Evil in the Bible

Genesis shows the basic evil inherent in human nature. Many of the evils depicted in Genesis show people making decisions that are morally wrong or socially harmful. Evils of a social or moral character can still be traced to our modern society. The passage of time has not gotten rid of one human emotion that is rooted in many of the Genesis evils, jealousy. When this jealousy was acted upon, it manifested itself into an act of evil. This manifestation has occurred numerous times in Genesis and in our contemporary society.

In Genesis, the story of Cain and Abel clearly demonstrates evil born out of jealousy. The evil that came from the jealousy here was fueled by Cain's need for God's regard. Cain killed his brother out of frustration in hopes of receiving the same regard. He became blinded by the fact that he was doing harm to a family member. He ignored the idea that his brother had a right to God's regard. Cain did not realize, initially, that his striking out at his brother would not win him God's regard. This type of evil rooted in jealousy and contempt is not unique to Genesis. This desire for more and the contempt for those more affluent or endowed with more is seen in our society today.

Our contemporary society manifests this evil nature often in forms of religious conflicts and wars over land and rights. The never ending conflict in the Middle East is an example of "brothers" engaging in a blood bath over land and religious rights. Their conflict is rather disturbing because they are killing in the name of God. In this contemporary dispute, from a political standpoint, God comes in the form of the United States and Great Britain, since they established the permanent Jewish homeland. This establishment cost the Arabs land, and in doing so, diminished what they saw as their religious right to the land. In this scenario, it looks as though "God" is favoring the Jewish state, and the Arabs are those jealous over the decision. And so, depending upon the interpretation of the situation, either side can play the role of Cain or Able at any time. The point here is that the jealousy over the land distribution has caused these people involved to harbor deep seated resentment. The acting upon this jealousy brings out the evil side of human nature. Unlike Cain being scolded by God for the first time when he realizes that he has sinned, these groups know that they have a moral obligation to stop the bloodshed on the very land they are fighting over. The issues are, of course, more involved than are depicted here, but the essence is the same. One wants what the other has and is willing to kill to acquire it, in the name of God.

Jealousy is one emotion that can prompt man to reveal his inherent evil nature. As shown in Genesis, man often succumbs to the forces that draw him to morally and socially inappropriate behaviors. The evils of the world today are rooted in many emotions just as they were in Genesis. The more the world changes, the more man's nature remains.