A problem for evil

Monotheism has one God, not two.

There is no separate force or entity that can be identified as "evil." Nothing frustrates God. Everything is easy for Divinity. Holiness has no opposition. There is no struggle. There is no war for Heaven. Paradise was never lost. Nothing is broken. Nothing needs repair.

Thus, one who opposes evil boxes a shadow while slipping instantly into idolatry. The fighter makes two gods, where only One is Real. So deluded, the soul spins in circles, biting its own tail. It hurts.

"Do not oppose evil" is a difficult commandment to remember and follow, especially for someone who is a lawyer by nature, education, and profession. Isn't opposing evil the soul of advocacy? How is political action possible without pinpointing the evildoer? Doesn't opposing evil serve as the basis for an active personal and civil morality? Isn't the opposition of evil the heart of conscience? Isn't evil the engine that drives the need for faith?

Opposing evil has nothing to do with those things. Opposing evil is nothing more than smashing a fist into a mirror -- the bigger the fist, the larger the mirror. Regardless of the size of the fist there is always a mirror to match. Small "evils" are opposed in the moment while big "evils" require a coordinated war. After a while, the wise one recognizes that the fist and the mirror are one. The rock thrown through the window of an "evil" Jewish neighbor is the firestorm that destroys Dresden.

Real advocacy avoids that self-referent delusion. It is the restoration of harmony through compassion, forgiveness, and the power of seeing things the way they really are. It is the gift of eloquence and fearless demonstration that lovingly presents truth. It is not shadow boxing. It is the finger that points in the direction of the Divine.

The Buddha mastered it, Gandhi walked that path in bare feet, Abraham dropped the knife, Mohamed forgave his enemies, and Jesus stood silent at his trial. Each became the perfect advocate.