"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil"
Where does evil come from anyway? It seems self-evident that today what is bad about sin is blamed on God, and sin is thus divinized. It was first apparent in Cain's murder, especially as he lamented the effects of his actions(cf. Genesis 4:1-12). Satan can do the greatest damage against man, through man. Hitler's rise to power and the Holocaust is a prime example of this concept. Jews were made out to be aliens or rodents that appear like men and deserved nothing less than extermination, and as a result, the common non-Jewish German participated in the murder of millions with a "clean" conscience and with apparent sanity. If man could believe this, what else might man believe to make sin not just acceptable, but praiseworthy. Sin creates a negative space, a black hole if you will, which brings other things to itself to be ruined i.e "private" sins become less private and/or greater sin is brought about in its wake. Man takes aim at fellow man, this the primary effect of sin.
Instead, of recognizing what sin does to oneself, one finds it easiest to hide from guilt by blaming it on something/someone else or considering it justified for a given reason. However, this only incurs greater guilt because this is what the Church has interpreted to be the meaning of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit"(Matthew 12:31).[1] The Spirit reveals evil's vanity, yet the unrepentant sinner refuses to believe it has done wrong. Therefore, this is the principal way in which men condemn themselves to hell. Sin is a break of communion, unity, and harmony with fighting, scapegoating, and agony on all sides. Guilt is especially incurred with God who is only good and loving, and less so against neighbor since all have sinned. However, this is far from the way of charity.
In conclusion, why should we be Satan's cannon fodder? Fighting one another is exactly what the real enemy wants because we are images of God, and if "God" is tearing you down then sin seems justified. We must be willing to recognize that God gives us our every breath, and concurrently, Satan constantly seeks our demise. Where do we begin to listen to his whispers? Is there any sin we have come to consider normal and/or justified? Do we pursue what unites or what divides? It is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to consider what fervor many seek to destroy what is actually good and to praise what is actually wrong. A battle for the mind it truly is. (Bellum meni est.)
FN:
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1864.
Our weakness cannot bear the truth.
But, without you we are helpless.
Let us see the proof.
