Good vs Evil?

**king'sbloomingrose** · November-23rd-2010, 01:19 PM

I need some help in determining whether or not a book series that I'm reading is true to God's word or not.

Is evil defined as the absence of good? Or in other words, evil is nothing. Also the work sets forth the idea that evil cannot create. "The Shadow ... can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own." (end of quote)

Is this Biblical or not?

**mattfivefour** · November-23rd-2010, 01:45 PM

This is a topic that has engaged philosophers since time immemorial. But the Bible doesn't discuss the causes of evil, it merely records that it exists. I cannot speak to the value of the book you are reading, but when it comes to the topic of evil I can confidently assert that evil is more than the absence of good. Evil is associated with malevolence, which is a word describing an active malice and evil. How could the mere absence of good be active and malevolent? Further, man has to set out to commit evil. How can we commit an absence of something? Evil is not the absence of God's goodness but the active confrontation of God's goodness and its rejection. It is deliberately choosing to exalt self above another human being, doing to that person what gives yourself pleasure.

This whole idea of evil being merely the absence of good rather than its opposite springs from the Arminian side of theology (the doctrine is called privatio boni) and is an attempt to deal with the thorny issue of how did evil come into being? Did God create it? Then how could He? He is good and does not do evil. Therefore, they reason, evil cannot be a thing in opposition to good, but merely its absence. But they are wrong. Evil IS real. But they reject this because they think it makes God the author of evil. Now it is true that God brings good out of evil. Look at the crucifixion as the ultimate example of that. Without the evil murder of an innocent man, all of us would be lost forever!

Now, as much as I reject the hyper-Calvinist teacher Roger Smalling's theology, he has written a very good summary of the topic of God and good and evil. I hope it helps you accept that evil is not the absence of good and does not make God its author.

"Evil does not exist in the same sense as good does. Evil is a sort of parasite of the good. Example: A human body is a good thing in and of itself. But it can become sick. The sickness is a bad thing, but cannot exist apart from the body. The sickness therefore a kind of parasite taking something away that existed before...health. Evil is something which detracts from good and cannot exist on its own. By asserting that sickness exists, we are asserting that such a thing as health exists. Darkness is merely the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat. Darkness and cold have no existence apart from these. Therefore, to suggest that God is not good to permit evil is to say that good has no existence if evil is present. This is a contradiction. The presence of evil, ironically, is proof of ultimate good."

I pray this helps.

**myinnuendo999** · November-23rd-2010, 10:25 PM

I think it's safe. I've had people describe evil like a hole. A hole is not a thing but is only the absence of something-- like dirt. So evil is the absence of good. God is good and the absence of God is evil.

Jesus said no one is good but God alone. Any goodness is in our lives is evidence of God's existence.

As far as explaining good and evil in the Garden of Eden, I don't understand it all

**Robert** · November-24th-2010, 01:05 AM

Originally Posted by mattfivefour

This is a topic that has engaged philosophers since time immemorial. But the Bible doesn't discuss the causes of evil, it merely records that it exists. I cannot speak to the value of the book you are reading, but when it comes to the topic of evil I can confidently assert that evil is more than the absence of good. Evil is associated with malevolence, which is a word describing an active malice and evil. How could the mere absence of good be active and malevolent? Further, man has to set out to commit evil. How can we commit an absence of something? Evil is not the absence of God's goodness but the active confrontation of God's goodness and its rejection. It is deliberately choosing to exalt self above another human being, doing to that person what gives yourself pleasure.

This whole idea of evil being merely the absence of good rather than its opposite springs from the Arminian side of theology (the doctrine is called privatio boni) and is an attempt to deal with the thorny issue of how did evil come into being? Did God create it? Then how could He? He is good and does not do evil. Therefore, they reason, evil cannot be a thing in opposition to good, but merely its absence. But they are wrong. Evil IS real. But they reject this because they think it makes God the author of evil. Now it is true that God brings good out of evil. Look at the crucifixion as the ultimate example of that. Without the evil murder of an innocent man, all of us would be lost forever!

Now, as much as I reject the hyper-Calvinist teacher Roger Smalling's theology, he has written a very good summary of the topic of God and good and evil. I hope it helps you accept that evil is not the absence of good and does not make God its author.

"Evil does not exist in the same sense as good does. Evil is a sort of parasite of the good. Example: A human body is a good thing in and of itself. But it can become sick. The sickness is a bad thing, but cannot exist apart from the body. The sickness therefore a kind of parasite taking something away that existed before...health. Evil is something which detracts from good and cannot exist on its own. By asserting that sickness exists, we are asserting that such a thing as health exists. Darkness is merely the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat. Darkness and cold have no existence apart from these. Therefore, to suggest that God is not good to permit evil is to say that good has no existence if evil is present. This is a contradiction. The presence of evil, ironically, is proof of ultimate good."

I pray this helps.

To boil it down: evil is a PERVERSION of Good. A twisted simulacrum that parodies and mocks the thing it corrupts.

**mattfivefour** · November-24th-2010, 10:30 AM

That says it very well, bro! It is not nothing, it is a perversion of something. Well said.

**Meg** · November-24th-2010, 11:54 AM

I like the parasite metaphor better. That, at least in my opinion, really fits.

**peacebringer** · November-28th-2010, 01:07 PM

Acutally I think both methaphors are at work. There are many forms to evil but one element. The twisting of what was good by breaking relationship and engaging in self dependent. As all things were created to be in line with the creator, when the created breaks away from that line, everything gets twisted and distorted. Do an examination of what is "abomination" for example. The parasite metaphor is good for the evil commited to others, the drawing of life from another for own benefit. The world is filled with such instances. Just my thoughts at moment.

**king'sbloomingrose** · November-28th-2010, 04:26 PM

Thanks everyone for the insights!

It's a lot to think about! And I've determined that this book seems to be rather in line with what the Bible teaches.

**Meg** · November-29th-2010, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by peacebringer

Acutally I think both methaphors are at work. There are many forms to evil but one element. The twisting of what was good by breaking relationship and engaging in self dependent. As all things were created to be in line with the creator, when the created breaks away from that line, everything gets twisted and distorted. Do an examination of what is "abomination" for example. The parasite metaphor is good for the evil commited to others, the drawing of life from another for own benefit. The world is filled with such instances. Just my thoughts at moment.

Excellent points, Peacebringer.

To Holly, whatcha reading anyway???

**king'sbloomingrose** · November-29th-2010, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by Meg

To Holly, whatcha reading anyway???

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. I love his style of writing, and my whole family is Tolkien fans.

**Meg** · November-29th-2010, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by king'sbloomingrose

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. I love his style of writing, and my whole family is Tolkien fans.

Is that all?

I was afraid you were reading Twilight! LOTR is supposed to be a Christian allegory, but I never got the subtleties; it was the second movie in the series I was talking about the day I got successfully witnessed to.