RonPrice says:
Having been exposed to this idea as a child and adolescent by a mother who was "into" C. Science, I am more than a little familiar with this idea..I am now a Baha'i and part of the Baha'i view is that: there is evil in the world. The true explanation of this subject is very difficult. The term "nonexistence of evil is used in a "specialized, technical sense." Any Bahá'í will be familiar with the analogies the Master drew. Ignorance is the want of knowledge. Forgetfulness is the want of memory. Blindness is the want of sight....So evil is the absence of good. The absence of a thing is "nonexistence" and therefore evil is "nonexistent." Yet, and this is the crucial point, nobody in their right minds would say that ignorance, forgetfulness, blindness, or death do not exist! So why would we say that evil does not exist?

This is a start to a comment on your post.-Ron Price, Tasmania

Verndigger says:
Hallo, Ron, nice to meet you. I have always admired what I have seen of the Baha'i faith.

As you said, the existence of evil is a very difficult subject.

In trying to figure out for myself how to justify, or show the validity of the concept of the unreality of evil,
I always think I would ask those who claim it IS real "do you expect to see Satan - or evil of any kind - in heaven?"

then upon receiving a negative response, I would say something like "well that is the CS view, or definition of "Reality". - i.e., the universe being the way Genesis 1 says God made it. "and God saw everything He had made and behold it was very good".
and John 1, "and without him was not anything made that was made".

approaching the question with simple logic, if God made everything, then if evil exists, God made it, and ergo, it must be GOOD. hmmmm.
well, if God did NOT make evil, then it cannot exist.

cont'd

Verndigger says:
...BUT, we SEE evil all around us, of the most ugly and incomprehensible unimaginable types.

so what can we conclude about what we are seeing ?
only that it is a distortion or inverted view of God's harmonious and beautiful creation.

we see the sun rise and set each day, but we know that what our senses tell us is not the fact.

Yet, and this is the crucial point, nobody in their right minds would say that ignorance, forgetfulness, blindness, or death do not exist! So why would we say that evil does not exist?

well, perhaps all practising Christian Scientists are not 'in their right mind' !

because I have seen lots and lots of testimonies of people eliminating the belief of ignorance, forgetfulness, blindness from their experience through grasping the idea that they do not come from God, and that their opposites are the reality for God's idea.
cont'd...

Verndigger says:
...I can't say I know any Scientists who have overcome death - but then the Bible says it shall be the last enemy to be overcome.

I've no interest in debating, Ron, - knowing the ideas of Science you are already familiar with the stand I would take.

we are all individuals with individual ideas of the Creator, and that is fine with me. I believe firmly that He/She is guiding each of us on our path to Her/Him.
Romans 11:36 says in the NEB translation, "Source, Guide, and Goal of all that is." amen!

Tasmania, wow!

regards,

Vern

p.s. - sorry for the length of this; it's just what came out. :-))

RonPrice says:
It has been overa year since your last post, Vern. I have not been back to this site since then and was not aware or your posts. Having read them, it seems tome you and i could easily get into one of those "casuistical" discussions. In discussing philosophy and religion, indeed, in many scientific discussions as well it is often difficult to avoid hairspiltting, as they say. Abdul-Baha refers to "natural impurities" such as "evil qualities: anger, lust worldliness, pride, lying,hypocrisy, fraud, self-love, etc.”(Some Answered Questions chapter 19)He also says: "The first perfection consists in cleanliness and sanctity and in purity from every defect. When man in all conditions is pure and immaculate, he will become the center of the reflection of the manifest Light. In all his actions and conduct there must first be purity, then beauty and independence. The channel must be cleansed before it is filled with sweet water." No more words allowed.-Ron

Verndigger says:
well hi again, Ron! it was totally serendipitous that I discovered your response just now.
I did check back several times, to see if you replied, then gave up.
today I was just casually checking out via google my past activity, and lo and behold, here I am.
'casuistical' I had to look up!
casuistry in my AHD: "1. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead. 2. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general principles of ethics." - I'm assuming you meant definition 2.
as to the quote from Abdul-Baha - in different words, CS would say much the same thing. see for example, what MBE says about gaining victory over the passions
http://www.spirituality.com/dt/book_lookup.jhtml?reference=SH+407:6#jumpto
(sorry you'll have to copy and paste that).
good to hear from you again, how's life in Tasmania ? :-))
Vern