An Open Letter to Humans Everywhere

By Ben Love ~

Dear Human,

At some point today, stop what you’re doing and find a mirror. Stand there for a moment and look into that mirror. Don’t see only the reflection of the physical body. See that too, yes, but also try to look past that and see the “you” on the inside. Try to get a mental image of that “you.”

That “you” that you see...is good. You are good. You are just fine exactly the way you are. Do you have problems? Sure. Have you behaved badly in the past? Probably. In fact, yes, you have. Will you misbehave a little more in the future? All signs point to yes. But what you do and why you do it are a separate issue from this basic truth: you are born good, not bad. You are born innocent. You are born beautiful. You were not born evil.

Now, does this mean you aren’t born with bad tendencies? Of course not. A human is, after all, merely a civilized animal, but still an animal. You have instincts within you, leftovers from the long, slow trek of your evolution—instincts for survival, for self-preservation, instincts that translate as selfishness in society. These instincts, though, can be unlearned as you move through society. That is the exact definition of being civilized. To better ourselves. To rise above instinct.

Regardless of your instincts, you are born good. Why are you born good? Because you were born! You are a form of matter that is occupying space and time for a limited duration. Is matter good or is matter bad? The truth is this: matter is most likely neutral, being neither good nor bad on its own. It can only be good or bad, then, based on someone else observing it and assigning those qualities to it. Steak is considered by (most) humans to be a good form of matter. Feces is considered by (most) humans to be a bad form of matter. So, if you are born as a form of matter and matter is neutral, then how do I know you are good? Because I say so! I choose to view you that way! I choose to assign you worth and goodness because I feel this is what you deserve.

Not everyone agrees with me. There are those that choose to say you are born bad, the product of sin, the evil result of humanity’s waywardness, an abhorrence to God. They tell you this because they’re following a theology, but what is theology if not a human set of understandings regarding some manifestation of God? Thus, these humans who say you are born bad say so because that it is what they choose, just as I have chosen to say you are good. See, we really do have free will; it’s just a bit different than the theologians want to admit.

So who is right? That is for you to decide. Look in the mirror and make your choice. Are you good? Or are you bad? Now, I’m not talking about your tendencies and your unique proclivities and all the things with which you struggle. Being alive on this planet and walking among other broken humans will always result in a messy existence. But look beyond those things and see the “you” underneath. Is that good? Or is that bad?

I say it is good. But that is just my opinion, and my opinion isn’t worth much. I would, however, based again on my very same opinions, like to encourage you not to listen to the infecting lies that other group tells you. Those are lies disguised as love, but all they really do is cause harm, abuse, damage, and destruction.

You be the judge. You decide what you see in the mirror. I just hope you make a positive, healthy, liberating decision. After all, the rest of your life is depending on it.

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