Just because you think it's right doesn't mean it is

I finally saw Law Abiding Citizen and it's my new favorite movie. I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but the movie makes a great point on the subject of right and wrong. Just because we think something is right doesn't mean that we are doing the right thing.

To put this in the simplest and easiest perspective to understand...a little "white" lie is still a lie. We try to tell ourselves that by telling this lie, we are "helping" someone else by not admitting the truth(and the truth does not have to be brutal). Then there are times we feel justified by what we do because we are somehow "owed" something so it's o.k. if we "use"(steal) a few things from work(since we do work a thankless job for a miserable boss). Here's the kicker...if these two events were the "right" thing to do then the people that we call "terrorists" would be justified for their violent actions because many of them believe that they are doing the work of Allah.

For the record, I think any lie is wrong just like any theft is wrong, and God or any higher power anyone chooses to serve would not condone the killing of innocent people. I also think that whatever you or I choose to believe is right then we should not only believe it internally or in certain company, but everyone should know our personal code of ethics. In other words, if a person is a racist among members of their own race, then they should spit their racial epithets to any race. Will this sort of free speech make someone a hated individual or possibly beat up...yes, but it comes down to...consequences.

If we think it, and act on our thoughts, then we should be willing to face the consequences for our actions. This is the problem for some of us who choose to be hypocritical and not live up to the thoughts that we actually have and instead, choose to act on what is considered publicly to be the right thing. I'm not writing all of this to tell you what is right and what is wrong, but I am saying that if we think what we do and how we act is right and justified, then we should face the consequences for our thoughts and actions. For a better example, see the actions of those involved in the Montgomery bus boycott.

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." - Proverbs 16:25