Is Evil One of God's Tools?

I tend to see things in terms of "seeking the light" rather than in relation to something else. In what I'm saying here, I don't mention evil, it isn't something which plays a role in my thinking.

To make an analogy, I saw a film on TV some time ago, As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me, a story about a long trek across inhospitable territory. Often it seems an analogy to the battles we face in this life,  where the primary opposition isn't anything of substance, it is simply the enormity of what needs to be accomplished.

I had a dream a few weeks ago, where I was giving advice to someone else in an unbelievably awful situation. But on waking it seemed more like advice I needed to heed myself. It was, "Don't ever lose hope. No matter what.".

As usual Typoz, a very thoughtful reply. 

Do you mean that you seek out the light in each circumstance you encounter? See the good in everything? I think that may be a way of dealing with some things, but can you really use it in cases where reality demands a more practical approach. Maybe you believe that it never does? In cases such as the West's, I find it hard to see the light, nevertheless, I'm sure it can be found. Am I on the wrong track here?

That was a deep dream. Mine are usually run of the mill nonsense, like the rest of my life. 

Occasionally I have interesting ones, where would they go? (In the forum)

As usual Typoz, a very thoughtful reply. 

Do you mean that you seek out the light in each circumstance you encounter? See the good in everything? I think that may be a way of dealing with some things, but can you really use it in cases where reality demands a more practical approach. Maybe you believe that it never does? In cases such as the West's, I find it hard to see the light, nevertheless, I'm sure it can be found. Am I on the wrong track here?

I suppose I see it in terms of a personal journey. I'm much less sure what to make of the actions of others.

Occasionally there is some high-profile reporting of a trial in court of the perpetrator(s) of some dreadful acts. And maybe a leading judge or perhaps a politician will comment that such-and-such a case was one of "unspeakable evil".  I think we all know what is meant by such words, but then one has to ask, what is it that causes something to be described as "evil" as opposed to say "criminal".

That was a deep dream. Mine are usually run of the mill nonsense, like the rest of my life. 

Occasionally I have interesting ones, where would they go? (In the forum)

I'm not sure where they would go in the forum. There should be some place for personal experiences, whether it needs further subdivision I don't know.

Not all my dreams are meaningful. Last night I had a restless sleep with some interesting dream content. But after waking for a short while and asking myself what it all meant, then going back to sleep, a later dream seemed to give the answer that it had been unimportant nonsense, not to be taken seriously.

Occasionally there is some high-profile reporting of a trial in court of the perpetrator(s) of some dreadful acts. And maybe a leading judge or perhaps a politician will comment that such-and-such a case was one of "unspeakable evil".  I think we all know what is meant by such words, but then one has to ask, what is it that causes something to be described as "evil" as opposed to say "criminal". 

I think there is a difference in the example you gave. Something may be 'criminal' but far from 'evil'. Possibly the word 'evil' shouldn't be used somewhere that needs strict definitions, as it is subjective. 

To me the word evil conjours up feelings of the supernatural, the darkness.

I think there is a difference in the example you gave. Something may be 'criminal' but far from 'evil'. Possibly the word 'evil' shouldn't be used somewhere that needs strict definitions, as it is subjective. 

To me the word evil conjours up feelings of the supernatural, the darkness.

The trouble is, popular culture often conflates the two (supernatural, the darkness). That is to say, for example ghosts are something to be feared, death is something to be feared, even parapsychology is something to be feared, if one is to take a cue from the movie 'Red Lights'.

I'm not saying there is no darker aspect, but is it something of substance, or simply an absence of light?

I'm not saying there is no darker aspect, but is it something of substance, or simply an absence of light?

I think I see what you're getting at.

Instead of starting at zero and going in both directions, say good and evil, you start at zero and only go in one direction, with zero being the total absence of light which would be 'evil' as I know it?

I think I see what you're getting at.

Instead of starting at zero and going in both directions, say good and evil, you start at zero and only go in one direction, with zero being the total absence of light which would be 'evil' as I know it?

Well yes, but I'd hate to be so specific as to use the language of mathematics to describe these things. That starts to sound too much like a scientific hypothesis, whereas I'm thinking more in terms which might be metaphorical.

Despite all the nasty things that happen, isn't the almost infinite capacity people have to love amazing? And also the many different ways and things we can love. We can love romantically. We can love our parents, children, siblings, other relatives and people. We can love animals, pets, and wild animals and nature. Etc. Maybe we are here not just to learn to love but to savor the different nuances of different kinds of love? Does that exist in the non physical realm? Maybe it is best learned in the physical?

I would agree with this but I don't know if this physical world is really best described as a school. Admittedly we're retreating old ground here, will see if I can dig up some stuff out of the Skeptiko Gnosticism Thread that's more specific but if people want to run through the whole old convo....

I think the question of responsibility on God's part depends on God's ability to intervene or whether this entity really has all the requisites we associate with the Deity traditionally. A Prime Mover may not even be a conscious entity, a "God of Movement" rather than a "God of Meaning". Brahman isn't really "God" in the sense that Vishnu is a God, and IIRC Plotinus said The One wasn't a being you'd worship as it was the Wholeness one seeks to return to. Two Gods, one of Good & one of Evil, of course shifts things further though I think the idea of God refers to the Ground of Being of which, in Highlander speak, There Can Only Be One.

The great challenge of apologia is reconciling God's Power with God's Love. I personally am skeptical this is reconcilable though I appreciated Chokti's posts on the matter relating to theism in general as well as his own Christian perspective.

I notice that there seems to be a seething anger about the nasty things that happen in the Universe, among a significant number of people, which God often bears the brunt of. Is this justified?

Depends.

Are you a pure reflection of 'God'? In the image of the Creator? One with All That Is? Then yes.

If "No" to the above, then you may have an interesting journey through your life if you wish to front load it with the experience of "God shoves life down my throat".