By Malice Intended

Religion and science are two forces that are constantly at odds with each other.  One is based in faith and belief, the other in research and fact.  Yet they both essentially serve the same purpose:  making the world a less scary place for us by explaining the mysteries of the universe.  They attempt to provide explanations for the unexplainable.  Yet there is one actuality that neither seems very comfortable with:  The existence of evil, or more specifically, the existence of evil people.

Those among us that consider themselves intelligent and progressive tend to shy away from labeling others as “bad” or “evil” people.  This is due to a combination of religious dogma, political correctness and scientific theory.  Religion tells us not to judge our fellow man.  Political correctness states that we are not to state the obvious and that we should keep our opinions to ourselves in the spirit of politeness.  Science tells us that anti-social behavior is the result of various environmental factors that produce unproductive citizens.

Christianity acknowledges the existence of evil. It is personified by Satan, the fallen angel.  Satan is the perpetual source of all that is wrong in the world, and the Bible portrays him as being incessantly power hungry and jealous of God’s love for us.  He constantly entices us to stray from the flock by encouraging us to indulge the dark side of our character.  When we commit sin, we are buckling under his influence.  We are imperfect and capable of despicable acts, but we are God’s children and therefore not inherently evil.  The threat is external.

Science offers any number of explanations and reasons for the worst in us.  Psychologists and psychiatrists see destructive behavior as a result of bad parenting, poor living conditions, poverty and overall poor environment.  When that theory won’t suffice, severe emotional and psychological disorders come into play.  When we do horrible things, we are merely victims of circumstance and our environment.  Sometimes we are cursed at birth by being victims of our own psychological makeup and physiology. 

The message from both sides seems to be clear; it’s never really our fault.  It’s never really “us”.  Though we do bad things, none of us are inherently that way.  Our Deeds and actions can be bad.  Situations and even intentions can be bad, but never people.  “Hate the sin, love the sinner” seems to be the current thinking.  Such phrases help us to sleep at night, and put as at ease with our darker nature.

Fear and cowardice prevent us from acknowledging the existence of evil people.  Our trusted institutions have deluded us into thinking that we are all inherently good.  Life experiences and other factors dictate what kind of person we become.  As if we are marionettes at the mercy of various evil forces and negative influences.  We wholeheartedly swallow these theories.  It’s amazing how our character and personal responsibility are never a factor when discussing these things. It’s never our choice to be who we are.  That is decided by society at large, or the Devil himself.

Theories of the scientific community and the beliefs of religious organizations should not be dismissed outright.  Environment plays a role in shaping who are, and there very well may be an evil but unseen force in the world that strives to push us out of the light.  However, there are certain intangibles that both institutions overlook.  Our willingness to give in to these forces speaks to our character as individuals.  You cannot completely divorce yourself from your actions.  We are all multifaceted, and by definition more than the sum of our parts. Yet it is up to us what side of our character we choose to indulge.  Certain things cannot be explained through mathematical equations or fantastical tales.  Some things cannot be quantified.  Some things just simply are.  Some people are simply, actually, evil. 

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