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Good and Evil
(Part 2 and
final)
We shall free
ourselves from
evil by studying
and practicing
Christian
charity. The
study will allow
us to discern
what is in
agreement with
the laws of God
and what is not
635. The
different social
positions create
new wants which
are not the same
for all men.
Natural law
would therefore
appear not to be
a uniform rule?
"Those different
positions are in
nature, and
according to the
law of progress;
they do not
invalidate the
unity of natural
law, which
applies to
everything."
The conditions
of a man's
existence vary
according to
times and
places; hence
arise for him
different wants,
and social
positions
corresponding to
those wants.
Since this
diversity is in
the order of
things, it must
be consonant
with the law of
God; and this
law is none the
less one in
principle. It is
for reason to
distinguish
between real
wants and wants
that are
factitious or
conventional.
636. Are good
and evil
absolute for all
men?
"The law of
God is the same
for all; but
evil resides
especially in
the desire for
its commission.
Good is always
good, and evil
is always evil,
whatever a man's
position may be;
the difference
is in the degree
of his
responsibility."
637. When a
savage, yielding
to his
instinctive
desire feeds on
human flesh, is
he guilty in so
doing?
"I have said
that the essence
of evil is in
the will;
therefore a man
is more or less
guilty according
to his light."
Circumstances
modify the
relative
intensity of
good and of
evil. A man
often commits
faults that are
none the less
reprehensible
for being the
consequence of
the social
position in
which he is
placed; but his
responsibility
is proportioned
to the means he
possesses of
distinguishing
between right
and wrong. Thus
the enlightened
man who commits
a mere injustice
is more culpable
in the sight of
God than the
ignorant savage
who abandons
himself to his
instincts of
cannibalism.
638. Evil seems,
sometimes, to be
a consequence of
the force of
things. Such is,
for instance, in
some cases, the
necessity of
destruction,
even to the
extent of taking
the life of a
fellow creature.
Can it be said
that, in such
cases, there is
violation of the
law of God?
"Evil, in such
cases, is none
the less evil,
although
necessary; but
this necessity
disappears in
proportion as
the soul becomes
purified by
passing from one
existence to
another; and man
is then all the
more culpable
when he does
wrong, because
he comprehends
more clearly
the character
of his action."
In Genesis,
Chapter 3:
8. One can say
that evil is the
absence of good,
as cold is the
absence of heat.
Wickedness is no
more a distinct
attribute than
cold is a
special fluid.
One is the
negative of the
other. Where
good exists not,
there is
necessarily
evil. Not to do
wickedly is
already the
commencement of
good. God
desires only
good; from man
only comes evil.
If there were in
the universe a
being charged
with evil, man
would not be
able to evade
him; but man,
having the cause
of wrong-doing
within Himself,
having at the
same time his
free-will, and
for his guide
the divine laws,
he can avoid it
if he desires to
do so.
Let us take a
common fact as
comparison. A
landowner knows
that at the
extremity of his
field is a
dangerous place,
and those who
might venture
there would be
wounded, or
perish. What
means does he
employ to
prevent
accidents? He
places near the
place a notice
forbidding
people to pass
there on account
of danger. Such
is the law: it
is wise and
provident. If
not withstanding
the warning, an
imprudent person
pays no heed,
and passes
beyond it,
thereby injuring
himself, whom
can he blame if
not himself?
Thus it is with
all evils; man
could evade them
if he would obey
the divine laws.
Gos, for
example, has
placed a limit
to the
gratification of
wants: man is
warned by
satiety. If he
passes beyond
this limit, he
does it
voluntarily. The
illness,
infirmities, and
death, which may
be the
consequence of
it, are then
occasioned by
his own fault,
not that of God.
In item number
8, one can
verify that
Kardec adheres
to the
Augustinian view
of evil, by
saying that it
is the absence
of good. It can
be also noticed
that, the same
as Augustine of
Hippo did, he
also excludes
the possibility
of the existence
of a
“preposterous
evil “, as
opposed to the
Manichean
proposal.
9. Wickedness
being the result
of imperfections
of man and man
being created by
God, will they
not say that God
has at least
created, if not
evil, the cause
of evil? If he
had made man
perfect, evil
would not exist.
If man had been
created perfect,
he would be
carried by fate
in the way of
goodness.
Now, by virtue
of his free
will, he is
carried by fate
neither to the
good nor bad.
God having
decreed that he
should submit to
the law of
progress, and
that this
progress should
be fruit of his
own labour, in
order that he
should have
merit of it, as
well as be
responsible for
his evil deeds,
which he can
always avoid by
the use of his
will. The
question then is
to know what the
source of
propensity to
evil is in man.
1
Here we see the
point where the
Spiritist
Doctrine
diverges from
the Augustinian
view of evil.
The Codification
teaches that we
were created
“simple and
ignorant”, but
“endowed with
free-will”. So,
God created us
neither good nor
bad, leaving the
path we would
thread to our
own application.
For sure we are
destined for
perfection but
to arrive there
we are not
dependent on
God’s mercy, but
only on our
will.
10.- If one
studies all the
passions, and
even all the
vices, one sees
that they have
their origin in
the instinct of
self-preservation.
This instinct is
strongest with
animals, and
with primitive
men, who
approached
nearest the
animal
existence. It
govern them
entirely, they
had not the
moral sense for
counterpoise,
having not being
born inot the
intellectual
life. The
instinct is
weakened in
proportion as
intelligence is
developed,
because the
latter rules
matter.
The Spirit is
destined for the
spiritual life:
but in the first
phases of its
corporeal
existence it has
only material
needs to
satisfy; and to
this end the
exercise of the
passions is a
necessity for
the preservation
of the species
and of the
individual,
materially
speaking. But,
past beyond this
period, he has
other needs, -
needs at first
partly moral and
partly material,
then exclusively
moral. It is
then that Spirit
rules matter. If
he throws off
the yoke, he
advances on his
providential
way; he
approaches his
final destiny.
If on the
contrary, he
allows himself
to be ruled by
matter, he is
held back on his
upward progress
by assimilating
himself with the
brute. In
this situation,
that which was
oramlly good,
because it was a
necessity of his
nature, becomes
an evil, not
only because it
is no longer a
necessity, as
because it has
become damaging
to his
spiritualisation.
Similarly,
that which
is considered a
good quality in
a child becomes
an imperfection
in an adult.
Evil is thus
relative, and
responsibility
is proportioned
to the degree of
advancement.
All passions
have thus their
providential
utility; if not
so, God has mad
some things
intrinsically
useless and
hurtful. It is
only abuse which
constitutes the
evil, man man
abuses by virtue
of his free
will. At length,
awaken to the
knowledge of in
own share in it,
he chooses
freely between
the good and the
bad.
The best Example
Jesus was not a
philosopher of
theory, but he
was amongst us
the magnificent
Master who lived
everything that
he taught with
intensity. Thus,
in the gospels
there is not the
narrative of
Jesus having
taught
explicitly to
the people or
priests the
difference
between good and
evil.
Instead of this,
by use of the
moral
understanding of
the people
themselves, he
gave examples by
his behaviour
and his words,
of the good man
which we all
must imitate. As
for evil, he led
us to understand
in a clear
manner that its
cause was in the
transgression of
the law of God.
After curing
people sick with
illnesses of the
body, assured of
his immense
kindness, many
times he used to
say farewell to
them urging them
not to sin
anymore, that
is, not to
practice evil.
With this
instruction he
made clear that
the ones
responsible for
our physical and
emotional health
and for our
evolution are
ourselves, an
understanding
that, as we saw,
totally escaped
Augustine of
Hippo, on
proposing the
doctrine of
mercy. On curing
the ones who
were born sick,
the meaning of
his goodbye was
even more
profound, as it
placed the
origin of the
sin, that is the
mistake which
had caused them
the disease, in
a previous life,
corroborating
with this the
truth contained
in the law of
reincarnation.
He also always
emphasised that
the
responsibility
of men of the
law was always
much bigger that
the
responsibility
of the people,
which, in
another manner,
means to say
each one answers
for their
actions
according to the
degree of their
understanding of
the laws of
God.
Jesus taught us
that we should
still pray to
the Father
asking him to
free us from
evil. Well, what
is the great
evil from which
we need to free
ourselves? If we
remind ourselves
of the
Augustinian
Doctrine about
evil and deepen
our
understanding
with the
teachings of the
Spirits, it is
evident that
evil is
something that
places us in
lacking in
relation to God,
something that
allows us to
make things and
to have ideas
which are
contrary to His
sovereign laws.
Well, what is
the mother of
all mistakes if
not ignorance?
When we pray to
Our Father, we
finish off the
prayer by asking
God to free us
from evil. We
shall
understand, that
by saying this,
in truth, we are
asking God to
free us from
ignorance and
from the
consequences of
our ignorance,
albeit from
other’s whose
effects will
affect us.
CONCLUSION
We shall free
ourselves from
evil by studying
and practicing
Christian
charity. This
study will allow
us to discern
what is in
agreement with
the laws of God
and what is not,
teaching us to
act in every
circumstance so
that we always
make the right
choice,
positioning
ourselves beside
the good. The
exercise of
moral charity
will make us
practice what we
have learned,
making of us
instruments to
diminish
ignorance in the
world and its
sad
consequences, so
known to us,
paving the way
for the world of
regeneration
which we all aim
for.
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1
The error
consists in
presuming that
the soul leaves
the hands of the
Creator already
in a state of
perfection,
whereas it is
the opposite.
God wants our
perfection to be
the result of
our own labour,
through a
gradual
purification of
the Spirit. He
further wishes
the soul- which
is endowed with
free will- to be
able to choose
between good and
evil, and that
its final goal
should be
attained at the
price of
activity, and by
resisting evil.
If He had
created the soul
as perfect as
Himself, by
securing its
eternal
beatitude right
from his hands,
he would have
created if not
after his image,
but after his
own self. (Bonnamy,
“The Reason
of Spiritism”,
chapter 6)
References:
1.COSTA, Renato.
Adam and Eve
In Revista
Internacional de
Espiritismo,
October 2004
2. Kardec,
Allan.
Genesis, the
Miracles and
Predictions
According to
Spiritism,
36th
edition , Rio de
Janeiro: FEB,
1995.
3. The
Spirits’ Book.
76th
edition, Rio de
Janeiro: FEB,
1995.
4. LIMA,
Raymundo.
Manichaeism: The
Good, Evil and
its Effects
Yesterday and
Today.
Magazine Espaço,
Academic
Year I, number
7, December
2001.
5. SAMPAIO,
Rudini.
St. Augustine,
Key Elements of
his Doctrine.
Retrieved
on 29/05/2006
from http://www.ime.usp.br/
~ Rudin /
filos.agostinho.htm.
Translation
References:
1. Kardec,
Allan. The
Spirits’ Book,
6th
edition, Rio de
Janeiro: FEB.
2. Kardec,
Allan.
Genesis, 1st
edition,
Spiritist
Alliance Books:
New York, 2003.
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