DELIVER US FROM EVIL

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13).

I have been reading a booklet by one of my seminary professors, who is also a friend and brother in Christ, Dr. Bruce Parmenter. The title of it is The Holy Spirit: Primary Change Agent in Pastoral Care and Counseling and in all Psychotherapy. This post, and the next one, will be quotes from his booklet on the subject of evil.

Evil is much more than the absence of good -- it is not explained by the absence of education, "enlightenment," good nutrition, clean air, and nurturing love for every child -- for evil is present when all of the above grace human culture. The most evil acts in history occurred in recent times in the twentieth century with humankind presumably in its most advanced stage, when technology, medicine, psychology and philosophy had reached never before dreamed of sophistication. But that same twentieth century was also the culmination of a period of severe secularization, beginning with the so-called "Enlightenment," about four hundred years ago. Darwinian evolutionism gave a strong boost to the notion that the origin and process of life could be explained in naturalistic terms. God was no longer required for the explanation of anything. The intellectual universe in the academy and therefore in general culture became naturalistic, reductionistic, and non-transcendent. Matter reigned over spirit. The only spirit admitted to discussion was the spirit of man. "Holy Spirit" became an anachronism.

Tom's comment: evil has its greatest opportunity when it is not believed to exist and when destructive, irresponsible and criminal behavior are only sicknesses and disorders.

Grace&Peace,
Tom