I’m halfway through NT Wright’s book on evil. In it he emphasizes a couple of points:

(1) ignoring evil or pretending it doesn’t exist merely makes more room for it
(2) it’s a mistake to think that western-style democracy is the answer

I think he’s correct on both points.

Wright contends that (1) puts us in a position such that when evil reappears on a massive and undeniable scale, we tend to react in an immature and unwise manner to it (i.e., indescriminately lobbing bombs.) Ask the neighbors in Conn. where the horrific home-invasion and multiple murders tragically occured this week. I saw on the news yesterday that their local gun store is sold out of shotguns and has a backlog of applications for pistol permits. Many in that previously-quiet community are now convinced of the reality of evil. But while everyone in Conn. certainly has the right to own a firearm, I suspect the vast majority of them have no business owning one … having no training in its use, no capacity for safely securing the weapon, no knowledge of the local law regarding the use of deadly force, etc. The local reaction on the part of some residents to the manifestation of such pure evil in this case has been unwise.

Wright also correctly points out the fallacy of thinking western-style democracy is the answer to much of the evil prevelant in the world. Bravo. Don’t misunderstand me. I served 20 years on active duty in the military and am thankful to be an American. But contrary to what what you hear in many contemporary churches, democracy is not the answer to evil. It’s not even God’s ideal (Heaven is not a democracy.) Given the fallen nature of mankind, I argue that democracy bears within it the seeds of its ultimate demise. Democracy - with its rule by majority - assumes that most people will choose right. But Scripture clearly says otherwise (Rom 3:10-17). In the gospels, Jesus repeatedly warned of the evil in the hearts of mankind (Matt 7:11; Mark 7:23; Luke 11:13; John 3:19, etc.)

Alexander Tyler, writing about the fall of the Athenian Republic, reflects this truth when he said more than a hundred years ago …

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage.”

Evil is real. But while the external forceful suppression of evil may be often necessary in this fallen world (Rom 13:3-5), it is not the ultimate solution. Wright persuasively argues the atonement on the cross is the answer. That’s where the real power to combat evil is; not in political, military or any other kind of power. Everything else is tilting at windmills. We must never forget that the ultimate power to nullify evil is at the cross - nowhere else.

Bob
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
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Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
(my Sojourn blog)