Hating Evil is What Makes America Great?

Dennis Prager continues his analysis of the Judeo-Christian heritage with an essay on Good and Evil, and how the American heritage uniquely has taught to hate Evil whereas the rest of the world (including the philosophies of the extreme Left) have instead hated shame or loss of face or lack of knowledge.

Nor did higher religions place hating evil at the center of their worldviews. In Eastern philosophy and religion, the highest goal was the attainment of enlightenment (Nirvana) through effacing the ego, not through combating or hating evil. Evil and unjust suffering were regarded as part of life, and it was best to escape life, not morally transform it... In much of the Arab and Muslim world, "face," "shame" and "honor" define moral norms, not standards of good and evil. That is the reason for "honor killings" -- the murder of a daughter or sister who has brought "shame" to the family (through alleged sexual sin) -- and the widespread view of these murders as heroic, not evil. That is why Saddam Hussein, no matter how many innocent people he had murdered, tortured and raped, was a hero to much of the Arab world. As much evil as he committed, what most mattered was his strength, and therefore his honor.

This is a profound work and a must-read for anyone looking to understand the split between American and Europe, or the Left and Right at this time in our history. Hating evil is something critical to the American mind, and it should come as no surprise that when Reagan or GWB speaks of it, most Americans respond strongly.