Christianity and evil

Disasters, destruction, suffering, death. The results of this force can be observed anywhere: in our mind, in other people, in nature.

It is therefor maybe Christianities easiest part to believe: the existence of evil. We have little reason to doubt the announcement.

But, as with other phenomena, evil cannot be observed. We might reject the presence of evil and stick to the visible phenomena: disasters, destruction, suffering and death. We might say: these are real, evil is just our projection.

This might be true. But the criterion ‘visibility as a necessity for existence’ is a difficult one. We all have a deep believe in good, bad, love, right, wrong, consciousness, meaning, beauty, existence, time, etc. None of these can be observed.

Even logically we have a problem: the idea of ‘evil is a projection’ cannot be observed and should be rejected as a result of ‘visibility as a necessity for existence’. Evil might exist.

What is evil? Evil in a subjective sense can be anything we say is evil. This way evil does not exist, except when called evil. Much more interesting is the existence of a real, objective, despite our thoughts, existence of evil. What is its nature? Does it have one? Is it an it, or being? How does it relate to human, if it does?

Christianity is awfully clear. Evil exists. Revelations 12 verses 9 speaks of “..that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world..” Evil is Satan, deception is its weapon.

What does it deceive us from? Judge for yourself (this conversation was between Jesus and the Jewish leaders).

John 8: 42-47 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”

Compared to this passage, the observable universe and all human philosophies are merely dull. If this passage describes history, evil exists.

I made my point.