From: Don_R._Calkins@commonlink.com (Don R. Calkins)
Reply-To: Don_R._Calkins@commonlink.com
To: mail.usa.net@usa.net
Subject: Re: Re: Fw: God and atrocities
Date: 13 Dec 1995 13:36:44 GMT
Organization: Common Link On-Line Service
> One of these statements must be false for 
> the belief system to be logically consistent.

Part of that depends on how you define 'evil'.  According to Baha'i belief,
evil has no objective existance, but is rather a statement of relative lack
of perfection.  There are other words we use the same way, such as cold and
dark.  Cold does not exist - it is a lack of heat; dark does not exist - it
is a lack of light.  In the same way, evil does not exist - it is a lack of
goodness.  As a result, all three of these terms are statements of a relative
condition.  For instance, here in Iowa, 35 degrees in January is warm; in
July, 35 degrees is cold.  

Another question that must be answered is why God does not eliminate all
things that are evil.  According to Baha'i belief, we would not appreciate
the good if there was nothing that was not good.  We are called to eliminate
'evil' from our actions; but since evil is a relative term, and we are, by
being created, less than perfect, it is in fact a never ending task because
the more nearly perfect we become, the more that appears as evil. 

We believe that only now is mankind finally at a stage in its development
where the great social ills can finally be attacked.  However even when our
present ills are overcome, evils will continue to exist because our standards
will be higher.

This is a very brief overview, and the subject of evil is a very complex one.

Don C



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