My favorite philosopher of late, Slavoj Zizek, writes in his delightful new book, “The Year of Dreaming Dangerously”:

“The problem is not individual corruption or greed, but the system that encourages you to be corrupt.”

Systemic evil. Some people make the mistake of confusing critiquing the system with critiquing those involved in it. The distinction needs to be made. However, it is necessary to acknowledge the sick symbiotic codependency that occurs between the system and its servants. We should have no hesitation in critiquing the ideas that become accomplices to the system that dehumanizes people. Most, if not all of us, share the experience of being victims of the system at the hands of its servants. Even though anger can be aimed at the perpetrators, we also acknowledge their blind cooperation with a system that encouraged the harm.

One of the groups of people that typically suffer from systemic evil are those who fall outside of the “normal Christian” sexual spectrum. Have you read the great forum discussion “My Close Friend Has Begun a Same Sex Relationship”.

Your guys’ graciousness and wisdom astound me. Good on ya!

(Oh… if you want some smiles or maybe even laughs as I illustrate my critique of the shepherd/sheep analogy with my cartoons, check out “SHEEP WEEK” over at nakedpastor.)