Saved...or Not

Back when I was a regular church-goer, I believed that all people could be saved. I no longer believe that. And I don't just mean saved in the Christian sense, I mean saved/redeemed/whatever as a person. Some folks can't be saved. I came to this realization years ago and seeing stuff like the Chaos at the Capitol last week just reaffirms my stance. Some folks are beyond saving. They're just gone spiritually, mentally, ethically and they can't be helped and I don't believe in wasting time trying to change someone who doesn't want to change him/herself. Some people are just evil. They may not have always been evil, but they're evil now and see nothing wrong with their behavior when they abuse others or commit crimes. And I'm not just talking about Donny's Band of Idiots who wreaked havoc last week, I'm also talking about people like the guy who went on a killing spree in Chicago and Evanston last weekend. I'm talking about the guys who carjacked and killed a retired firefighter who had just gone out to buy some popcorn in the Chicago area last month. Shooting and killing innocent people and having no remorse whatsoever about your actions shows you're not worth saving in my book.

Some time ago, my stepsister's son was considering a move to Chicago to work in a position where he'd be a counselor to young inner-city kids (or something like that). I remember telling my father that this kid would probably end up crushed by the job mainly because he didn't grow up like a lot of the kids he'd be counseling. He grew up in a nice, middle-class Southern home with two working parents. He didn't come from the streets. I doubt he could even understand the mentality of a kid from the South Side who had no role models, little (if any) parental guidance, a poor education, and no hope. Thankfully, my stepsister's kid didn't get called for an interview. He probably dodged a bullet on that one. 

I'm all about helping those who want to help themselves, but I won't waste my time, money, or mental health on people whose goal in life is to harm others.