Does Dying Make You A Good Person?

[Bobsyouruncle]

There seems to be a segment of posters who feel that once someone passes away, they are absolved of all wrongdoing.

This seems odd to me. I wonder if they feel this way about all people or just some?

Obviously, this has been brought up becuase of Michael Jackson's death.

When Thaksin dies, will they say he was a good person?

Curious as to others feelings on this. . .

It would make no difference whatsoever!

Thaksin allways was a good person, why would death change this?

[elibangkok]

I don't personally know much about Michael Jackson, so I can't really comment on that. Everyone has good in them. The OP seems to assume he was a bad person, probably because of all the stuff he's heard in the press, but who can say what's true?

I admit to not having first hand knowledge of any wrongdoing by Michael Jackson, but the preponderance of the evidence I have seen leads me to the conclusion that he had inappropriate relationships with children.

I am not assuming anything, just using my brain to come to a decision based on what I have seen and heard. If new evidence is presented, I will re-asses.

Also, I was disagreeing more with the premise that once someone dies, we should only comment on the good they have done.

What 'evidence' is it you are referring to? I guess they were not privy to this 'evidence' at this trial when he was acquitted. Then again they probably didn't have a copy of TheSun handy...

Since my judgement of him has no impact on anyone other than me, it is up to me what standard of proof I employ.

I was simply taking issue with the fact that some seemed to be saying that since he died, we should not discuss any possible wrongdoings.

[dave111223]

Since my judgement of him has no impact on anyone other than me, it is up to me what standard of proof I employ.

I was simply taking issue with the fact that some seemed to be saying that since he died, we should not discuss any possible wrongdoings.

This would be true...if you kept it to yourself...but instead you're posting your theories and judgements on a message board.

I'm sure you would not be too happy if one of your friends or family members died and someone was saying "i heard he was a right pedo..." or "she was a real wh*re" etc...

This is the exact reason that you should keep your ill feelings about the dead to yourself.

[Pierrot]

Does dieing make you a good person?

Yes it does as you are no longer a bloody nuisance.

Can't say it better

[IanForbes]

I'm quite sure that dying would make a few people on this forum into a better person than they are now.

There are lots of people who like to believe the worst in people. Michael Jackson was never convicted of any wrong doing with children. In fact he was an adolescent stuck in an adult's body. He kept trying to BE the child rather than being an adult. It was like he was perpetually stuck at being 12 years of age. My ex-wife used to work in a mental hospital for adults and she met several people like that.

The people who accused MJ of so called molesting their children were only doing it for the money. He couldn't win in any case. He was a very sad and weird individual who should be pitied for his problems and revered for his incredible talent.

[elibangkok]

Since my judgement of him has no impact on anyone other than me, it is up to me what standard of proof I employ.

I was simply taking issue with the fact that some seemed to be saying that since he died, we should not discuss any possible wrongdoings.

This would be true...if you kept it to yourself...but instead you're posting your theories and judgements on a message board.

I'm sure you would not be too happy if one of your friends or family members died and someone was saying "i heard he was a right pedo..." or "she was a real wh*re" etc...

This is the exact reason that you should keep your ill feelings about the dead to yourself.

I think it is silly to leave things someone might have done wrong out of the conversation when discussing the life they lived.

I do take your point though, this is a public forum and perhaps it would be more tactful to wait some time before engaging in discussions like this.

[dave111223]

I think it is silly to leave things someone might have done wrong out of the conversation when discussing the life they lived.

I do take your point though, this is a public forum and perhaps it would be more tactful to wait some time before engaging in discussions like this.

...you think it's "silly" not to gossip about what someone might have done during their life... enough said...

I'd hate to see the faces at the next funeral you attend...

[elibangkok]

I think it is silly to leave things someone might have done wrong out of the conversation when discussing the life they lived.

I do take your point though, this is a public forum and perhaps it would be more tactful to wait some time before engaging in discussions like this.

...you think it's "silly" not to gossip about what someone might have done during their life... enough said...

I'd hate to see the faces at the next funeral you attend...

Do you mean to say the allegations of child molestation are not part of the story of his life? Every report I have read today mentions them.

So yes, I think it is "silly" to pretend they are not a chapter in the book of his life.

[noahvail]

Does dieing make you a good person?

Yes it does as you are no longer a bloody nuisance.

Can't say it better

I am reminded of a Bette Davis quote on the death of her nemesis in acting, Joan Crawford: "You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good. Joan Crawford is dead. Good!"

[before the flames start, this isn't about MJ. Just continuing on in a lighter vein.]

[dave111223]

Do you mean to say the allegations of child molestation are not part of the story of his life? Every report I have read today mentions them.

So yes, I think it is "silly" to pretend they are not a chapter in the book of his life.

It's quite fine to mention those allegations, as you said it's part of his life story. But mentioning such stories during the funeral time period is tactless and thoughtless to say the least.

Plus there is a clear difference between saying:

"Michael Jackson was accused and later cleared of being a child molester"

and

"Michael Jackson was a child molester, therefore he was a bad person, therefore his should not be remembered as good person in death"

[surayu]

Dying will make a person good or bad on the same way as "living" does, it all depends on how a person will decides to act in their dying or living to make the difference between bad and good....

[cigarchuck]

I think it is silly to leave things someone might have done wrong out of the conversation when discussing the life they lived.

I do take your point though, this is a public forum and perhaps it would be more tactful to wait some time before engaging in discussions like this.

...you think it's "silly" not to gossip about what someone might have done during their life... enough said...

I'd hate to see the faces at the next funeral you attend...

Do you mean to say the allegations of child molestation are not part of the story of his life? Every report I have read today mentions them.

So yes, I think it is "silly" to pretend they are not a chapter in the book of his life.

Everybody in Hollywood knew he was gay and liked young boys

[Datsun240Z]

I'm quite sure that dying would make a few people on this forum into a better person than they are now.

There are lots of people who like to believe the worst in people. Michael Jackson was never convicted of any wrong doing with children. In fact he was an adolescent stuck in an adult's body. He kept trying to BE the child rather than being an adult. It was like he was perpetually stuck at being 12 years of age. My ex-wife used to work in a mental hospital for adults and she met several people like that.

The people who accused MJ of so called molesting their children were only doing it for the money. He couldn't win in any case. He was a very sad and weird individual who should be pitied for his problems and revered for his incredible talent.

Couldn't have said it better, thnx mate.

[Priceless]

Why don't you google "De mortuis nil nisi bonum"?

/ Priceless

[AbelMagwitch]

When you get big enough, alive or dead, you can touch kids if you want. Look at the guy from The Who. Pete Townsend was just doing research when he used his credit card on a kiddie site. Jackson was just giving misguided friendship.

I am sure there are more.

[abdulrahman]

Does dyeing make you a good person?

Yes it does as you are no longer a bloody nuisance.

"You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good.Xxxx is dead. Good!"

Don't agree?Go to the funeral!

[David006]

Well it ain't true for Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and their ilk...maybe its a matter of scale??

[phetaroi]

When you are dead. That is it. All the Eulogies in the world cannot make you any better than you were in real life. For those who do not really know the person in question the Eulogy can be taken as some guide to the good things a person did in life. On the other hand people like the Krays (gangsters) will have a Eulogy saying - for example - how they loved their mother etc. Yet that does not make their murdering, gangster ways disappear.

It would not make Jack the Ripper a good person.

People like Tahksin seem to be equally loved and hated. So I suppose it depends on which point of view you have.

If you believe in God or whoever and some form of afterlife where you can be absolved of your sins, fine. Pay your penance in hel_l or in the next life and become better.

Well, I think you make a valid point by giving extreme examples. Let's face it, the Holocaust trumped any good thing(s) Hitler ever did.

But I do see each life as a balance sheet. No one -- and I mean no human -- is all good or all bad. What is the sum of his or her works?

[IanForbes]

I'm not sure if dying makes anyone a GOOD person, but it sure makes some a better person than they were PRIOR to dying.

I'm not sure if I'll get a warning for that comment, but I truly believe it. Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and a bunch of others come to mind.