{"id":660,"date":"2015-02-27T13:11:52","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T18:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/commonwordcommonlord\/?p=660"},"modified":"2015-02-27T14:19:17","modified_gmt":"2015-02-27T19:19:17","slug":"house-of-cards-shows-the-quest-for-absolute-power-can-be-destructive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/commonwordcommonlord\/house-of-cards-shows-the-quest-for-absolute-power-can-be-destructive\/","title":{"rendered":"“House of Cards” Shows The Quest For Absolute Power Can Be Destructive"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Name of God: The Infinitely Merciful and Compassionate Beloved Lord<\/em><\/p>\n

The third season of the smash Netflix hit “House of Cards” comes out on February 27. I must admit, that I have been waiting for it with great anticipation. The series thus far has left me riveted, and I have watched with awe and fear as the ruthless Francis Underwood – masterfully played by Kevin Spacey – has finally reached the pinnacle of power: The Presidency of the United States of America.<\/p>\n

Spoiler Alert: You may not want to read further if you haven’t seen the series.<\/em><\/p>\n

Francis Underwood, now President Underwood, has stopped at nothing in his quest for ultimate power: greed, lust, hypocrisy, manipulation, deceit, and – yes – even cold-blooded murder. His wife, Claire (Robin Wright), is equally ruthless, and two have proven to be unstoppable in their race to the top. And as my shock at the brazenness of their scheming grows with each episode, I cannot help but wonder about how their “House of Cards” will eventually come crashing down.<\/p>\n

I guess we will have to watch the next season to possibly find out.<\/p>\n

This quest for power is innate in the human being. And channeled properly, it can be a good thing: an entry-level worker would like to become a supervisor one day; a supervisor would like to become a manager; a manager would like to become a bigger manager, and so on. Yet, the merciless path that Francis Underwood has taken is neither natural nor healthy. And his conduct shows exactly why power so often corrupts.<\/p>\n

The test of power is the one of the greatest, if not the greatest, tests for the human being. When one is given power, any power, how will she conduct herself with it? Will she use that power to achieve good for all? Or, will she wield that power to help only herself, no matter the consequence?<\/p>\n

Those that have no moral compass, no sense of right and wrong, to achieve power will eventually face justice for their deeds. While that accounting may or may not be in this world, rest assured that it will most definitely happen on Judgment Day, when the Most Powerful will take everyone to task for what they have done. Underwood’s contempt of God is stupid because, all power ultimately belongs to Him and He alone, and He is always in charge.<\/p>\n

The House that Claire and Frank Underwood have built indeed looks powerful on the outside: gleaming white stone and marble, massive and daunting, with a solid foundation and unbreakable barrier. I must admit it has been fun watching them build it.<\/p>\n

Yet, because of their ruthlessness, that House is no more than an edifice of paper, on pillars of salt and sand. And when the waters of Justice and Righteousness come – and they will come – it will all come crashing down. And I watch because, I want to be there when it happens. The creators of the show are brilliant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Name of God: The Infinitely Merciful and Compassionate Beloved Lord The third season of the smash Netflix hit “House of Cards” comes out on February 27. I must admit, that I have been waiting for it with great anticipation. 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Hassaballa","description":"Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world. He has been a Beliefnet columnist since 2001, and has written for the Religion News Service. He is also a columnist for Patheos. His articles have been distributed worldwide by Agence Global, and he was also a guest blogger for The Chicago Tribune and has blogged on ChicagoNow\" . In addition, Dr. Hassaballa has appeared as a guest on WTTW (Channel 11) in Chicago, CNN, Fox News, BBC, and National Public Radio. Dr. Hassaballa is co-author of The Beliefnet Guide to Islam (Doubleday), and his essay, \u201cWhy I Love the Ten Commandments,\u201d was published in the award-winning book Taking Back Islam (Rodale). His latest book, Noble Brother, is the story of the Prophet Muhammad told entirely in poetry, and it is now published in its second edition. In 2007, his blog \"God, Faith, and a Pen\" was nominated for a Brass Crescent Award for a blog that is \u201cthe most stimulating, insightful, and philosophical, providing the best rebuttals to extremist ideology and making an impact whenever they post.\u201d \"God, Faith, and a Pen\" has also received an award for being one of the \"Top Muslim Blogs for 2010\" by Awarding The Web. In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations and currently serves on their board of directors. He also co-founded the Bayan H. 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