GOOD AND EVIL
The issue of Good and Evil is an issue which is addressed, in one form or another, across virtually all schools of religion and philosophy. Yet, it can, arguably, be one which leads to conflict or confusion, or it can be a simple and straightforward one, based upon the perspective from which the issue is approached. Speaking generally, the perspective of good and evil which leads to conflict and confusion can be shown to have its origin in the perpetuation of what can best be described as an erroneous course of explanation. On the other hand, and based upon virtually all that has been described and discussed in previous pages, it is equally possible to establish a perspective on the subject of good and evil which can be readily accepted by all but the most skeptical, for the simple reason that "it makes sense".
It is mentioned in passing that, it could be propositioned that the perpetuation of an erroneous perspective regarding good and evil could be linked to simple ignorance on the part of originators of said perspective, or even be viewed as a means of exercising control over the masses, by what might be defined as "ignorant obedience" (i.e., compliance to some set of rules or codes, without attempting to foster any understanding as to why compliance should be adhered to), and there may be examples of such, even now. Notwithstanding, the discussion which follows here seeks to move in the opposite direction, i.e., it will not only seek to establish a particular perspective on the subject of good and evil, but also provide a foundation for understanding what lies behind this perspective.
It is possible to trace all endeavors to define good and evil out of the establishment and development of ethics and morality. Granted that many definitions of the terms do indeed exist, "good" is generally defined as: a right or desirable quality", while "evil", being the exact opposite of good, is defined as: a wrong or undesirable quality. Being exact opposites implies that whatever one is, the other is not.
Now, from the metaphysical standpoint, where it is propositioned that there is an Original Entity (Spirit), which is, to use the Latin term, the "fons et origo" (source and origin) of all that is, it may be recalled that an endeavor had been made in the discussion on Spiritual Science to define just what Spirit is. The outcome of that endeavor was the conclusion that Spirit is: LIFE, HEALTH, INTELLIGENCE, POWER, OPULENCE and LOVE - those six qualities may be said to constitute the Divine Nature, or the nature of Spirit. It was also mentioned in that discussion that a thing can only express that which it is, and not that which it is not - a point concisely expressed by another Latin phrase: nemo dat quod non habet", which may be translated to state: no-one can give what they do not have. On that basis, one might then raise what might amount to an obvious question: if the preceding statements are true (i.e., Spirit is Life, Health, Intelligence, Power, Opulence and Love), then how is it or why is it that various things which might be considered the opposite of the Divine Nature (i.e., Death, Disease, Ignorance, Weakness, Lack and Hatred) are present in the world?
It is a fair question, for which it is actually possible to trace out an answer. And this author will once again state something first mentioned in the opening statement to be found on the Home Page ... that he is not attempting to put any idea into the mind of his audience; he can only put it before them, and each and every person who encounters it will assimilate and process what is presented in their own respective manner.
One significant point that contributes towards the answer is reflected in the proposition that the Original Creative Entity (Spirit) is the one and only source and origin of all that is; a proposition which, if accepted, thereby eliminates any conception of the existence of any other creative entity, whose nature might be considered "Evil" or that which is the exact opposite of Good. And it is no mere coincidence that the proposition that Spirit is the one and only source has been recorded in some (if not all) of the writings associated with one or more various religions, as this example may demonstrate:
"There is none beside Me ... I am GOD, and there is none else."
- Book of Isaiah chapter 45, verses 21 and 22, The Bible
That excerpt effectively states that "GOD", or Universal Spirit, is, ultimately, all that is. Consequentially, it can be traced out that, if the preceding point is accepted, then that which might be called "Evil" simply cannot be the direct and deliberate creation of Spirit; such an operation would effectively set one part of Spirit working against itself, which amounts to a self-destructive activity.
Another significant part of the answer can be traced back to two statements first made in the discussion on Mind Power; specifically, the six lines of verse credited to James L. Allen on "Mind", and the proposition adapted from a certain verse out of the Bible which defines Man as "... made in the image and likeness of GOD". Both statements effectively state the same thing - namely, that the Thought or Mental Action of Man is capable of exercising and demonstrating the same exact quality of Creative Power, as is exercised and demonstrated by the thought of Spirit or GOD. As also mentioned perviously, the preceding is by no means a recent or new discovery, but on the contrary, represents a conclusion that has been reached by many of the wisest individuals who have ever walked the globe (whether literally or figuratively), and who have ever sought to get to the core of the matter. And, in their respective ways, another significant point has been discovered by those individuals previously referred to; namely that, in order to truly reciprocate or reflect his true nature (i.e., a miniature reproduction of Spirit in conscious individualty), Man is also furnished and equipped with the ability to choose the way and direction in which he will wield his creative power of Thought. But the presence of the ability of choice neither mitigates or grants exemption from the all-embracing Law of Cause and Effect, nor from the axiom mentioned in one or more previous discourses that Thought or Mental Action is perpetually Creative, and, once set in motion and left undisturbed, inevitably creates conditions corresponding to the quality of the Thought or Idea (or perhaps more precisely, the Belief) established and held by the thinking entity, whether that entity be Universal Spirit, or Individualized spirit, i.e., the indidivual person.
As a quick note, the major difference between the thought action of Spirit, as opposed to the thought action of Man, as may be illustrated by the above diagram, is that Spirit or Universal Mind is, as stated elsewhere, purely subjective or subconscious, but the quality of creative action is exactly the same.
Going further, it can be proven by a careful course of reasoning that, by virtue of Spirit being an infinite entity, the Intelligence associated directly with it must likewise be infinite in scope or capacity, i.e., Spirit may be said to know all that is, at all times, and in all places; therefore, it knows unquestionably that whatsoever it sets forth to create through the exercise of the creative power of thought will indeed be created. It is not so with Man, or at least with Man as he exists in the so-called objective or physical universe. It has been mentioned before in the discussion on Thought Power that Man, notwithstanding his true nature (i.e., individualized Spirit) does not come into the physical universe "pre-programmed" with the knowledge of how to employ his creative instrument of thought, and that, if he is to use it beneficially, he must learn and discover not only how to use it, but why to use it in a particular manner. This is briefly an example of Evolution, i.e., the unfoldement of possibilities and potentialities that may be said to already exist - in this instance, it occurs on the mental plane, rather than on the physical plane. Put simply, without learning and discovering how and why to exercise the creative power of Thought, Man - both individually and collectively - can actually choose to think differently from the so-called "standard operating procedure" of Goodness, and history reveals all too clearly that the human race, on the whole has actually done so.
Consequently, it can be traced out and concluded that the human race has - whether consciously or unconsciously - conceived and formulated the belief that Death, Disease, Ignorance, Weakness, Lack, Hatred and virtually every other thing that could be considered the exact opposite of Goodness - or, to sum them up in a single word, Evil - are things which actually exist, and this mis-directed use of his creative instrument of thought makes those things realities in the objective universe - again, both individually as well as collectively. And, if one recalls the subject of mass mental impressions, first mentioned in the discussion on Anima Mundi, then it can again be concluded that, the mass majority of the human race is actually operating with the belief that Good and Evil co-exist, and are, so-to-say, constantly warring against each other, and, more significantly, by virtue of their overall ignorance on the subject of the use of Thought Power, the belief has - literally - been perpetuated across successive generations, from ancient times to the present day, and so long as this belief exists and is maintained, the corresponding condition that might be observed in the world around us will persist; once more, the maxim: "ignorance of the law does not excuse anyone from its operation", applies equally in this area.
Accordingly, it can also be traced out that the belief in the simultaneous existence of, and perpetual struggle between, Good and Evil, is ultimately rooted in Ignorance on the subject. And, as many have stated elsewhere, Ignorance is a mental state that very often leads to Fear; hence the fear of Evil inevitably leads to the belief in Evil as actually existing. This may raise the almost obvious question that has been raised in various forms by countless thousands for hundreds (if not thousands) of years; namely: "Can or will Evil ever be someday eliminated from the world?" This Author will simply add his voice to others who have make similar responses - the answer is an emphatic "Yes". However, the means or method by which Evil is to be put aside, according to what may be learned from metaphysics, is what needs to be understood, accepted and applied.
Casual observation of what might amount to "conventional" religion suggests that the conventional or traditional viewpoint of Good and Evil suggests that the eventual elimination of Evil will one day be realized by some means of "divine intervention" by the Original Creative Entity, i.e., that said Entity will one day, so-to-say", "snap two fingers" or "wave a hand" and (as the term goes) "hey, presto" - Evil will immediately disappear from existence. While it might seem a lovely and hope-inspiring concept, much of what has been stated here and in previous discussions, if and when assimilated and analyzed, supports the argument that, if Man chooses to wait for "GOD" or some external force outside of himself to get rid of Evil, then Man may literally "wait forever". As stated before, it can be traced out that Goodness (or that which is Good) actually exists, because the source of Good (Spirit) actually exists, while its opposite (Evil) actually has no existence in itself, and only exists as a result of the perpetuation of Man's belief in its existence. Once again, as stated above, so long as Man believes that Evil exists, and that Good and Evil are continually battling each other, or - as is sometimes portrayed in religion - struggling to "capture or win souls", then (to paraphrase another statement previously quoted) "it shall be unto Man, according to his Belief". On the other hand, and by the same progression, if or when Man recognizes and realizes that any comparison of Good and Evil amount to comparing something which actually exists with another thing which has no actual existence, then there is no foundation for exercising any fear of Evil, and hence, if or when that point has been reached by the totality of the human race, Evil will then be eliminated from the universe. But the point this Author would impress upon the visitor is that this condition will only be realized as an actual fact, if and when a particular viewpoint of Good and Evil - in summary, the one which effectively states that Good is actually all that is, and that Evil is merely a limiting belief than can be laid aside and supplanted by the belief in Good - is accepted by the mass of Mankind, and not otherwise. And that acceptance cannot be forced upon anyone; it must be a conscious and deliberate choice on the part of each and every person. And the acceptance can only come about by one and only one method - the particular viewpoint of Good and Evil, as this Author has sought to trace out in this discussion - is presented for consideration, and each person is permitted to examine, analyze and treat with it, in their own manner.
The following external web links are provided for further reference and research on the subject of Good and Evil. Despite their apparent brevity, each of these articles contain very significant content. As always, clicking on either link will open a new browser window:
A Special Article from "The Science Of Mind" by Ernest Holmes (c. 1926), and his particular take on Good and Evil.
A Paper originally written around 1902 by Thomas Troward (posthumously compiled in a book entitled: "The Hidden Power" {c. 1921}), which also contains the proposition that Good and Evil amounts to a comparison of that which actually is, with that which in actuality is not.
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