Article March 12, 2012 Issue

Unraveling the riddle of evil

By Kari Mashos

Originally appeared in the online Greek edition of The Herald of Christian Science

One of the many questions that people continue to ask is, “Where did evil come from?” Throughout the ages, people have tried to answer it. All kinds of reasons are given, from various viewpoints, for the origin of evil. Some say that evil originated from the need to balance the universe—good needing its opposite. Others believe in evil as a power in and of itself and personify it with the name Satan. And others are convinced that nothing can be done about evil because it is intrinsic to the nature of mankind. Clearly, no consensus has been reached.

Yet, there is someone who has answered the question and who gave complete proof that his answer was correct. Christ Jesus declared that evil is “a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). He defined evil as a lie, the origin of itself, and therefore its origin is a myth, a lie. But knowing that evil was untrue did not cause him to ignore disease and injustice. Jesus did not walk by sick people and say there is no evil and leave them there to suffer. Instead, he healed them. He gave proof of the truth that God, good, is the only cause and creator. He understood that everyone, including those looking for healing, were, in reality, children of divine Love, wholly good in nature. His compassion demanded that belief in evil and its effects be neutralized and destroyed.  

Facing down evil with the power of God, infinite good, is what Jesus demanded of all his followers—“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils” (Matthew 10:8). It’s obvious then that to think of evil as God-made surely goes against Christ Jesus’ teachings. Instead, knowing that evil is unreal—as he defined it and proved it to be—enables us to defeat it. 