Origins of Evil

Cover painting: Giotto, Kiss of Judas 

The myth of Satan as a separate entity has figured prominently in Christian thought, literature, and art over many centuries. However what is even more surprising is that many Christian people today still believe that Satan, Devil or fallen angel is a separate entity responsible for unleashing all evil upon the world. 

   

 Several months ago a well-known U.S. University student group unsuccessfully planned a "black mass" which was quickly identified as a ‘satanic ritual’ by several conservative church officials.  Almost four months later this prompted an equally conservative Catholic on-line newspaper  to examine and inform readers what the Church actually teaches about the Devil.  

It appears that the official definition of Satan as contained in the Roman Catholic Catechism (1994) has done little to guide people to a more positive understanding of the Devil.  The current teaching still leads many of its believers to stick to the image of the devil as a creature sporting two horns, evil eyes, a hairy tail and brandishing a heavy pitch-fork.  Many Christians still cling to the notion of Satan as an invisible force which is constantly on the warpath looking for innocent victims whom he will lead on a path from which there is no return and redemption.  But is this true?  And why does it cause so many Christians to regard this ‘adversary’ or ‘prince of darkness’ as an entity separate from humankind?

In the Hebrew Bible, as in mainstream Judaism to this day, Satan never appears as Western Christendom has come to know him, as the leader of an “evil empire,” an army of hostile spirits who make war on God and humankind alike.  As he first appears in the Hebrew Bible, Satan is not necessarily evil, much less opposed to God.  On the contrary, he appears in the book of Numbers and in Job as one of God’s obedient servants – a messenger, or angel sent by God for the specific purpose of blocking or obstructing human plans and desires.  As one scholar put it “If the path is bad, an obstruction is good.” 

Demonizing people is an attempt to take away their God created humanness and substituting them for grotesque animals or figures.  In that way we can feel justified in saying that they are beyond God’s redemption.

Elaine Pagels author of ‘The Origin of Satan’(1995)  concludes her scholarly book with:

 “Today not a few self proclaimed Christian individuals carry with them a cosmic vision involving forces of good contending against forces of evil.  This fatal and dualistic approach would suggest that future conflict is not only possible but necessary if we are to rid ourselves of all evil.   

Many Christians, from the first century through to Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century and Martin Luther King, Jr., in the twentieth, have believed that they stood on God's side without demonizing their opponents. Their religious vision inspired them to oppose policies and powers they regarded as evil, often risking their well-being and their lives, while praying for the reconciliation—not the damnation—of those who opposed them.

For the most part, however, Christians have taught—and acted upon—the belief that their enemies are evil and beyond redemption.  The struggle within Christian tradition is between the profoundly human view that "otherness" is evil and the words of Jesus that reconciliation is divine.”

It seems all too easy to condemn and demonize others for the evil in the world while forgetting to first look within ourselves.  When we are ready to look within we might actually discover the real truth and answer to the question who Satan really is.  

To begin with we are all probably familiar with the response to the question: “where did Satan decide to hide so that no one would ever find him? And, the surprising answer is “in the hearts of human kind – the only place where no one will ever look for him.”

For those who can accept this answer it is perhaps only a small step to recognize that Satan represents nothing more than the human ego. Here’s how one wise author describes Satan and his story

•    I am that little voice within you that makes you doubt, including doubting   my existence.
•      I am depression, anger, jealousy, worry, fear, false pride, and selfish         behaviour.
•      I thrive on neediness and disappointment, negativity and cynicism. etc.

For those who still believe in Satan as a separate entity remember, be it the Devil, Lucifer or fallen angel, take heed from the words of 60’s comedian Flip Wilson who used to say “the devil made me do it!”  If indeed the devil, as a separate entity, is the agent behind our evil actions, than it can be argued that ultimately we cannot be held responsible for any of our sins.  More importantly this attitude tends to distance us from the place and source where all evil takes root.

Led by the Spirit, the very first action Jesus took before he began his public mission was to enter the desert to be tempted by the devil.  Here Jesus clearly rejected some of the typical ego temptations we are all faced with everyday.  Without darkness would we recognize light?   Without pain would we recognize peace?   Without an ego would we recognize God?  While we depend on God’s gift of the ego he also gave us the freedom to recognize how overpowering and self serving it can become.  For that reason the ego acts as our adversary to help us overcome evil.

We may now thank God for the ‘obstacle’ he has presented to us. For only when we stop fearing to look inside will we stop projecting blame on others and then will we become his Kingdom people.  

On Repairing the World

In yesterday’s blog I spoke about the overwhelming influence of the Ego in our everyday life and how its negative effects bring so much pain and suffering into the world. That being so, I recall asking a therapist once “why can’t we then just kill the ego?” His immediate response was simply this “would you kill your own brother?” Thankfully there is a more compassionate solution to the problem. In Christian circles it is better known as Atonement and for our Hebrew brothers and sisters it is called Tikkun (meaning: to repair the world).

It is interesting to note that both of these religious terms basically mean the same thing. For example, each time we surrender to our reactive behaviour and fail to take responsibility for our negative behaviour we need to make a correction. When we are prepared to make a correction, with the Creator’s input, we are accessing ‘atonement’ or ‘tikkun’. Since our predilection for negative behaviour will probably remain with us until we die; this healing option (thank God) will be always be available to us throughout our lifetime.

But now here is more good news. Our negative behaviour or garbage can actually become a stepping stone for discovering our True Self. It is the True Self that will set us free from our addictions, pain and suffering and allow us to live a life lived to the full and thereby learning to repair the world! All it requires is for us to become more aware of the role the Ego plays in our lives. To overcome the Ego we simply need to learn to control our selfish tendencies and share our blessings whatever they are. All it takes is 'awareness, awareness, and more awareness' as my favourite mystic Fr. Anthony de Mello, used to say.

It may surprise some readers that another name for the Ego is Satan, the Adversary or whatever other name you may have for the devil. Don’t be afraid of that awful rascal but rather learn how to deal with him/her and unmask it. In addition to the book I recommended yesterday ‘The Monster Is Real’ you might want to order ‘Satan: An Autobiography’ again by the same author- Yehuda Berg. It is readily available on line and will complete surprise you regarding Satan’s role in your life. Here’s a little hint based on the description on the back dust cover:

Do you know me? I am the adversary, and this is my story. I am that little voice within you that makes you doubt, including my existence. I am depression, anger, jealousy, worry, fear, false pride, and selfish behaviour. I thrive on neediness and disappointment, negativity and cynicism. But here’s a secret I’m revealing for the very first time: No matter how low I have caused you to go, you have the power to turn it around.


Other wonderful examples of atonement or Tikkun, are 'the Secrets' (2008) film by Ari Nesher, a Jewish perspective, and 'Groundhog Day' (1993) starring Bill Murray from the Christian point of view.

Still some religions today teach that to combat sin punishment is the best form of ‘correction’. This cannot be from God. In fact any religion that promotes punishment is a religion that has failed! In the words of a wise teacher “God does not punish, command, reward or make demands – God is only love!”

Credits: the incredible image shown above was created by Rabbi Billy Dreskin in honour of his son Jonah, becoming a Bar Mitzvah. You can visit his website at http://www.dreskin.us/html/jewish_resources.html

Did God Create Evil ?

Several years ago, while attending a special two day conference, featuring a favourite retreatmaster/author/teacher of mine by the name of Richard Rohr I suddenly found myself blurting out this confounding question: "Fr. Rohr did God create evil?"

While he did not directly answer my question, he did state that many theologians throughout history had battled with this question. Some felt that without darkness we could not appreciate light but that both are nevertheless equal parts of God's creation. Others such as the official Catholic magisterium affirm the existence of the devil or evil spirits. Regardless, it is clear that evil does exist but it is also clear that God wars against it and that we are called to participate with God in the struggle against all forms of evil. Scripture tells us that Jesus came to save us from "the power of darkness and of Satan".

Being somewhat obsessive/compulsive I found it difficult to let go of the subject. Only recently, while studying Kabbalah, was I able to let go by consulting the universe on the matter. What follows is what I discovered.

Did God create evil?

The question of evil has confounded humankind ever since the very beginning of human history. Did God create evil just so we would appreciate his goodness? But if God did not create evil how did it come into existence? Is there a simple way to resolve this perplexing question?

Our planet earth is more than 4.3 billion years old. Science tells us that humankind, in its present form (Homo Sapiens), did not appear until approximately some 150,000 to 120,000 years ago. That means that we arrived only a fraction of a second before twelve o’clock midnight on a clock where twenty four hours represents 4.3 billion years. Science also tells us that life, in its most primitive form, did not appear until 3.5 to 3.75 billion years later. To date, no fossilized remains of any single cell life form, has ever been found to exist before that time.

The fact that humankind, unlike all other life forms, is the only species that is capable or acting out of malice, should give us a clue as to true origin of evil! May we then deduce that evil made its debut when humankind first appeared on the earth? The bible tells about this tragic condition beginning with the story of Cain and Abel. Now I am not speaking of Original Sin. (I do not subscribe to this particular Church teaching and prefer the term Original Blessing, which is more fitting to a loving Father). Rather, I am speaking of humankind's basic struggle with - the ego. It is no accident that we have long spoken of the devil or Satan as the ‘accuser or adversary’! If we think of evil as something outside of ourselves than it could be said that we are not responsible for our negative actions. Or, as the seventies comedian Flip Wilson used to say ‘the devil made me do it’! That being the case there would be no reason for God to offer us his salvation.

For this reason the question as to “did God create evil” should be of extreme importance in our understanding of our role as human beings. For too long we were taught that evil was ”out there” and as something to be conquered. Tragically, some religious fundamentalist still believe that evil is a force to be fought out in the last and final battle before God destroys the earth. The sooner we realize that the ‘problem is our ego’ the sooner we will be able to enjoy the healing and loving Kingdom here on earth that Jesus came to announce.

God in his generosity did not ‘cast us out of the garden’, rather he gave us freedom to make our own decisions. Much like a parent does for their children when they reach the age of responsibility. What an incredible God to take a chance on his children knowing that they would fail or let him down, time and time again. We need to acknowledge our ego and allow God to reveal our ‘true self’. God gave us the gift of freedom to choose. If we choose with our hearts we are guaranteed we will do even greater things than Jesus did! (John 14:12)

Your loving friend in Christ

More powerful than all the nuclear weapons in the world combined. Able to destroy everything in its path. The real weapon of mass destruction has at last been found! After centuries of wanton destruction throughout the world it has at last been revealed. History tells us it may have started as a clever deception with evil disguised as a snake which was quickly followed by the slaying of one brother of another. Each culture has produced its own story of how evil found its way in the world. Today it is more popularly known as the weapon of mass destruction Ever since then this weapon has found its way through centuries of unbridled hate, power & greed, falsehoods, lies, extortion, murder, theft, fanaticism, pessimism, terrorism, and just about every negative trait you can name. This ‘monster’ is real and has been responsible for every form of pain, fear, anxiety and suffering humankind has endured on this planet. This weapon is responsible for much of today’s hunger, food shortages, financial, marital and family strife, inflationary pressures (i.e., rising gas prices), lack of adequate housing and medical care, ballooning military spending as well as people cheating on their tax returns and school-ground bullying If left unchecked this weapon will continue to spread unrest and bloodshed where ever it is employed or released. It is usually fully armed and guided so it will seldom miss its target. While long after its impact its radiation can continue to destroy its enemies and foes alike.

How is it that this weapon of mass destruction has remained concealed for so long? Even Presidents and numerous prestigious world institutions have not been able to find it. But, who was responsible for hiding it in the first place? The answers will surprise you. You need not search in remote or distant places. Rulers or individuals, from the Pope down to Osama bin Laden and even warlords cannot claim exclusive rights to this fearful weapon of mass destruction.

Now at last the keeper of the weapon in question, that threatens to destroy humankind on the planet earth, has been found hiding under an assumed name. The name is EGO. The moment we blame others for our problems we are guilty of hiding the ‘monster’ under our bed. However, the moment we accept responsibility in this world we will have conquered our Ego. Everyone has one. Without it we would probably cease to exist. When we ignore our ego, which we frequently do, and set it ahead of the needs of others will allow in all the misery and suffering mentioned above. Properly understood and recognized the ego can become a tool that will result in world peace and harmony. It will then be known as the weapon of construction for the masses.

The following story regarding the question: “did God create evil?” was recently posted at http://www.citehr.com/116380-did-god-create-evil.html

A professor of a university challenged his students with this question.

"Did God create everything that exists?"

A student answered bravely, "Yes, he did".

The professor then asked, "If God created everything, then he created evil. Since evil exists (as noticed by our own actions), so God is evil.”

The student couldn't respond to that statement causing the professor to conclude that he had "proved" that "belief in God" was a fairy tale, and therefore worthless.


Another student raised his hand and asked the professor, "May I pose a question? ", "Of course" answered the professor.


The young student stood up and asked: "Professor does cold exists?"

The professor answered, "What kind of question is that? Of course the cold exists... haven't you ever been cold?"

The young student answered, "In fact sir, Cold does not exist. According to the laws of Physics, what we consider cold, in fact is the absence of heat. Anything can be studied as long as it transmits energy (heat). Absolute Zero is the total absence of heat, but cold does not exist. What we have done is create a term to describe how we feel if we don't have body heat or we are not hot."

"And, does Dark exist?", he continued. The professor answered "Of course".
This time the student responded, "Again you're wrong, Sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in fact simply the absence of light. Light can be studied, darkness cannot. Darkness cannot be broken down. A simple ray of light tears the! Darkness and illuminates the surface where the light beams finishes. Dark is a term that we humans have created to describe what happens when there's lack of light."

Finally, the student asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" The professor replied, "Of course it exists, as I mentioned at the beginning, we see violations, crimes and violence anywhere in the world, and those things are evil."

The student responded, "Sir, Evil does not exist. Just as in the previous cases, Evil is a term which man has created to describe the result of the absence of God's presence in the minds of man.