I hope I can squeeze some philosophy under the wire of Natural Remedies today by excusing it as Natural Alternative MENTAL, or even SPIRITUAL Health! Can I get away with it? Might people who are interested in the subject of Natural Cures for Common Ailments buy that ending the war between good and evil that rages within most human beings qualifies as a Natural or Alternative cure for a common ailment? Hmmm, Let's try it and see!

Most of us are taught that things like anger, hatred, violence, dishonesty, terrorism, racism, homophobia et. al. are bad and we should avoid them in favor of things like Love, kindness, helpfulness, leadership, generosity et. al. I disagree that we should be pushing certain traits of our personalities away from us as if they are not part of us or not loved or respected.

Most of us are trained to think of good and evil like "Geraldine" the Flip Wilson Character from the 70s. She was hysterically funny, but kind of deep too! Her thing was "The Devil Made Me Do It". But reality dictates that a person cannot materialize, something that does not exist in them to begin with. I think this "Devil Made Me Do It" perception is a grave mistake that ALL religions make and it causes tremendous internal conflict in the hearts of well meaning people.

"Goodness is OF us and evil is OF someone else" is just not supported by reality. In reality, MOST of the wars that go on inside us are caused by this mis-perception. Exactly who is this evil puppet master that is able to materialize thoughts and actions from outside us that do not otherwise exist? SHOW ME some evidence that such an entity exists!

Human beings contain both good and evil simultaneously, and express both at different times as a natural response to what is being experienced. But it does NOT come from somewhere else. It is in us already. My evidence is this: Something that does not exist in us cannot be stimulated to materialize. Therefore, if anger, hatred, violence etc. can be stimulated in us, it must first exist in us.

Since anger and hatred etc., are common to all people in all cultures, it IS part of the WHOLE human being. Why, then should we not develop a philosophy that loves and honors ALL of what is natural in us in a useful way, rather than trying to push selected traits away as if they are not part of who we are in reality?

This comes from a personal epiphany of accepting that I'm a NASTY OLD CUSS in the minds and hearts of a few people in the world and there is nothing wrong with their perception of me. In their experience of reality I am exactly what they imagine I am. They are responding naturally to the only thing I've shown them of myself.

There is, equally, nothing wrong with my perception for getting angry or feeling hatred towards someone who acted in a manner that was an affront to MY reality. I am justified in expressing my honest response to what I experience. Once I fully accepted that I'm kind of a BAD guy too, my life grew a sense of balance and peace that I didn't imagine could exist for me. (I'm a recovering Catholic Alter boy if that helps you understand where I WAS!)

In me there is good and evil and to compartmentalize my whole self into pieces and accept some of them and reject others seems counterproductive to me. It tends to create a war within me that could never end because within me I contain both in reality. If I do not make peace between them, by my love and respect for both, the war continues and no one wins!

I see myself as a good and friendly and even helpful person. I love and respect that part of myself. Sure, that's an easy one. Anyone can do that! Yet, there are times when I'm just a holy terror. I Also love, and sometimes I'm even PROUD of the Evil in me. The evil part of me is like a warrior against unfair treatment of myself and, more often a GROUP of people, even if I'm not associated with them personally.

That is the axe that the evil Gregory swings with relish and a side of fries! AND, I'll do it again without losing a MINUTE of sleep over it, just watch me! I can't STAND for unfair treatment of ANYONE including myself and I will GO OFF about it in a New York Minute! Such treatment is an affront to my reality and I have justification to express my response to it.

I encourage personal development of a philosophy that integrates the reality that we are both good and evil into a useful expression of both that creates a minimum amount of damage without encouraging that we separate ourselves from parts of who we actually are as a WHOLE human being.

These personality traits that we are trained to avoid, have their constructive uses that are every bit as legitimate and, yes, honorable as those traits we judge to be desirable. It just seems more intellectually honest to me to love and accept that we're not ALL good, nor are we ALL evil. We exist in a duality and, like it or not, we're a part of that duality.

Religions teach that without GOD there is no reason to do good works and societies would descend into a dog eat dog, survival of the fittest kind of thing. First off, OOPS! Too Late, that ship has already sailed! Let's move on! ;-) I disagree with that view. There are Natural Laws at work that CAN be proven, that are not dependent on the presence of God or religion.

Not that I would ever suggest that ANYONE follow the example set by George H W Bush (the senior president Bush) but he did prove the existence of Karmic Law. He used to play this game, when in public, where he would count the number of people he could elicit a smile from by smiling at THEM.

It seems like a silly game, but it proves Karmic Law. If you do good, the likelihood is that you will encourage good behavior that creates a world that is GOODER than it would be if you did NOT do good. Doing good, therefore, has rewards that have nothing to do with heaven or hell.

Conversely, Charles Manson decided to do evil and thereby created an evil world to live in and created distress for DA Bugliosi and Squeeky Fromm and those other girls as well as innocent bystanders that watched the drama unfold not even to mention the people that were murdered.

That world does not respect or love him in a meaningful way, as a direct result of the actions he undertook. This is additional proof of the existence of Karmic Law. Had Charles Manson NOT done these terrible things, he very well might be busy being loved and respected right now. Karmic Law holds that what you send into the world around you, returns to you in kind.

There is an altruistic and at the same time, selfish reason to do good works and both are built into the act of doing good. It creates a kinder, more gentle world for YOU to live in (selfish), and it creates a kinder, more gentle world for any individual your good work impacts (altruistic). Even further, it is most often observed by others not directly impacted, but is witnessed none-the-less. It then becomes an example of good behavior for them.

My argument here is that, contrary to any religious pronouncements, Karmic Law is a legitimate motivation to do good works that has nothing to do with the existence or absence of God AND it can be PROVEN! Whereas God, Heaven or Hell being the sole reason for doing good works and that bad things will happen without them cannot!

To wrap this up I'd like to encourage ANYONE reading this article to begin to recognize, honor and love, the evil AS WELL as the good in you and think of ways that both can be channeled into a philosophy that honors you as a WHOLE person and actualizes that those parts of you that you consider to be evil have their appropriate uses as well! Do that, and the war within you can, at some point, end!

How did I do?

Gregory