I am not an evil person. I have a conscience. But I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to not have one. I mean, you could do whatever you wanted to and never feel bad about it. That seems like it would be a tremendous advantage in life.

I think that in business and politics it would be particularly useful. Maybe that is why those two ventures are so full of people who do evil things. Either they were born evil, or they became really good at suppressing their guilt… which amounts to pretty much the same thing, I suppose.

When a corporate leader decides to dump toxic chemicals in the ground water, dooming thousands of yet-to-be-born children to horrible lives with disabilities, just to save the cost of getting rid of the toxic waste correctly… when politicians cynically sell out their morals and make life even more difficult for those living on the margins…. that is evil.

I am particularly horrified by stories of priests molesting children. These are people who are in the guilt-selling business. They thrive by playing on the conscience that most people have, the conscience that makes most people want to do what is right. They make their living by convincing people that they are the ones who know what right… and wrong… is.

I must admit, that does sort of make me hope I am wrong, and that there actually is a hell… because there has to be a special place down there for all of those people.

***(I apologize for how this post turned out… I thought it was going to be funnier when I started writing it)***