Why does Evil Exist?

In the light of what happened last week at the annual Boston Marathon we do have to ask, why does evil exist?  Nobody wants to be evil.  Some people believe that God uses evil to accomplish his purpose.  Some people say: “Money is the root of all evil."  That’s certainly a cliché if I hear one.  When I looked through bible verses I couldn’t find anywhere that God created evil.  At the end of creation,

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.”

~ Gen. 1:31.
 
One thing is for sure, we know that evil exists.  We cannot just deny it or wish it away.  I don’t think we can answer this question from a human standpoint.  Evil has existed since the beginning of time.  Therefore, that’s where we have to start looking.  According to Wikipedia, evil is extreme immorality; they also consider ignorance, selfishness and neglect.  Evil is certainly aggressive.   I don’t think we can answer this deep question without looking at spirituality and the stories of the Bible. 

It all started in the family of Adam and Eve.  Evil is first mentioned in Genesis 2:9: the tree of life stood in the midst of the garden and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Both of these trees are symbols for Adam and Eve.  After Adam and Eve grew older, Lucifer saw that he was not #1 anymore in the garden and became jealous of Adam.  He also understood that Eve was to become Adam’s wife, and so he thought to tempt her and tell her the first lies: “You will not die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil” - (Gen 3:1-5).   It was upon Adam and Eve to decide if they wanted to be good or get involved in evil.  Therefore, it was Adam and Eve who allowed evil to come into existence.  When Cain killed his brother Abel it became manifested in the physical realm. Only through the Fall of Man and the Divine Principle, taught by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, can we learn about the symbolic meanings and the real story of the origin of evil and the birth of the Devil or Satan.  God DID NOT create Satan; he became Satan when he turned against God’s will and beguiled Eve and then Adam.  God DID NOT create evil, he cannot relate to evil because it is not part of him.

I was very moved by the interview Napoleon Hill had with the Devil way back in the 1930s.  He wrote a book about it: Outwitting the Devil which just recently became published.  He rightfully understands that the Devil is not the devilish creature with a pitch fork but rather a spiritual being who can talk.  Even if Mr. Hill made up the stories of an evil entity he talked to for hours on end, his answers and the conversations are very revealing to the deception and the betrayal we all experience at times and blame on each other.

 

Michelle Longo O’Donnell wrote a book called The God we’ve Created.  She describes how men have projected their own ignorance into GOD.  Since man has both aspects – good and evil – inherited, we picture God that way and blame our own shortcomings and sins on HIM. 

Men have been the losers throughout history.  Mainly, we didn’t know that there was another being involved which was hiding by avoiding the truth.  That’s why we NEED the Messiah as our defender.  He is like the lawyer who protects us from all the lies and contortions by reaffirming the truth and giving us encouragement to live a truthful life.  The Messiah is also the one who demonstrates for the first time how to live a righteous life by fulfilling the purpose of God’s will.

What is the Nature of Evil?

* self-interest, focusing on EGO

* feeling a lack of love, jealousy

* feeling alone, abandoned

* denying (ignorance thereof) existence of evil

* believing in lies and false propaganda  

* focusomg on resentment and bitterness

* having lack of self-love, low self-esteem

* seeing self as victim

* being stuck in self-pity

* seeking division and causes turmoil

* causing pain and hurt others

* bullying and terrorizing others

* enslaving others

* willing to kill

 

“Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!

 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
~ Psalm 52:1-5

 

 

What is the Nature of Good?

* practice self-love

* being compassionate

* being grateful

* living for the sake of others

* practicing serving

* being aware of the greater world

* recognizing unlimited potential

* having a good attitude

* listening to the small voice inside

* focusing on love and truth

* believeing in healing

* having conscience focused on God

* comforting others

* seeking unity with others

* having faith in mankind

"Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

 

I believe that we are living during a special time in human history where we can empower ourselves more than ever before.  There is a benefit for this age like never before.  We have to become seekers and not only be satisfied by what others believe or what others tell us, especially the media, the government or any powerful organization. I hope and pray that this article can inspire you to seek the truth, to seek the living God and you will find a peaceful new world.