than me. It is
a dangerous area because I fear that if I tell the wrong people of my listening then I will be ac-
cused of of being mad – mentally ill.

I calm myself with the thought that this inner voice is not a “voice” per se, it is more of a
feeling of absolute rightness of a thought. This is a feeling that previously I have only had
about some little bit of mathematics or noticing some pattern, always without enough evid-
ence at the time.

These feelings are less dangerous when they are kept safely inside mathematics or pat-
tern, because either the math is true, and provably so, or the pattern is their, or not. I have to
ask myself “why do you even bother putting yourself in such danger,” and the answer comes
back because it is the right thing to do for yourself and others (Be Brave!) Perhaps, I am mad,
but it is a madness that makes more sense to me then the madness that passes for normality
in the world.

What I have heard is what I already knew – it seems that I have been listening, but without
my complete awareness. What I have heard is that we are all inadvertently guilty – not be-
cause of what we have done, but because of what we have failed to do. We think that we are
too small, the World is so large and it really is beyond our control.

There are too sorts of evil, personal evil and corporate evil. We all know what personal evil
is – congratulating ourselves that we aren't a Hitler, a Charles Manson – but we are blind to
what I call here corporate evil. Personal Evil is the things we do or say with the intent to cause
discomfit or harm to another.

What is “Corporate Evil?”

To start, I use the word “corporate” with some misgivings because I am afraid that the as-
sumption will be that this is some anti-capitalist tirade, when in fact Capitalism, as it is prac-
ticed is just a small part of the problem.

One manifestation of Corporate Evil is addressed by Google's unofficial motto “don't be

evil” – by which they mean is not to take actions simply for the short term financial gains. This
is good if Google manges to hold to their unofficial motto, but what I am talking about goes
deeper than money.

What I call “Corporate Evils” are actions we fail to take to help another when we see them
being mistreated by the system, by society, by mankind as a whole. I am speaking of any
friendship that consists of being a friend by soothing them with words of concern, by prayers,
by throwing money at them, but not of actively standing by their side, by not speaking up. It is
the evil that happens when we do not realize that by helping others, we are helping ourselves
(“There but for the grace of God, go I”).

© B. W. Reed January 23, 2009 & May 17, 2009

 Though we convince ourselves that we did not do anything, our very inaction has perpetu-
ates the very Evil we see; if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.
The only way to fight this evil, the evil that we have convinced ourselves is not our doing, is to
prove that it is not our doing by fighting it, by speaking up, being a real friend when someone
needs it, with faith expecting that when we are in need someone, somewhere, will return the
service.

There are many who will agree with what I have said, but then punctuate that agreement
with “but …,” allowing us, by this fatal punctuation, to continue on our path soothed by our
lack of culpability.

What is required if us is a true “prayer in action,” a prayer to God by acting for others bene-
fit even though it may put ourselves in danger; anything less enables this “Corporate Evil” –
no, better our “Collective Evil.” Our collective sin is the sin of inaction. What is the root of this
sin? It is our fear, our fear that if we speak up then we will bring on the very wrongness we are
fighting upon ourselves.

This fear is not without justification, as I have learned from bitter experience. It is a fear of a
quite real double edged sword, whose blades are our reluctance to admit our culpability and
corporate societies fight to survive, unmodified. One edge personal, how it cuts us, and the
other edge the very thing we should be fighting.

So we sit in church singing hymns to God with which to mask our fear, thinking to ourselves
how lucky we are, building walls against the pain that others are enduring to keep them out of
our sight. The only solution to a “collective sin” is collective action, a collective realization that
we are responsible for the suffering for others. Responsible not because we personally
caused it, but because we fail to act to stop it.

This is the goal and it is impossible. But, the inner voice impels me to reach for this im-
possible goal, a goal of hope, and to share with others this impossible goal; It says that each
of is responsible to everyone else and though we may think the way is impossible, we must
keep reaching.

Many people, noting the very thing that I speak of, speak of the “end of the world,” and give
up, saying it is foretold. To this my inner voice replies that we have been given free-will and
this means that nothing is foretold, that we have the power to turn it all around. Anything else
gives lie to our free will and our hope. We have a choice. We can choose to make the world
into a better place, a place that may not be perfect but an imperfect place in which we can
hold up our head knowing that we have done what we can to make it reach for perfection.

I have felt, and imperfectly acted on, this in my life and now find myself in dire straights be-
cause of it. I find myself amongst the down trodden that I have felt so much for and have dis-
covered that, even though we are comrades in the fight, they are also blinded by their fear. I
feel the need to convince just one person to become a warrior against “Corporate Evil,”
someone who is willing to let go of their fear, to stand by side with actions and not words.

I write this not for the creation of guilt. Corporate, collective, mankind feels no guilt and has
no use for it. Nor is my goal personal guilt, for guilt is only useful when it leads to action. My

© B. W. Reed January 23, 2009 & May 17, 2009

goal is action, personal action, and a call to understand our personal responsibility to others.
Probably, I would have to disagree with the inner voice; I think my time and words have been
wasted, have fallen once again on closed ears. (Finis)

© B. W. Reed January 23, 2009 & May 17, 2009