Humans are inherently evil - predisposed to violence, "mindlessly programmed for boundless rage". Are we just dancing to our DNA? Which would certainly be the case if you believe in the scientific worldview - we're just the product of time plus matter plus chance. We evolved to be evil - we grew to distrust each other and to declare war on our kin for greed and personal gain.
Or were we deliberately designed this way, by a "watchful shaper"?
The lyrics of the song are more ambiguous than you'd think. But the title of the song suggests that Benjamin is leaning towards the latter. But he still poses the topic as a question, rather than making a statement: "SHOULD we blame the maker of everything divine?"
It's up to you to draw that conclusion.
However let me say this: If God is an automaton, and we're created in His image, we too are ALSO automatons - we are not free, we are totally determined to be evil and behave like "mindless fiends" as Benjamin puts it. But if we're totally determined as automatons, and we're pre-wired to think and behave the way that we do - we are merely computers: data in, evil response out.
But we have to ask ourselves: was Sybreed FREE to write this song? Was Benjamin FREE to compose these lyrics, out of his own volition? Are we, his audience, FREE to listen to this song, and enjoy it for it's marvellousness?
If so, we are rising above the bondage of total subjectivity. And the moment you do this, you're violating determinism.
Humans are inherently evil - predisposed to violence, "mindlessly programmed for boundless rage". Are we just dancing to our DNA? Which would certainly be the case if you believe in the scientific worldview - we're just the product of time plus matter plus chance. We evolved to be evil - we grew to distrust each other and to declare war on our kin for greed and personal gain.
Or were we deliberately designed this way, by a "watchful shaper"?
The lyrics of the song are more ambiguous than you'd think. But the title of the song suggests that Benjamin is leaning towards the latter. But he still poses the topic as a question, rather than making a statement: "SHOULD we blame the maker of everything divine?"
It's up to you to draw that conclusion.
However let me say this: If God is an automaton, and we're created in His image, we too are ALSO automatons - we are not free, we are totally determined to be evil and behave like "mindless fiends" as Benjamin puts it. But if we're totally determined as automatons, and we're pre-wired to think and behave the way that we do - we are merely computers: data in, evil response out.
But we have to ask ourselves: was Sybreed FREE to write this song? Was Benjamin FREE to compose these lyrics, out of his own volition? Are we, his audience, FREE to listen to this song, and enjoy it for it's marvellousness?
If so, we are rising above the bondage of total subjectivity. And the moment you do this, you're violating determinism.
...We're evil because we WANT TO BE.