Religious Interpretation of the Meaning of Evil

Abstract

Building on the Christian and far-eastern understanding of evil, the author points out that evil that affects us can have a positive meaning. Troubles and suffering that we experience serve as a means of our purification from sin or are trials through which we gain the winning crown. God’s punishment, which primarily has an educational role, is nuanced. The guilt of an individual for violations of the divine moral order depends on the level of their consciousness, life circumstances and their social position. Since God is love, His mercy prevails over justice. God does not allow evil if good does not flow from it. Awareness that the meaning of evil that strikes us is to tear us away from a superficial, hedonistic lifestyle and turn us to God, contributes to an attitude deprived of hatred towards the enemy and those who harm us. If we understand that the enemy is merely a tool used for our moral improvement and spiritual transformation, we will focus primarily on fighting against the evil within ourselves.