Good or evil?

I was watching this Horizon documentary the other day and found it very interesting and unsettling at the same time.

While watching it, two things came to mind. How much does the nature verses nurture of an individual play a part in their eventual personality and the implications for justice when criminal acts are committed.

Without giving too much away, if you want to watch it, these two issues were covered towards the program. Personally, I can imagine this research, if taken seriously, has major implications for society.

Firstly, how children are raised and nurtured. Ensuring the have safe and loving homes and are not subject to neglect and physical harm. I know that should be taken as read, but it isn't always done correctly or quickly enough in some instances. It's also, IMHO, a responsibility for the whole of society, not just social services and the police. Too often it is easy to blame them for failing individuals, but society must take some responsibility for this. I believe it is an indication of a society how the most vulnerable in that society are treated. All of society is culpable for this, directly and indirectly. That, though, is a post for another day.

Secondly, if a person has is a psychopath based on their DNA and they have not had a stable, happy childhood what should society do when they commit crime? Arguably, based on their nature and nurture, they are pre-programmed to become violent and they have a limit to their free-will in this regard. It's an interesting quandary for which there is no easy answer.

Makes you wonder, though, just how many people do you know who are actually psychopaths? Especially if you have or do work in the corporate world. A scary thought, but maybe all these types of peoples, given the right opportunities, can thrive and actively contribute to society in ways which their personally thrives on. After all, we are all made in the image of God. An imperfect image, but an image nonetheless. And I am even including Harold Shipman.

Should I stay or should I go?

Yesterday, my office announced a voluntary redundancy scheme. My initial reaction was “show me the money; show me the money”. Over the course of the evening, Spot and I had a long chat about the implications of the package.

Ideally, my office wants those taking up the offer to leave by 31 December. Doing the sums, Spot and I would be worse off with me leaving then than waiting until next August to leave. That, of course, works on the assumption I do not get another job meantime. However, the redundancy offer does say the leaving date can be as late as 31 March 2011. With that as a leaving date, it does make the package more beneficial than staying for an additional 4-5 months (if I did manage that long!).

I know Spot supports whatever decision I make. As he said, he was expecting me to be leaving about now to go to uni, so any earnings I have beyond now are a bonus. There’s also the matter the office may not receive sufficient applications now and compulsory redundancies come in in the new financial year, with poorer terms. Worse still, from our perspective, during that round Spot’s made redundant rather than me.

I have decided I will apply for redundancy. Obviously I have prayed for guidance with this decision. I feel God not only supports it, but wants me to trust Him. That this is all part of His plan for me and He will provide for Spot and I.