NO. 1033 - THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EVIL!
No. 1033
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EVIL!
Ever since time immemorial there has been a battle taking place in the world between the forces of good and evil. To be sure, evil gets the spotlight and the headlines from time to time, but the forces for good have overcome those of evil.
My purpose today in sharing some thoughts that I have titled, “There Will Always Be Evil,” is to give you hope in a day when it seems the world condition is on a constant spiral downward. You should be aware that what I am going to share in this column is based on “empirical” evidence, meaning “relying or based on observation and practical experience without reference to scientific principles.”
For me personally, after a heinous act of some deranged person who callously takes the lives of multiple innocent human beings, I just shake my head in amazement as to how one person could deliberately do something like that to his fellow humans. The best answer I have been able to come up with is that this person is just evil. But going a little deeper, the obvious question is, why? What made this person or persons commit this senseless act? While doing some research, I ran across an article that sheds a little light on this subject.
The word “evil” is manifested in the existence of a being called Satan or the Devil. According to Biblical scholars and theologians, Satan was created by God thousands of years ago as a perfect angel. Satan was called Lucifer and he lived in heaven. When Lucifer set out to prove that he was above Jesus, he became so proud that God banished him from Heaven. Over time one third of the angels in heaven chose to side with Lucifer and to worship him instead of Jesus, and they were also banished to earth. Today, Satan is truly alive and he and his angels are demons. For me, this helps me understand why some people are so evil and can commit such heinous acts.
Again, while doing research I found the names of some of these well-known people who Satan has used to do his work. Names like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who took the lives of 13 in Columbine, Colo.; Seung Hui Cho, who killed 32 at Virginia Tech University; James Holmes, who killed 12 at a theater in Aurora, Colo.; Jeffrey Dahmer, who raped, murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991; and Charles Manson, who is linked to 35 killings. Of course, if we had to put a face on “evil,” I would say it would be that of Adolph Hitler, who exterminated 5.5 million Jews, and killed millions more, during World War II.
For Christians, and all people really, the Apostle Peter has some sound words of advice in I Peter 5:8-9 -- “Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world.” When we think about what is happening in the world today regarding ISIS and other terrorist organizations, and how they are persecuting Christians across the world, we again see the truth of God’s word.
Sometime back I saw the evidence of God’s love in a way seldom seen in today’s times. A sick, evil man, a tool of Satan, attended a prayer meeting at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, S.C, took out a gun, and murdered nine of the members. In the aftermath, we did not see rioting, looting and burning of the town. Rather, we saw God’s children who prayed and forgave at a time when other cities were doing exactly the opposite.
The sad reality regarding evil in our country is that it is not going to change much until we experience a real spiritual revival. It is as simple as that.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)
