Seattle First Baptist Church
  • HOME
  • Join Us Online
  • About Us
    • Welcome
    • NEXT GEN MINISTRIES
    • OUR TEAM >
      • PASTORAL TEAM
      • MUSIC STAFF
      • ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
      • LAY LEADERS
    • Our Building
    • PUBLICATIONS >
      • WELCOME HOME BOOK
    • Organization >
      • HISTORY
      • Governance
      • VALUES >
        • BAPTIST LIBERTIES
        • HERITAGE HYMNS
        • ROMNEY LEGACY FUND
    • LONG-RANGE PLANNING
  • Worship
    • WHAT TO EXPECT
    • LAST SUNDAY
    • Vimeo Video Archive
  • EVENTS
    • CALENDAR
    • ADVENT
    • ADULT EDUCATION
    • RETREATS
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Music >
      • SANCTUARY CHOIR
      • CHILDREN'S MUSIC
      • SEATTLE JAZZ VESPERS
      • ORGAN
    • DONATE >
      • PLEDGE FORM
    • CLIMATE ACTION
    • I CAN DO SOMETHING
    • OTHER PROGRAMS AND MINISTRIES
    • PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
  • CONTACT / DIRECTIONS

An Evolving View of Evil

7/14/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
This is the second in a series of three blogs by Dr. William Malcomson, our theologian-in-residence.  They are based on an Adult Learning class that Bill taught this spring.

1.  What we generally mean by evil appears to be both individual and systemic or structural.  Individual persons can think evil thoughts and do evil deeds.  All structures or systems in cultures, whether economic, political, cultural, religious, military or otherwise, seem to have some form of evil built into them (racism, classism, agism, sexism, etc.).  

2.  Spiritual traditions vary as to how they handle the causes of evil.  However, in the myths and stories and scriptures of many of them there is often an emphasis on Chaos vs. Order.  Often some kind of mythical battle between Chaos and Order.  Chaos and Evil are often linked.  Chaos can lead to destruction, death, despair, meaninglessness.  Order can lead to construction, life, hope, meaning.  But Chaos can also lead to creativity, and Chaos becomes an energizing force.  Order can also lead to a kind of status quo, maintaining of what is, a deterrent to progress and its own kind of evil.  So in many spiritual traditions the goal is a balance between Chaos and Order, in which each energizes the other.  Sometimes a Satan figure or a Dark God is pictured in opposition to a good God who maintains order, but this opposition is often pictured as both a balancing and an opposition.  

3.  If we are looking at evil in individuals we could say that we have a Shadow side to our self (from Carl Jung).  All of us have a dark side, recognized by our egotism, selfishness, anti-social desires, antipathy to certain persons, desires for revenge or harm, etc.  Though some act on these desires, most of us do not.  A sign of healing is to admit the Shadow within us, call it what it is, think of it as an integral part of who we really are, balance our chaos and order, recognize the good and evil within us, and experience how this recognition can lead to wholeness, empathy, inclusivity, compassion, and balance.  A sign of illness is to deny the Shadow, deny the evil in us, act as if all of the dark side is or can be overcome by salvation or ethical behavior or submission to a god or a cause.  

4.  The primary evil in systemic or structural evil appears to be Oppression.  Oppression of ethnic minorities, women, the poor, the disabled, the powerless, and so on.  Individuals in power positions in society oppress and persons within the structures - all of us, in fact - participate in the oppression, whether willingly or not.  Oppressive structures are a given in society, much as we abhor them.

5.  How does Spirit deal with Evil?  I believe that Spirit is compassionate, life-affirming and energizing.  Spirit energizes us to recognize evil, in us, in systems, to call oppression by its name, and to work to mitigate its power.  I believe that Spirit energizes us to balance Chaos and Order in our lives in order to release our creative powers.  I do not believe that Spirit or any God or gods will "intervene" or "fix it,"  will right wrongs, overcome evil with good, get rid of the "bad guys."  Spirit works in, among, with all of us for compassion, creativity, and liberation.  Liberation from oppression is a life-long, never-ending process.  But we rejoice in the realization that we are co-workers with Spirit.

2 Comments
Marcia
7/19/2015 05:16:22 am

Point #5 sounds like what M.L. King Jr. was getting at when he said, "The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." (I know he was paraphrasing Theodore Parker, but his version is the best known one.) Clearly King, although he was an ordained Christian pastor, did not believe that a supernatural supreme being was ever going to magically right all wrongs. He rightly understood that this is our job as the "hands" of God (or Spirit).

Reply
Jim
7/21/2015 01:47:46 pm

Insightful concepts, Bill. They really resonate with me. Looking forward to reading more. Please keep pushing the edges.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    SFBC Voices

    This blog includes thoughts from various contributors at Seattle First Baptist

    Archives

    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

#SeattleFirstBaptist
Copyright © 1869-2021 by Seattle First Baptist Church
Music is Podcast under WORSHIPcast License #7742, OneLicense.net Podcast License #712381, CCLI Podcast License
Seattle First Baptist Church     1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle, WA  98122     206-325-6051
  • HOME
  • Join Us Online
  • About Us
    • Welcome
    • NEXT GEN MINISTRIES
    • OUR TEAM >
      • PASTORAL TEAM
      • MUSIC STAFF
      • ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
      • LAY LEADERS
    • Our Building
    • PUBLICATIONS >
      • WELCOME HOME BOOK
    • Organization >
      • HISTORY
      • Governance
      • VALUES >
        • BAPTIST LIBERTIES
        • HERITAGE HYMNS
        • ROMNEY LEGACY FUND
    • LONG-RANGE PLANNING
  • Worship
    • WHAT TO EXPECT
    • LAST SUNDAY
    • Vimeo Video Archive
  • EVENTS
    • CALENDAR
    • ADVENT
    • ADULT EDUCATION
    • RETREATS
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Music >
      • SANCTUARY CHOIR
      • CHILDREN'S MUSIC
      • SEATTLE JAZZ VESPERS
      • ORGAN
    • DONATE >
      • PLEDGE FORM
    • CLIMATE ACTION
    • I CAN DO SOMETHING
    • OTHER PROGRAMS AND MINISTRIES
    • PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
  • CONTACT / DIRECTIONS