Most people who refer to the evil in the world as evidence that a good God couldn’t exist have specific things in mind when it comes to moral evil.
Never their own evil, though.
The answer to the question, “why is there evil in the world?” is not as profound as people think, but is very complex. In my ebook, “The Endeavor of Life” I start the answer with a look in the mirror.
The truth is, mass murderers, ruthless killers and child rapists don’t account for most of the evil in the world. When you consider all the behavior from ordinary people who insult, neglect, sleight or willingly act selfishly or unjustly towards others, you get an account of lower-level evil that hurts more people more often. They might not kill or maim, but these petty evils do cause in those who suffer them cynicism and a dimmer view of people or of the world that makes life a bit less worthwhile. A moment of inequity in an encounter with an otherwise good person can ruin a day. It’s happened to me, and I’m certain I’ve caused it in others.
Add to that all the wars and police crackdowns deployed by governments of all kinds on behalf of people’s fear, ignorance or anger, then the human toll from the use of force, even if the intentions are good, easily surpasses the suffering and death inflicted by the universally acknowledged evildoers.
Consider all the excessive force that decent people deploy or sanction unjustly upon innocents in the service of this cause or that. The source of evil oftentimes is as simple as ignorance. Or self preservation. Or self interest. Or our habit of placing the well-being of ourselves or the societies we care about above the well-being or the just treatment or regard of strangers. Justice is not a naturally occurring moral sense towards those we regard as a threat.
We are finite, mortal and emotional beings ever aware of the frailty of our lives. That’s the source of good things and bad. Those traits and the fact that we can’t possibly ever know all the facts needed to make the best moral decisions also assure that no one can ever be morally perfect.
The following is a test of moral imperfection:
Have you ever brought harm to others or supported policies that did so because you thought what you and others were doing was right? Because you thought it was just or necessary, even though, as it turns out, you were mistaken?
Have you ever done so because you were ignorant of certain facts, or didn’t have enough information to make the right decision?
Have you done so because love, fear, or some other emotion or personal flaw clouded your reason?
Because you ever brought harm, even inadvertently, because you were so absorbed in yourself – your desires, needs or your problems – that you acted without proper consideration for others?
Have you ever acted in a way that simply placed your own welfare above that of others?
Have you ever acted out of loyalty to family, friends or others you love or care about without regard to the well-being of innocents you did not know personally or against the interest of fairness?
Have you ever encountered a reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing and did nothing to stop it?
I think that covers all of us. Perhaps not many of us have committed all those wrongs or contributed to all the suffering they causee, but all of us have done so for at least one of them.
Now, think of the worst atrocities committed in humankind. The evil you’ve committed differs in scale, but not in kind.