A university professor asked his students this question.
— Is everything that exists created by God?
One student boldly responded:
- Yes, created by God.
— Did God create everything? - asked the professor.
“Yes, sir,” replied the student.
The professor asked:
“If God created everything, then God created evil, since it exists.” And according to the principle that our deeds determine us, then God is evil.
The student became quiet when he heard this answer. The professor was very pleased with himself. He boasted to the students that he had once again proven that God is a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said:
— Can I ask you a question, professor?
“Of course,” answered the professor.
The student stood up and asked:
— Professor, does cold exist?
- What kind of question? Of course it exists. Have you ever been cold?
The students laughed at the young man's question. The young man replied:
“In fact, sir, there is no such thing as cold.” According to the laws of physics, what we think of as cold is actually the absence of heat. A person or object can be studied to see if it has or transmits energy. Absolute zero (–460 degrees Fahrenheit) is the complete absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and unable to react at this temperature. Cold doesn't exist. We created this word to describe how we feel when there is no heat.
The student continued:
- Professor, does darkness exist?
- Of course it exists.
- You are wrong again, sir. Darkness also does not exist. Darkness is actually the absence of light. We can study light, but not darkness. We can use a Newtonian prism to split white light into many colors and study the different wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple beam of light can break into a dark world and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a space is? You measure how much light is presented. Isn't it? Darkness is a concept that humans use to describe what happens in the absence of light.
Finally, the young man asked the professor:
- Sir, does evil exist?
This time hesitantly, the professor answered:
- Of course, as I already said. We see him every day. Cruelty between people, a lot of crime and violence around the world. These examples are nothing more than manifestations of evil.
To this the student replied:
“Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist for himself.” Evil is simply the absence of God. It is similar to darkness and cold, a word created by man to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not faith or love, which exist as light and heat. Evil is the result of the absence of Divine love in a person’s heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or like the darkness that comes when there is no light.
The professor sat down.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru