A Series of Definitions: Evil

I was 13 when my mother was diagnosed with an incurable illness. By incurable I mean, the illness should have killed her within weeks of diagnosis. And that is when I first began to ponder the phrase; "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I didn't choose the phrase, someone brought it up when they found out my mom was dying. And from there I was like a dog with a bone. Because the phrase is easily answered to me. The Bible tells us that we will be tried and tested so as to become stronger. And for me...that is enough.  See Proverbs 27, Isaiah 64 and Jeremiah 18. (the example of the potter is my favorite when addressing the shaping and forming of believers.)

What wasn't enough was the not knowing what Evil was...or is. How do you define a word like Evil? I hardly think I can define the word Good. I merely believe God is the definition of Good.

But what is Evil? So because I had to...I have studied theories and listened to debates. I have read the Bible. And then when I still couldn't define Evil, I read books on Satan and his existence and his methods. And then I took a class in college. I crashed the class and begged to get in. "The Problem of Evil," was a class directed by a professor who had spent years of his life studying and writing papers on Evil. And yet, in the end I believe I puzzled him because I have managed to define Evil. And I accept that with Freewill there must be Evil. My spirit feels no conflict over accepting Evil as part of Freewill because I value Freewill above just about everything.

Evil:
 If a boy is locked inside a cave and kept there his entire life, what does he know? Darkness. The boy is now a man of 45 and upon being introduced to you he will tell you of nothing but the darkness and how it changes. He may know only of hunting animals and killing, for that is how he survived all these years. He may know only of the partial light that sometimes filters from farther down the cave. But he does not know what light is. He knows not of the sun and the moon. Or even the world at large. How will you judge him? If he insisted that the sun did not exist would you punish him? He knows not of the sun and yet you would punish him? 

Now, someone is raised in a culture void of God. They commit what we would call immoral acts and horrid crimes. Are they Evil?

 I answered no. I do not believe you can be Evil if you have not first been introduced to the Son. In essence, without the knowledge of what Good is and who God is, I believe you are merely living in a life of Darkness. 

Now, if you have the access to that knowledge and know of morality and goodness and what it means to live in the Light and you CHOOSE Darkness, you are Evil. Your choice has been made. And the acts you commit during that time of choosing are Evil.

All things which stem from Satan are Evil. However, he does not have the power to make you do anything. You choose what whispers you listen to and what actions you commit. So whilst I can say that Satan is Evil, I cannot say that he made you do Evil things. For even Satan made a choice at some point in his existence, when, whilst standing near the Light, he choose to leave. And thus began a life without Light. A life in Darkness. And now he is the definition of Evil. A life chosen by one who has knowledge of the Light but chooses not to live in the Light, but rather in the Darkness and thusly commits Evil acts.

Don't worry, I am not here to debate morals on this one. There are plenty of criminals out there that I am more than willing to punish for commiting horrendous crimes. However, I am NOT God and therefore I cannot judge another's heart. That is something only God can do. I can merely attempt to grasp what these words we use really mean. And although I believe that we cannot know it all and will never know the true meaning of some, if not all these words we toss around in theological study or church or even in everyday usage...I still strive to understand them. Like I said...I'm a dog with a bone. And I'm loving every moment of it.

And in case you were wondering, my mom lived. But that is a story for another time. I promise, it is worth the wait.