Webster Word

OPINION

It has been suggested to the editors that The Webster Word feature a spot for members of the Congregation to express their opinions on spiritual subjects. We will give this idea a try. OPINION will be limited to one column in length, so keep the submittals brief (300 to 400 words or less); submittals may be original or copied material with attribution properly noted. Selection(s) for publication will be at the discretion of the Editors. Following is an article that illustrates the concept.

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The Struggle Between Good and Evil

M. Scott Peck, M.D.

(“People of the Lie,” pg 266-267, © 1983)

“[W]e are all in combat against evil. In the heat of the fray it is tempting to take hold of some seemingly simple solution - such as "what we ought to do is just bomb the hell out of those people." And if our passion is great enough, we may even be willing to blow ourselves up in the process of "stomping out" evil. But we run up against the old problem that the end does not justify the means. Although evil is antilife, it is itself a form of life. If we kill those who are evil, we will become evil ourselves; we will be killers. If we attempt to deal with evil by destroying it, we will also end up destroying ourselves, spiritually if not physically. And we are likely to take some innocent people with us as well.

“What to do, then? . . . . . we must begin by giving up the simple notion that we can effectively conquer evil by destroying it. But this leaves us in a sort of nihilistic vacuum. Are we to throw up our hands - - to regard the problem of evil as being inherently insoluble? Hardly. That would be meaningless. It is in the struggle between good and evil that life has its meaning - - and in the hope that goodness can succeed. That hope is our answer: goodness can succeed. Evil can be defeated by goodness. When we translate this we realize what we dimly have always known: Evil can be conquered only by love.

“So the methodology of our assault - - scientific and otherwise - - on evil must be love. This is so simple-sounding that one is compelled to wonder why it is not a more obvious truth. The fact is, simple-sounding though it may be, the methodology of love is so difficult in practice that we shy away from its usage. At first glance it even appears impossible. How is it possible to love people who are evil? Yet that is precisely what I am saying we must do. Specifically, if we are to safely conduct research on evil peopIe, we must do so in love. We must start from an a priori position of love for them.”

Submitted by Larry Guess