Tag: evil

Would a person of such decency respond to the atrocities in Gaza by declaring that the Lord is coming soon? Of course not! It’s insensitive as well as biblically flawed. We should be deeply concerned about the murders of thousands of Palestinian civilians. We should not exploit these horrors as an opportunity to declare that Jesus is on his way.

Evil exists as a concrete entity, a creation of God, a word with a meaning, a word that has been brought to life through the Word, who is Jesus Christ.

Most Native Americans will say both good and evil exist, but Indigenous concepts differ from Eurocentric ideas when it comes to evil. As I have said before, there are hundreds of Indigenous tribes, and each has their own cultures and religions. As a rule, however, most seem to believe in evil – not as a concept or an entity separate from humans, but as an action made by humans.

SpokaneFāVS' first Coffee Talk of the new year will be Jan. 14, 10 a.m. to Noon, at the Spokane Public Library Central branch (906 W. Main Ave., downtown Spokane). The topic: There is evil in this world.

There is evil in this world. I have seen it. And I have experienced it.

God, who loves us unconditionally, gave us free will, the option to do good or to do the opposite of good (evil). The choice of practicing evil results in a condition known as sin. Evil is the action, and sin is the result of that action (separation from good).

“Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God? ... Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? ... Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?” These three questions are asked in Baptism and Confirmation services in my Lutheran church and probably in similar services in some other Christian churches. To each question, those assembled are asked to respond, “I renounce them.”