Voices of the City:
"In tonight's news, the famine has worsened in Africa..."
From the rooftop, "I need another hit."
"I'm leaving Mummy for Jennifer"
"I'm... I'm.. Positive."
"DADDY, DON'T"
We try to be happy and not think about 'Evil', except in the eyes of a serial killer. But why does evil exist (especially if 'God is love')?
Here's a few theories:
1. There is no God, and evil is part of the universe.
Howard
Bloom says, 'Nature does not abhor evil; she embraces it. She uses it
to build'. So 'evil is woven into our most basic biological fabric' and
'we are casualties of Nature's callous indifference to life, pawns who
suffer and die to live out her schemes.' Why? 'In a world evolving into
ever-higher forms, hatred, violence, aggression and war are a part of
the evolutionary plan.' (The Lucifer Principle, pp.2-3)
Gloomy! And if evil is natural, why shouldn't I be evil? Sounds like Hitler's excuse: killing 'lesser people' was actually kind because it made room for the best humans to evolve into Superman.
2. There is a God but He is uncaring and/or weak.
But if He's weak, how did He make the universe? If He's uncaring, why did He bother?
Maybe a loving, powerful, creative God won't abuse His power by forcing people to do His will, but waits until people see the consequences of bad choices and choose to let Him run the universe. (Read the TOYMAKER story, in a separate pop-up article).
3. There is a God but there is also a devil.
Nature has a mix of good and evil (thorns have roses; dolphins live near sharks; a leopard kills for fun but is gentle with its cubs). And we humans have a mixture in us - we can give to charity and an hour later yell at someone we love.
Looking at the natural world (and yourself) is a bit like finding a computer with a virus. You see the careful, intelligent design but you can see it has a bug.
This is what the Bible teaches.
But this raises more questions! Like.....
1. WHY WOULD GOD MAKE A DEVIL?
The Bible says He didn't. He made a perfect superbeing ('angel') who chose pride and selfishness and violence instead of love. Ezekiel, a Bible prophet, wrote:
'The Lord spoke to me, saying, 'Man, sing the saddest blues for the King of Tyre [a symbol of Satan*]. Tell him from me:
"You had it all - perfection, wisdom, beauty You were covered in jewels and gems. I appointed you as the guarding angel. You used to walk on God's holy mountain, Among the sparkling stones. You were totally perfect when you were made - until sin was found in you.
You became greedy, and war started in your heart. You sinned. So I threw you out of the mountain of God like a nobody - And I will destroy you"
( Ezekiel 28:11-17 ) (Paraphrased above)
Another passage gives the reason Satan lost it:
'How have you fallen from heaven, Lucifer,
son of the dawn?
(You've been cast to the earth, where you weaken whole nations.)
Because you said:
'I will rise higher than heaven. I will put my throne above God's stars
I will be like the Most High God. Yet you will be brought down to the
grave'
( Isaiah 14:12-15 )
Pride, selfishness, competitiveness. A summary of evil.
2. WHY ON EARTH?
'And
there was war in heaven: Michael [that name means 'the one who is what
God is'] and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and
his angels fought and lost, and there was no place for them in heaven.
So the great dragon was thrown out - the old snake who is called the Devil
and Satan - He was thrown out into the earth'
Put that against the old Genesis story (chapters 2,3), where a snake tempts the first humans to 'fall' (i.e. accept evil into their mind and nature) and here's the meaning you get:
Evil began in Lucifer by his own choice, and spread to other spiritual beings by their choice. The first humans experimented with it against God's advice, and brought Earth under the control of evil - Satan became...
'the prince of this world'
God still works with people who rebel against Satan's dark kingdom of evil and 'sin'. God hopes people will see the results of evil and choose His leadership, rather than blaming Him for what Satan did. Jesus told people to pray `May Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.' Then, when it's obvious that Satan's government is to blame for all Earth's evil, God will get rid of evil and anyone who stubbornly chooses it.
Meanwhile, evil is not fair. Cancer doesn't care if you're Mother Teresa or an axe-murderer. Rapists can pass on AIDS to their innocent victims. You are less likely to suffer if you practise safe sex and don't share needles, but AIDS (like all evil) hits the best and the worst of us. Jesus said, 'Rain falls on everyone, good and bad.'
OK - Let's keep movin'...3. WHAT IS EVIL?
If God's law is perfect, designed to make us totally happy, then anything outside that would bring evil to us or someone else.
Jesus said, 'Love your neighbour as yourself' and 'Do to others what you want them to do to you.'
Evil says, 'Use your neighbour for yourself.' 'Do unto others before they do you.'
Evil = selfishness = sin. (But self-nurture or self-improvement are fine!)
Sin is saying, 'I don't care about God's advice or what you need - I want this.' (E.g. child abusers desire their pleasure over a child's happiness.)
The Bible says:
- relationships work best when you are gentle and generous,
- sex is better when both are giving rather than being selfish,
- your business succeeds when you think of the customer,
- posessions give most pleasure when shared with people you love.
But human nature wonders if evil might work better
4. WHAT IS GOD'S SOLUTION TO EVIL?
( See 1 John 1:9 )
i. God forgives our dark
side - if we ask.
(Why pretend we
don't need help?!)
When Jesus became a man, He died to take the death our sins deserve - so we get eternal life! He absorbed human evil and guilt, and showed that God has felt all our pain and cares deeply. (see our guide, 'What Jesus Said on the Cross')
ii. God builds our good
side:
'Don't let evil defeat you - defeat evil with good.' - see "Romans 12:21."
iii. Eventually, God will destroy evil
and everyone who keeps choosing it. Judgment Day may sound
harsh, but what else could God do? Choosing evil is choosing death, and
God gives us choice.
If you were God, would you let stubborn child-abusers live forever?
Would you be a dictator and force them to change their minds? The kindest option is that they just fade away.
iv. God makes a 'new Earth'
(no pain, sickness, violence or death) for people who've overcome their
dark side with His help. He takes the evil out of nature and the result
is peace: in the Bible's words, 'the lion will lie down beside the lamb'.
(see our guide, 'Is Heaven Real?')
QUOTES
Man: God, why don't you do anything about starving children?
God: I was about to ask you that same question.
**********
'When we deny the EVIL within ourselves, we dehumanize ourselves, and we deprive ourselves not only of our own destiny but of any possibility of dealing with the EVIL of others.'
-J. Robert Oppenheimer, inventor of A-bombs
**********
'If only there were EVIL people somewhere... and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and EVIL cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?'
-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
**********
'EVIL can no more be charged upon God than darkness can be charged upon the sun.'
-William Law
We don't claim to speak for God. The Bible does. We hope these spiritual Explorers' Guides will get you thinking about what it says.
Writer: Grenville Kent
Design: Andrew Perry, legal.consult pty lt
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have just completed Topic 1.
Look forward to Topic 2 ...
CAN LOVE REALLY WORK?
What's it all about? We've seen painful relationships, watched brain-dead romantic movies and heard silly love songs. Yet we still want to believe in Love? Are we nuts?
WANT TO KEEP GOING?
This first lesson guide was just a preview of the course, you are not enrolled for this Course yet.
You have the option of doing this Course, via the Internet,
or via Australia Post.
If you enrol for the Internet or online Course, remember to try the Quiz,
at the end of Lesson 1. It's a fun way to remember the topic!
| Enrol for Topic 2 |
 |