The Origin of Evil

It is quite possible that one might ask the following question: "If the world was created by God and it was created 'very good', then where does evil come from?" Why does evil exist to so great a degree in the world? Did our benevolent God create evil along with good? Did He will that so much evil exist along side so much beneficence? It would be blasphemy for us to accept such a premise, for from the all-good God only goodness can proceed. But for us to understand this better it is necessary that we distinguish between the two forms of evil: i.e. natural or physical evil and moral or ethical evil. Natural evil is all that is sad and painful in nature and in man's life. Such things are for example earthquakes, storms, floods, disasters which strike at man and sweep away the earth's bounties. In this list we may safely include disease, poverty, hunger, unemployment, and so many other things from which many suffer. Does God desire these things? If He doesn't, then why does He allow them to happen? Why does He let His rational creatures suffer and be harmed? We answer: No, God does not desire natural evil, nor does He desire diseases and poverty or destruction. But because these trials and afflictions often restrain man from going down-hill towards evil, and because at other times they give cause for righteous and saintly men to manifest their virtue and to provide a good example for wicked men, for this reason God allows-we can say even desires-natural evil, so that these two salutary purposes may be fulfilled. Thus, through war men cease their depravity and wantoness, they abandon their faithlessness and with faith turn to repentance and prayer. Furthermore, God, in order to advance the cultivation and expression of virtue, allowed such great tragedies to occur to the righteous Job. In the end He sends him a fearful disease, and under such fearful circumstances all the faith and patience of the righteous man shines forth as an eternal example. In like manner, God tries that most holy preacher of the Gospel, St.Paul, with a fearsome disease, "a thorn in the flesh" as the Apostle terms it, and in this way all his faith, his virtue, his love and dedication to God is revealed. Thus we can rightly say that natural evil gives rise to faith and repentance, and brings about virtue and sanctity, and for this reason God desires it, for it brings forth so much good fruit. He wants it and certainly allows it for the great spiritual benefit of man. And now we come to moral or ethical evil. Whence comes moral evil, i. e. sin? This evil (sin), which as we have already pointed out is in and by itself alone evil, true evil which smites and kills man's soul, is the invention of Satan, the progeny and true son of the Evil One. The wicked devil conceived it and put it into circulation first among the angels, and succeeded in beguiling some of them and leading them into evil and transforming them into demons like himself. He also introduced evil to man, who accepted it and became sinful. Even today evil exists, as do men who accept and follow and live according to the dictates of evil. Thus, evil is not the creation of God but the work of the evil devil and evil man. As long as man by his free will has made his choice between good and evil and freely listened to the promptings and inspirations of the Evil One, and preferred evil over good he has become himself evil and wicked: evil in his actions and deeds. Thus, he, too, becomes an evil man, a cause of evil. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that evil secondly, after its inventor, the Devil, springs from the evil man who accepts and espouses it. Evil thus has its origin from the wicked Devil and from evil men. From God who is holy it is impossible for evil to proceed. Holy Scripture states: "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (James 1, 13-14). Because each one of us has within him evil desires, it is for this reason that he does evil. The cause of this evil then is man and not God, who is holy. God hates and abhors evil and desires to root it out of the hearts of men and to destroy it from the face of the earth. Indeed, God so hates and punishes evil that He could once and for all destroy it. But He does not do so. Why? Because in so doing He would reduce and set at naught man's free will, for virtue through force and coercion is unthinkable. St. John of Damascus says: "Whatever happens through force is neither logical nor virtuous". Virtue is virtue only when it is the fruit and accomplishment of man's free will and effort. Man has been given free will and self-determination so that through good use of his free will he may achieve real virtue. When this is accomplished, then man becomes an object of wonder and marvel both to angels and men, worthy of every reward and grace, worthy of the kingdom of heaven.
  St. Basil, speaking about natural evil and the good that can come of it, says the following: "For this reason epidemics in cities and nations, droughts and the coarse events in the life of each individual limit the increase of evil. So, such natural evils are born of God, and save of the true evil, i e the birth of sin. Hence the woulds of the body and those painful things occurring without, have been devised so that we might refrain from sin". All tribulations in life are allowed by God and sent by Him in order to wound man and thus prevent him from sinning, for it is "chiefly sin that deserves the name evil". True evil is sin and it is sin that ought to be called evil. St. John of Damascus says that God by His benevolence "very often allows misfortunes to befall even the righteous, so that He may in this way manifest to others the latent faith hidden in him. He allows the blessed to suffer badly so that he will not fall away from his right conscience or prevent him, like Paul, from falling into prideful arrogance because of the power and grace given him".