I wanted to share this with every one on here, I thought it was great food for thought, even if it may or may not be properly credited. "Does Evil Exist ?" > > A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning > challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything > that > exists?" > > > A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!" > > "God created everything?" The professor asked. > > "Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied. > > The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created > evil. > And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works > Define who we are, then we can assume God is evil. " > > The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical > definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the > students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a > myth. > > Another student, Albert, raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a > question, professor?" > > "Of course", replied the professor. > > The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" > > "What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been > cold?" > > The other students snickered at the young man's question. > > The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to > the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of > heat. > Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits > energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. > > Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter > becomes > inert and incapable of reaction at that > temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe > how > we feel if we have no heat." > > The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?" > > The professor responded, "Of course it does." > > The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not > exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can > study, > But not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white > light > into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You > cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of > darkness > and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You > Measure the amount of light present. > > Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what > happens when there is no light present." > > Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" > > Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already > said. > We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to > man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. > These > manifestations are nothing else but evil. > > To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it > does > not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just > like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the > absence > of > God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when > man > does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that > Comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light > > The professor sat down. > > The young man's name -- Albert Einstein > IT IS TIME FOR THE CHRISTIANS TO BE HEARD * Personally I think evil can be measured by the absence of BUICKS in my yard too, but thats just me... :TU: ** God Bless ! :grin:
That was awesome Gary. I was wondering how it was going to end up.. Evil definitely abounds with an absence of God, but God also referred to evil in the bible himself, knowing it can only take you over you when He is not allowed into your life. Good stuff, thanks.
In this context I think it is mearly the absence of life as we know it , because if you truly belive there is no death .
Here's a point to ponder...... if you are born once, you die twice. If you are born twice, you only die once. I'll report back in a few days to give the true answer. And, yes I am proud to be a follower of Jesus Christ!! Thanks for sharing that carguy455. Enjoyed it!
The argument is tempting, but rests on a minor fallacy. First, to believe in God, as the Judeo-Christians recognise Him, is to believe that while God created everything, He did not create "action," nor did He Create individual thoughts, just the capacity of each of us to exercise these freely. To carry it a step further, to define evil as the absence of God, is to state that the presence of God requires a physical requirement of "good." We all believe that the world around us, and everything in it, requires the presence of God, as each beat of our hearts and each hair on our heads require his permission to be. How then could evil exist in such a situation, if "Albert is right? Please never forget what Jesus said, "call nothing my Father has made, unclean...for it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but what comes out of him." In the eating of the fruit, Adam and Eve gained knowledge of Good and Evil....notice that the tree was not The Tree of Knowledge of Good and the Absence of Good." Just as we exercise free will to choose Good or Evil in our thoughts and actions, so too does God allow the Evil One free will to do his Evil and to tempt us, as he did our first parents. To deny that there is no intelligent Evil at work in the world is to leave ourselves defenseless against it. The most dangerous threat is the one we choose not to acknowledge. The Evil One hides behind our denial of him. Dan
Does evil exist? Yes. I'm right here ou: I couldn't resist! Sorry no pun intented! I'm not evil or any of that crap... the nick name is a long non buick oriented story :sleep:
Years ago I was a FedEx courier, everytime it got slow I would get laid off, and when I returned other couriers would say "Evil takes a holiday...but he's back now !" This was long ago before I became a better person, and turned my will over.
Very true Dan. Also, what a lot of people do not realize, is that aside from Jesus, Satan is the most powerful being in creation (and the author of evil). But he is POWERLESS against Him. So when you say "To deny that there is no intelligent Evil at work in the world is to leave ourselves defenseless against it...", you are absolutely on the mark!
Thanks, Ken. One thing that continues to confuse me is the modern trend of the Catholic church to tacitly ignore, if not deny, the presence of demons and their activities. They regard possession as an "old fashioned" idea, despite the fact that the New Testament makes a point of describing the many instances of Christ and the apostles casting out "unclean spirits". Such possession didn't magically end with the death of the last writer of the New Testament.....interestingly, the few nonfiction books available on the subject make it clear that those with an unforgiving heart are most at risk. I see the evil that men do on a daily basis, and wonder.....Dan
Yes I basically see the modern perspective of possession being an "old fashioned" thing as PROOF that evil has been ABLE to foster that perception so that evil can continue uninhibited. I highly doubt the "folks" that wrote the New Testament would have BOTHERED to mention possession if it were not REAL and necessary to be on the lookout for. I believe in my short time here on planet Earth that I have witnessed possession on more than one occasion. I too watch and wonder, and wonder, and wonder..... o No: ..Gary
Just got this passage in an email....thought it fitting to post here. -------------------------------------------------------------- Matthew 5:38-48, 6:1-4 38) " You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39) But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40) and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; 41) and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42) Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. 43) You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44) But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47) And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48) You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 6:1) Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2) Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3) But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4) so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
True true true "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven" Thank you for the reminder Scott, sometimes I forget that when I get going on these subjects ! It really is great though, to have such a great group of like minded folks to discuss these thoughts with ...thanks :TU:
