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The Substance of Faith Allied with Science (6th Ed.) / A Catechism for Parents and Teachers cover

The Substance of Faith Allied with Science (6th Ed.) / A Catechism for Parents and Teachers

Chapter 17: VII THE NATURE OF EVIL
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About This Book

Aimed at parents and teachers, the work presents a concise catechism that seeks to reconcile Christian belief with modern scientific knowledge by framing core doctrines in terms of divine immanence and moral development. It surveys human ascent, conscience, character, duty, and the nature of evil and sin, then addresses biological and cosmic perspectives, the idea of spirit or higher faculties, grace and incarnation, and the reality of inspiration. Practical sections consider prayer, the Lord's Prayer, communal life, and an outline creed, offering accessible guidance for religious instruction in an intellectually informed age.

VII
 
THE NATURE OF EVIL

Q. 7.  How comes it that evil exists?

A. Evil is not an absolute thing, but has reference to a standard of attainment. The possibility of evil is the necessary consequence of a rise in the scale of moral existence; just as an organism whose normal temperature is far above “absolute zero” is necessarily liable to damaging and deadly cold. But cold is not in itself a positive or created thing.