SHORT COMMUNICATION 12
The Absence of Evil
By
Roger Behra, B. S. Education *
* Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Western New Mexico University, Silver City, New Mexico. He took five courses, 15 graduate hours, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. 19 years experience teaching language arts in Arizona and Ohio, U.S.A. 10 years teaching religion in St. Ann Catholic School in Ohio, in addition.
In our modern world and since the middle 1960’s a large majority of people, especially in the United States, stumble and live their daily lives as if evil does not exist any longer. It is very evident by what is going on around us. The large number of murders, child molestations and abuse, corruption, rapes, strip joints, abortion, teen age sex and pregnancies, co-habitation, dope addiction, etc., etc., attest to the fact that people do not recognize evil for what it is. Evil is something bad in thought or behavior, the apposite of good. How did this all come about?
The counter culture movement started around the middle 1960’s. And this movement was basically grounded in evil-dope, sex, rock-n-roll music, throw out the old, bring in the new philosophy. It all started in the United States and quickly spread to other cultures. And at this time instead of the older generation sticking to their guns, they became followers instead of continuing to be leaders. The decline that started then has given us what we have going on today. Satan and his evil helpers are having a grand time of it in our modern world. And all the ground against evil that has been lost most likely will never be re-gained. When the parents of today, who, for the most part, are direct descendants of the original counterculture people have their own children, they have to come to realization that evil does exist and what forms that evil takes. They have to bring God back into their everyday lives, get back to church attendance on Sundays, learn the Ten Commandments, teach good morality, teach all this to their children. It’s the only hope, basically.
Then the clergy and professional teachers have to do their responsibilities, re-enforcing what parents are teaching in the homes. Quite frankly, the outlook does not seem very promising.
Many people agree that evil exists. The problem arises in the fact that their definition of evil is faulty, what is or isn’t evil. They have to re-assess their definition of evil. We all will be the beneficiaries. The cultural atmosphere will be more Christian like-and genuinely happier, indeed.
A much higher percentage of people today, much higher than percentage of people today, much higher than prior to the counter culture movement, are greatly bent toward evil, sadly to say. That is evidenced by:
1. The large number of abortions.
2. The proliferation of child sexual abuse, incest, and pornography.
3. Murder out of anger or hate.
4. Large scale co-habitation.
5. The high percentage of teen age sex and out-of-wed lock babies.
6. Higher incidence of marital infidelity.
7. Scoffing at safe driving rules and disregarding them.
8. Serial killings.
9. Alcoholism and drug abuse.
10. Lack of spiritual development in many lives.
11. Great decline in church attendance.
12. Great increase in unethical behavior.
13. Poor general character development.
14. Greater percentage of teen age and adult suicides.
15. The enormity of crime in general.
The have to change the varied leaning toward these evils. We individually and together have the power to do so. It begins by actively bringing God and Godly living back into our children. We have to change course away from the higher tendency toward evil behavior that pervades our cultures. We must come to the realization that leaning heavily toward good is far more advantageous to all of us. We must again center our lives around God and Godly living. God will help us if we earnestly ask Him. And the sooner the better.