Evil exists. Can we just say that? It's incontrovertible, isn't it? Evil exists. It exists obviously - it exists massively - it exists dominantly in the world today.Forget about natural evil - the kind of evil that is random and external - the kind of evil that strikes at you anonymously and has no personal vendetta against you but leaves you stunned and paralyzed nonetheless whenever it hits tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, fires, diseases, etc.
...
Forget about that. Let's talk about moral evil. Evil that is personal -- intentional -- internal. It's what the Bible means when it says 'there is no one good; not even one.' It's what the Bible means when it says 'the heart of man was only evil continually.' It's what the Bible means when it says 'out of the heart of man lust is conceived and when full grown brings death.'
One of the more difficult questions of life is why God would allow evil and pain and suffering to reach us. It has boggled the minds and hearts of believers and unbelievers alike down thru the centuries.
'Evil exists massively and dominantly in the world today.'
If there is evil, then there has to, by definition, also be good. How do you know something is evil if there isn't a standard of good to define that evil? And if there's good, then there must be a moral law by which good is defined. It can't just be random. Something has to give us the boundary for what is good and what is evil. And if there's a moral law, there has to be a moral law giver. Who's going to decide what is moral? You? Me? An ethics committee? The courts? The government?
No. There has to be a law above you - above me - above humanity - for it to be a true moral law. And there has to be a moral law giver to provide that for us.
But if there is no moral law giver - if there's no God - then there can't possibly be a moral law. What would be the point? And if there's no moral law, there can't really be good -- and if there's no such thing as good, then by definition, there is no such thing as evil.
Over the rest of this week, I'll explore in this blog the ramifications and question of suffering and evil in the world today.
Stay tuned.
And be blessed.
6 comments:
Hmmmm...so many thoughts swirling thru my mind right now. First off, I had to work all weekend, so I wasn't able to come and listen to you. I am anxious to listen to the message tomorrow.
Ok, some of my thoughts... Yes, there is evil. PK, do you think that small children have a built-in sense of right and wrong? I always thought so, due to situations that mold them in their upbringing. Nature or nurture? What about the young child that pulls Fido's tail repeatedly? Is that malicious or not knowing the difference?
Next, priests, fairly regularly, perform exorcisms. Do you think they are miracles or do you believe in them. Jesus commanded the evil spirits to leave the woman, but He was God. Do you think that priests can still do the same thing? Just a side note, I saw The Exorcist years ago and it was creepy.
Ugh...I had all of these questions in my mind and now I forgot some of them. Oh well. If I think of more I will post them. At any rate, I can't wait for the sermon online and to read the posts to come.
This passage is a bit of a mystery for me.
'But if there is no moral law giver - if there's no God - then there can't possibly be a moral law. What would be the point? And if there's no moral law, there can't really be good -- and if there's no such thing as good, then by definition, there is no such thing as evil.'
There is a God, of course...but isn't 'moral' just semantics? Can't we make a determination as to what is good as human beings (aside from God)? If it hurts another, then it is 'bad'. There are, obviously, degrees of what is considered bad. I think if one is a believer, that we understand that God is good, all the time. But...unbelievers have a sense of right and wrong. The whole 'Do unto others' thing. This brings me to the question:
Is there such a thing as inherent goodness?
As believers, we know that God formed us and we have to believe that we have a good nature inside of us. Then, there are those that seem to be 'bad seeds' from the start. If God created ALL of us, then why is it that others come to be evil? Maybe it is a bit of the 'generational curse'. Maybe it's just me, but I really don't put too much stock in that. Some people overcome incredible odds from difficult upbringings.
Well, I imagine I will be following and commenting this week, for sure. You have opened a can of worms, PK, and I am glad. This whole topic of good and evil is fascinating to me.
Back to the 'old days'...I would have bought the dvd of this message, lol. Now, I just go to the JC website. God is good... :p
You need to listen to the message online.
Hmmmm. Interesting approach. "There is a God, of course ... "
If there's a God, OF COURSE, then why would we define our own morality rather than let Him define it?
It seems that's the very thing Adam and Eve did -- We know there's a God, OF COURSE, but we will decide what is right and wrong.
And left to ourselves we will ultimately choose wrong over and again. This goes to the heart of your question -- are we good?
The Bible says there is none good; not even one. The only reason or way we can become good is to have Jesus pass his goodness to us and to live in that.
I think I was thinking along the lines of 'free will'. I agree, ultimately, God is the one that will decide. It's just that there are unbelievers that are just decent people. I think that they are somewhat good. Overall, I am a good person. I guess it is a circular argument. In the end, it always comes back to God being the final arbiter.
So, the only way in the world we can ever be even remotely good is to follow in Jesus' footsteps? To be more and more holy? One of the things I wrestle with is that God gives us no wiggle-room on 'moral law'. None of us will be perfect, as Jesus is. But God loves us anyway. I give my kids room to make mistakes, but I would never condemn them to hell.
I am reminded of things I have heard at church and so forth. My thoughts are not His thoughts. He can see the whole picture, while I cannot. It's just hard to understand all of the whys and, you know me, I have a lot of whys in this world.
You know the old saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat?' I suppose that will be me. :/
Four quick thoughts on the video of the sermon:
One, the young woman that enacted the 3rd chapter was awesome! She is a very talented actress.
Second, the question that was raised, "What is the problem with the world?" And the reply from the man was, "Sir, I am". That really sunk into me. In all of the good and beautiful things that God created for us, I am the problem. I have free will and I choose my path. Sobering thought.
Third, you covered plenty of the questions that I asked and I didn't even hear the sermon until now. Good to know that I am not unusual in my wonderings.
Fourth, when you spoke of the levels of evil in deciding who is worthy of having free-will, I had to pause. With all of my faults and sins, do I deserve to make my own life choices? One person may say "Absolutely not!", another may say, "Of course, it's not the worst thing in the world." It makes me think about that. Personally, I think that free-will is a wonderful thing. Even when I make wrong choices, I would not want to be an automaton. I don't want to be a cookie cutter version of every one else.
You know, I just today watched a video of Francis Chan (the pastor). He introduced his daughter and He talked about how Jesus had sweat blood and asked God, His Father, to take this cup from me. He said that he, as a mere human man and father that he could not imagine offering his child up for sacrifice and death. He thought it was amazing that God gave Jesus for all of us...what love.
I can, at least, understand Jesus giving His life for a higher purpose. For the good of mankind, but other people that die before their time are not in that situation. One may give their life for a loved one or a cause that they would die for, but that isn't likely what happens. I am still left with questions, but I surmise we all are. You leave room to ponder and meat to chew on. See you this week on your blog.
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