0745685749 enemies democracy

18 The Inner Enemies of Democracy
eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as gods’ (Genesis 3:5). But these were the very same
words that led to original sin!
As the goal is so sublime, no effort, no sacrifice is too
much; the reward will be eternal glory. Pelagius is a
demanding master, and does not accept the usual excuses
that his fellow citizens come up with for the lax lives
they lead. Progress is within our reach, God has given
us the power, we just need to add the will. Perfection
is accessible to human beings, and so they must aspire
to it. All must abide by certain rules of conduct, but
those who want to attain the good face higher demands.
Pelagius wrote a long letter to a girl, Demetria, who was
destined by her family to marry but who had decided to
dedicate her life to Christ while remaining a virgin. He
encourages her unreservedly. The rich must immediately
give their possessions to the poor. Those who fail to do
so have no excuse and will receive the appropriate punishment.
For breaking the command not to eat a certain
food, Adam and Eve were doomed to become mortal, so
how can we escape a harsh punishment for more serious
sins? Anyway, we are unlikely to gain any favour on the
grounds that the sin committed is not serious. Do people
believe, exclaims Pelagius, that the fire that awaits the
wicked in hell burns more or less fiercely for different
categories of sinners? All will burn until the end of time
for not having seized their chance to become as gods.
Pelagius has an optimistic view of human capabilities;
for this very reason, his demands are very stringent. If
an individual fails, he has no excuse, there is no point
in blaming God, Providence, society or circumstances:
he has only himself to blame, it is all his own fault.
If his defeat is accompanied by a sense of shame or a
nervous breakdown, this is no more than he deserves.
On the other hand, if this individual does not merely
work towards his own perfection, but decides that it
is his responsibility to encourage his relatives or fellow