JRHS Writing BLOG

Does Evil Exist?

Some thoughts on evil - possibly from Albert Einstein

Did God create evil?

A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question.

“Did God create everything that exists?”

A student bravely replied, “Yes he did!”

“God created everything?” The professor asked.

“Yes sir, he certainly did,” the student replied.

The professor answered, “If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil.”

The student became quiet and did not answer the professor’s hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, “May I ask you a question, professor?”

“Of course”, replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, “Professor does cold exist?”

The Professor replied “What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?”

The other students snickered at the young man’s question.

The young man replied, “In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.

Absolute zero (-460F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.”

The student continued, “Professor, does darkness exist?”

The professor responded, “Of course it does.”

The student replied, “Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton ‘s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is?

You measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.”

Finally the young man asked the professor, “Sir, does evil exist?”

Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.

To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God.

God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”

The professor sat down.

~Jax

This is a nice story. I somehow doubt the attribution. Do you have sources that show that Einstein really did say this? It strikes me as something out of a spurious gospel.

It’s good enough just as a story. It does not need Einstein to make it work. Please refrain from spreading such “urban mythology.”

I have read this same posting before in an email that was passed around the web.  What is the original source of this information?  Have you verified from a reliable source that Einstein was indeed the student?  If not, you are just passing around hear say.

The article itself presents some very interesting insights regardless of who wrote it or who the student actually was.  I wish I had the same boldness and understanding when I was in college.  Standing up for what you believe in the midst of criticism takes courage.  Making certain you speak what is true and can back it up will make you as bold as that student.

I think this is a good point, God is not evil, however, he did creat it. and it’s like trying to see the wind, you can’t see it, but you can fell it, you know it’s there. you can’t see the winds but only reflections of the wind. so therefore i think this was a good one!

First,Dubahee and Peter, I would like to thank you both for your comments, while at the same time clearing some things up. The purpose of posting this blog was not for the fact that Einsein “suposedly” said it, but for the content of the argument itself.
Now as for atributing this to Einstein, I have done extensive research, and my results are inconclusive. At this point, I would have to say it is moving towards unlikely that Einstein said this. Notice my change on the main article.
Regardless, the story is fantastic - is it not? I find it motivational, inspirational and valuable to consider.
Thank you for the challenge!

~Jax

Jax, you have to frame it as fiction if you’re not sure.  You might check snopes.com on this.

It is a great story, but people seldom say their lines as neatly as the professor did in this story.  The student-with-simple-wisdom versus the egghead-professor is a common archetype in our egalitarian mythology.

Don’t get me wrong - the points made are valid.  They just have to be put in a different form.