Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday Reflection: The nature of evil
My entire life, I have been fascinated by the nature of evil. Maybe "evil" is not the right word, exactly-- I suppose I have been fascinated by people and cultures that do things that are so wrong and bad that we all would seemingly condemn them, yet they continue on that path. It is a different thing, too, than criminal law. For example, the most deceitful and immoral person I have ever known has never (to my knowledge) spent a day in jail.
After college, I indulged myself by visiting two places that Americans viewed as containing an obvious evil-- the Soviet Union and South Africa. The Soviets were our enemies, of course (this was 1985), and the apartheid system in South Africa was broadly (and properly) condemned as institutionalized racism.
Of the two, I found the Soviet Union more understandable. Even though I was constantly watched by a guide, people did tell me their complaints about the government and society, and the problems were pretty obvious. It was a society that was, truly, lacking in certain types of freedom, and the people knew it. It was an egalitarian society, though, except for the party member elites, and this seemed acceptable and even welcome-- there was a stability to it. I left with an even firmer condemnation of the Soviet political system, but a much better understanding and appreciation of the people who lived there.
South Africa was a completely different place. Because I was a white American, I was completely privileged. I could not walk along a rural road without getting a ride in a fancy car, people constantly bought me food and drinks, and everything seemed very cheap. Yet, it was a horrible place to be. There was a paranoia that enveloped everything, and the sense that it all was wrong (built on the backs of oppressed people) seemed only slightly below the surface at any given time. Every white person I met, almost upon impact, felt compelled to explain to me why the system there was good, good for everyone. I could not wait to leave.
There was evil in both places. In the Soviet Union, it seemed to be in the government, and in South Africa in the favored class of people. However, (and this is huge), both of these evils went away with the acquiescence of those who gained the most from that evil-- two rare and wonderful historic moments.
What does our faith compel us to do when we encounter evil?
After college, I indulged myself by visiting two places that Americans viewed as containing an obvious evil-- the Soviet Union and South Africa. The Soviets were our enemies, of course (this was 1985), and the apartheid system in South Africa was broadly (and properly) condemned as institutionalized racism.
Of the two, I found the Soviet Union more understandable. Even though I was constantly watched by a guide, people did tell me their complaints about the government and society, and the problems were pretty obvious. It was a society that was, truly, lacking in certain types of freedom, and the people knew it. It was an egalitarian society, though, except for the party member elites, and this seemed acceptable and even welcome-- there was a stability to it. I left with an even firmer condemnation of the Soviet political system, but a much better understanding and appreciation of the people who lived there.
South Africa was a completely different place. Because I was a white American, I was completely privileged. I could not walk along a rural road without getting a ride in a fancy car, people constantly bought me food and drinks, and everything seemed very cheap. Yet, it was a horrible place to be. There was a paranoia that enveloped everything, and the sense that it all was wrong (built on the backs of oppressed people) seemed only slightly below the surface at any given time. Every white person I met, almost upon impact, felt compelled to explain to me why the system there was good, good for everyone. I could not wait to leave.
There was evil in both places. In the Soviet Union, it seemed to be in the government, and in South Africa in the favored class of people. However, (and this is huge), both of these evils went away with the acquiescence of those who gained the most from that evil-- two rare and wonderful historic moments.
What does our faith compel us to do when we encounter evil?
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Is it evil, if someone has not taught you differently? How does someone recognize good if they have not experienced good?
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