Quote:
|
"Deserves death? I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give that to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends" ... Do Gandalf’s words ring true in our lives and in our world? Do you believe that humans have not the right to judge who should live and die?
|
I probably cannot argue as persuasively and logically as Kalessin and others, but I cannot agree that Gandalf's words do not ring true in our lives. Moreover, mercy and pity are not absent from 21st century life. As a deacon in my church, I'm constantly confronted with situations in which someone is confronted with circumstances beyond their control, whether they brought it on themselves or not. It's my job to show mercy to such people, and maybe pity is not in vogue these days, but surely compassion is, and is related to pity. My colleagues and I are constantly faced with the question of whether someone deserves to be given help, and I detest the whole question, yet it helps neither the people in difficult circumstances or us if we give them aid that only helps them stay in the middle of the trouble they're in. I realize this is a different kind of application than what JessicaJade first brought out, but it's my experience. More personally, I've been tempted to ask my supervisor to fire my coworker because she makes so, so many mistakes - and then she turns around and treats me with far more consideration than I do her, and I find myself humbled and reminded that
people are far more important than accurate inventories and all that. Mercy, pity, compassion, and consideration of others are the things that enrich one's life far more than survival, achievement, success, intellectual prowess, and all the rest. I just wish I didn't have to remind myself of that time and time again.