{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"A Little Bit of Nothing","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/henrykarlson","author_name":"Henry Karlson","author_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/henrykarlson\/author\/hkarlson\/","title":"Self-Deception Can Use A Good For Evil","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"DiAT5URd8g\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/henrykarlson\/2017\/02\/self-deception-can-make-evil-appear-good\/\">Self-Deception Can Use A Good For Evil<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/henrykarlson\/2017\/02\/self-deception-can-make-evil-appear-good\/embed\/#?secret=DiAT5URd8g\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Self-Deception Can Use A Good For Evil&#8221; &#8212; A Little Bit of Nothing\" data-secret=\"DiAT5URd8g\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/637\/2017\/02\/Avarice_Dictionnaire_infernal.png","thumbnail_width":768,"thumbnail_height":533,"description":"Self-deception lies behind much, if not all, of the evil we do. There is always some good which we use to justify our sin. We find some excuse which we use to justify our actions not only to ourselves, but to those who question us for the sins which they see coming from us. We might know that the ends do not justify the means, and we might state it, but we then find every excuse to ignore the implications of our means by displacing all such concern with the apparent good which we claim we obtain from what we do. In this fashion, we hollow out the good, hiding the destruction of the good which is happening within that good by focusing only on the appearance of the good which we do. It is as if we think putting up blue screen and creating a nice image on that screen is equivalent of making it real, which of course, it is not. The simulacra of the good cannot last, and when it caves in from all the hollowing out of its being, the destruction which comes in its wakes demonstrates the great evil which lay at its foundation."}