My first Sunday Evening Visitor - Her name is Anna. She is my sister. My baby sister. At times, we couldn't be more different. At other times, we're obviously related. She has been thinking. A LOT lately. Maybe law school does that to a person. I've asked to use one of her Facebook Notes as our first visiting session.
The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions
I have good intentions toward people. I want them to be happy and to have the life they want. I want to make people happy...but what good are my intentions if I don't do anything about them? I can say, I intend to be nice to people today when I'm in a really bad mood but can I actually be nice to them? Only my actions will truly carry out my intention of being nice (or not, sometimes we fail).
So, what is this proverb saying? Is it saying that people with good intentions go to hell? That can't be right. If we're all trying to do good but fail, how do we go to hell for that? I know that we justify some of our actions by what our intentions are in life and I think that's what this saying means...we can't justify bad behavior because we think we're doing good.
Is it saying that if we only have good intentions yet fail to act upon them we then go to hell? What's heaven like if good intentions are to be penalized in life? Is it the opposite? We're supposed to treat people with the worst intentions possible? That can't be right either.
So I don't know how to understand this proverb. It could mean that we can't excuse some of our behavior that has caused hurt solely by our intentions. It could mean that we must act on our intentions no matter the consequences because at least we put forth the effort to try to do good. I understand that some consequences are worse than others in life, but if we're all full of good intentions, then are we all going to hell?
And what are we to do with good intentions? Maybe Hell is the right place to be.
My Response:
I believe you most closely hit the nail on the head with the line "we must act on our intentions no matter the consequences because at least we put forth the effort to try to do good".
I actually interpret the saying without the concept of... consequences. I try and remember this saying when I find myself thinking about doing something good for others, but realizing I haven't followed through. Simple example: Neighbor is elderly and has trouble raking leaves. I drive by in the morning thinking to myself "I should go offer to rake the leaves when I get home tonight". When I get home, I fail to act on this good intention. The next morning, the same cycle continues.
In general, if all we do is THINK about the good we could provide this world and our fellow man, we make no impact. If we truly believe that we are to be the image of God and act as closely as we humanly can in his image, the we must DO GOOD, not just think about doing good.
Of course, the consequences of our actions are not necessarily within our controls. I don't believe the consequences should factor into what we choose to do and how we choose to act. I could rake the leaves of the neighbor and never receive a thank you or a kind smile. It doesn't lesson my act, nor does it affect my intention to do the act again in the future.
I'm long-winded. Should be no surprise since we're related. :)
I actually interpret the saying without the concept of... consequences. I try and remember this saying when I find myself thinking about doing something good for others, but realizing I haven't followed through. Simple example: Neighbor is elderly and has trouble raking leaves. I drive by in the morning thinking to myself "I should go offer to rake the leaves when I get home tonight". When I get home, I fail to act on this good intention. The next morning, the same cycle continues.
In general, if all we do is THINK about the good we could provide this world and our fellow man, we make no impact. If we truly believe that we are to be the image of God and act as closely as we humanly can in his image, the we must DO GOOD, not just think about doing good.
Of course, the consequences of our actions are not necessarily within our controls. I don't believe the consequences should factor into what we choose to do and how we choose to act. I could rake the leaves of the neighbor and never receive a thank you or a kind smile. It doesn't lesson my act, nor does it affect my intention to do the act again in the future.
I'm long-winded. Should be no surprise since we're related. :)
4 comments:
Hmm, all good thoughts. I can't say I've sat here contemplating the meaning of that proverb, but now I am. I also think it deals with consequences and our attempts to excuse bad habits or actions with "but I didn't mean to do that." Yeah, well too bad.
Though I have to add that I don't think every bad act deserves a seat in Hell. Maybe it's supposed to serve as an incentive? A metaphorical "lighting a fire under one's ass" so to speak. Pun intended.
I love puns. :)
That's the thing... good intentions are just that unless they're acted on. You can't just have good intentions and feel like you're doing good, you actually have to DO GOOD. Agreed there, Tooje.
I'm not sold on the concept of hell - or heaven for that matter.
But the golden rule works for me... and it would agree.. do good... thinking about doing good and failing to act is just as bad as doing bad.
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