Self-Righteousness (Αυτοδικαίωσις)

-From my text on the Logos (The Word).

Philosophy teaches one the fundamental essence of our human nature and the significance of the power of the oneness inside of us. It also teaches one to value virtues and to lead an ethical life, but there is a thing that often is portrayed as the truth, when it is contrary to its principle. It is known as self-righteousness. In Meleticism, the concept of self-righteousness should not be confused with virtuousness, and it does not share the belief that being righteous, we are free from misdeeds. There is a right and wrong path in life. A path that should not condemn us for our disbelief in a god with guilt and sin.

Guilt is a feeling that lingers inside of us, and the notion of sin is meant to impose upon us an oppressive burden. Neither guilt nor sin should be attributed to the achievement of virtues. Sin is rejected in Meleticism, because we are accountable for our actions, and sin manifests with sanctimony or piety in an attempt to justify one's espousing faith. Whilst religion offers one a direct path to salvation, Meleticism is about the intrinsic path to enlightenment. Salvation is not of a divine nature. We have the capability to save ourselves. Thus, we are a saviour of our own souls, when we are unified with the genuine belief that we are intellectual beings of enlightenment.

Self-righteousness is the assumption that one is morally superior than others, due to the ethical belief that makes that person more virtuous than others who are deemed sinners or inferior based on their incredulity. No man is more worthy than another man because of his professed praise or worship of a deity. The good deeds that we accomplish serve as a reminder of our moral truth. After all, it is this moral truth that expresses the benevolence of our actions and intentions.

Our judgement must never be representative of our irrational behaviour displayed. Wisdom should reflect the knowledge that we acquire and the morality that we should uphold in its just principle. By imposing self-righteous positions unto others, we negate the self and empower the ego. Our attitude should not be defined by sanctimonious doctrines that inhibit our character and virtues. To think that good deeds are measured by faith is erroneous and is a falsehood.

The belief in a god does not make one righteous, because the conformity of life to a divine law would signify that we as people would have to be complaisant to laws that judge us based on our belief or non-belief. To a Meletic, the state of righteousness bears no absolute quality that is reasonable or noble. We must set an example for others through our actions. To practise temperance, wisdom and humbleness is enough to know that these elements of a good and moral life are what embody the true nature of our character. How can we claim to be virtuous, if we do not demonstrate its validity with good deeds?

A man who chooses to follow in the tempting steps of self-righteousness forsakes the mind to irrationality and the soul to ruination. With philosophical understanding, we affirm the relevance of our ethics and the moral compass that conduces our consciousness. It is easier to conceive to the supreme laws of a god who rules with his might than to conceive to the power of transcendence that the Enas gives our minds. Believing in ourselves makes us conscious and wiser.

Ignorance is often what blinds our perception of things. We tend to listen to what others tell us than to contemplate the meaning of something. Self-righteousness is a form of hypocrisy that distorts our integrity and self. A self-righteous man thinks he can do no wrong, under the laws of a god, but what he fails to realise is that whatever virtuous life he assumes to resemble through religious purity is only dismissed by the denial of his errant conviction. His fervent belief is negated by his ignorance of the truth and disregard for the natural laws of mankind.

Redemption in the religious sense is unnecessary, when we understand that we compensate for our faults through the acknowledgement of the truth and the discernment of our wisdom. The One does not rectify our errant path with unfounded dogmas. We ultimately rectify our faults with the belief that we are capable of being virtuous without a god and being moral in our judgement. Once we accept that to be righteous means that we are not beholden to a divine law, but to the morality that we define with our virtues, then we can use our wisdom to establish our philosophical principles.

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