I've thought often about the difference between good and evil, and have in the past wondered why a loving omnipresent and omnipotent God would allow evil; that allowing evil is as much a gift from God as is good.
What God gives us is the freedom to make our own selections between good and evil in so many different aspects of our lives. Free will exists to do either good or evil at our choice. The distinction between good and evil is artificial, however. What is "good" for me or mine may be "evil" to you and yours. That analog applies to nations, sects, parties, cults, etc.. Our path is to seek to recognize the difference and make the choice for good works, as opposed to evil works, as we are given to know these in the contexts of our lives.
We are all raised with different values depending on how we are raised. Is there a universal "good" that defines itself separate and apart from "evil?" I don't believe so. If there were, then we would have no free choice in the matter, and our quest to learn and always choose to do the right thing when offered the choice would be meaningless.
It is the quest, and the choices we learn to make, that gives our lives and our spirits meaning. When we choose "good" we feel enlightened and noble; when we choose "evil" we do so knowingly and often feel bad afterward. Is it the recognition of having done evil that helps us on the path to enlighted choice toward the "good" in our future?
That is my quest. ULC has helped me to gain better understanding of how I will be a better person and a better help to my fellow man by choosing the "good" consciously, and recognizing the differences from "evil." It is the quest.
