Where does evil come from?

We all may know and feel that cruelty is a part of the dynamics of life. We probably know that cruelty is a part of our human history and evidentially that it’s a part of life’s conditions presently throughout the world. One aspect of this cruelty, unfortunately for us of course, is the act of war. This cruelty unfortunately seems unavoidable as a necessity with all of it’s ugly consequences.  

 Human Beings could go further then this view about the necessity of cruelty just in war. Next they can go beyond justifying the necessity of just wars to saying that there must be an unavoidable justification for having other positions of cruelty in life. Like the cruelty in war then other violence, or other kinds of retribution, is not only unavoidable but it’s revengeful thinking too then can be excusable and rightly argued to be justifiable. 

 If we look at this in this light and justify cruelty too easily we then can justify our desire for cruel things to happen to the people we know or have opinions of. This desire we can have arises through our pain but yet is inspired mysteriously from somewhere other then ourselves meeting our mind. We reason the positions we have through our pain with our criticism falling on certain others, it happens to us all, as we go about aiming our anger and resentments at others we know or begin to dislike. We target those other people, often enough, who scheme about us, insult us, betray us, or hurt our honor. We then form the desire to even be cruel that is usually directed at those who threaten our wellbeing in some deeply personal way.

Cruelty seems to be an impulse and resulting calculation that rises up in our imaginations while seeming to happen as it does like it came to us from somewhere else other then here.  It’s calculations inspire the worst in us and can come upon us suddenly in anger. The desire for vengeance fills our thoughts while fueling our minds with the conviction that the anger we feel, by our reasoned response to an insult, is entirely justified.

Why do these ugly thoughts, that are aimed at others, materialize and challenge us in this way I often wonder. Where does all this overwhelming and negative persuasion even come from. We all might wonder, how can an often ill-equipped, naive, and vulnerable mind survive there influences and go unscathed through this life. That susceptible person, after all, is often living in a place in the world somewhere where  the arguments and influences on him or her may there lack having a desired alternative influence of good on that life. That person there simply then exists where the dynamics of certain bad ideas are unavoidable and therefore by being there those ideas go about effecting their judgment and perhaps their behavior with unfortunate consequences. 

There are certain people in the world, the right kind of councilors and teachers, that can influence a person away from acting destructively but many don’t hear them. Guiding our thoughts for instance can be Jesus teachings or those people who teach Him and His ways to others.  

And yet hatred, arising up in our thoughts from somewhere, has somewhat mysterious and unknown origins. This hateful desire springs up in us all and is like a destructive fuel that continually gets ignited by human judgment across the human experience. We are challenged by it for peace and love and tolerance for others while this force is continuously inspiring and creating conflict by making enemies between human beings. 

Often a good form council on us and our lives, throughout the history of the world, seems plainly to be simply absent through many personal experiences. Because of historical, geographical, cultural, ideological, political and different forms of religious influences on a person, we all face various degrees of insight, and lacking there of, into these challenges that are all dependent on what we know and witness. Often there is absent in our life a way to avoid hatred and therefore it wins battles on us across the earth.

There is too, in the quiet of our minds, alternatively the best kind of ideas to be recognized too. Hopefully we can find this kind of thinking, this kind of good, and see that there is dignity and worth in all human life in the grand picture of our existence.

In our culture certain forms of entertainment, some I see as good, some not, come flooding into our minds. One persuasion in a way that’s acted out for us is the example of revenge taking on the screen. We witness it daily through acts of sensationalist violence in the portrayal of retribution for entertainment. We witness violence again and again in this way. Vengefully we feel it as subconsciously it directs our imaginations. Naively as children we watch T.V adopting it’s norms as the treating of various enemies on the screen, that’s played out for us repeatedly, determines what we will fantasize about doing to other people we don’t like throughout important moments of our lives. This kind of example is too common and far too embedded in our civilization. Because of these effects it now seems too normal and justifiable for people to relive daily these kind of thoughts. I feel It is an ugly pollution on our minds that’s always negatively shaping us.

  Where do the destructive and punishment desiring thoughts directed negatively toward other people really come from though. I don’t think violent thoughts wishing harm on others come from God. The source of such hatred instead is an enemy of God. We must be confronted by an evil force in this way. The various results of this influence and the impact on our lives is tragic, sad and unfortunate. Everywhere in The New Testament of the Holy Scriptures suggests alternatively the supporting of thought and behavior that loves God and loves one another.  I feel that God has no hatred for anyone regardless of the persons moral or ideological state. 

Just as often we may have a way to defeat evil in our lives. Evil does not win all the battles nor is the world destined to always tolerate it’s ways. Through the use of our will,  if first we can be assisted in our life's thinking, and we can get to the place where we have a chance to have the insight to recognize good and it’s example we can then use our will to pursue good. When we hear Jesus teach as an example to us “Love your enemy and do good to those who hate you and despitefully use you” and we listen to Him or when He says to“Forgive and you will be forgiven” and we recognize something beyond us through His words then we grow spiritually. As we respond to such insights by resisting anger and hatred we grow in this insight.  As we sit quietly in our thoughts and struggle in our mind we all seem to battle this unrelenting challenge for forgiving and letting go of our anger against one another. Can we grow in our ability to do it and grow to understand God’s ways.

There is this struggle is our interaction with other minds who inform and shape us with their persuasion on us that is always effecting us. Through these other people’s own successes or failures at this struggle they too are in the same battle as we are as we both effect each other. By their thoughts and communication they share their influences on us. As we interrelate with them it impacts them in their thoughts in return.

I ask finally then what truly is fair and how should we really see one another in this life. Can we fairly try to love everyone everywhere despite the shape of other people’s minds in the world.  I believe personally that love is the true nature of God. Everyone deserves to be loved. The nature of God does not desire cruelty, hatred, or violence and Jesus teachings support a God who loves everyone across the earth.  God is the one who is merciful and compassionate above all. We all struggle through our thoughts to be peaceful and kind toward one another. I’m not ashamed of sharing this view at all.