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The Moralist (2016)
- hirundo 7y ago> “I said, `How about that, `Let him who is without sin cast the first stone’”? This is awfully convenient in locking down the stone throwing arm of sinners. But it's immoral to the extent that it prevents sinners from reforming and trying to reform their institutions. For that, stones cast by insiders can be particularly valuable, as in this case. It's like, if you're a slave owner you may be a hypocrite if you work toward abolition. But it's better to be a hypocrite paying a compliment to virtue than to be a non-hypocrite wallowing in vice, ignoring virtue.
- tlb 7y agoIn the bible, Jesus says that in order to prevent a fatal stoning for the crime of adultery. It's not normally taken to mean "if you've ever done something bad, don't try to discourage others from doing similar bad things."
- deogeo 7y agoNot only that, but 'Let him who is without sin' is an utterly useless guideline, only popular because everyone already agreed the woman shouldn't be stoned to death for adultery. Try applying it to a child murderer. In this light, the advice turns out to be little more than "show mercy to people you think deserve it". I suppose telling people what they want to hear has always been popular...