Are We innocent?
A reader quotes me as saying: “Because good dominates in this universe when all is said and done even that which appeared to be evil was a necessity.”
The reader expresses the belief that evil is not necessary and has nothing to do with God and seems to contradict some of my previous teachings.
JJ: The statement does not contradict my teachings at all. I have always said that duality is necessary for the creation of the universe and all the forms in it. Good and evil are just one expression of duality.
In fact, the scripture says this: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Isa 45:7
The main thing that causes the confusion for the many is the looking at the part rather than the whole. When DaVinci was painting the Mona Lisa, he first visualized a good end – a near perfect painting that would be a masterpiece.
As he proceeded toward this good end he had to make thousands of small decisions between good and evil. Good was that which moved his work toward the visualized finish and evil was that which took it backwards.
Because his brush strokes were guided by intelligence, progress toward the good end dominated, but in this process he made many strokes that were not good and had to be corrected. He selected many color shades that were not quite right and also needed correction.
Let us suppose an aide stumbled across an object and spilled some colors on the canvas causing a lot of work to repair. In the scheme of things this would be considered a great evil.
Even so DaVinci moved forward and completed the painting.
Now that the painting is complete, we can look at it and admire it as a good or great work. We do not think of all the struggle with duality in making the finished product. We forget that the painting needed the choice between many good and bad strokes to be created.
Because evil is a necessity this does not mean that we should ever choose or support it. Jesus spoke wisely when he said: “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” Matt 18:7
Question: If evil is necessary how can all of us be innocent?
JJ One has nothing to do with the other. When a creative work is finished and declared good does not mean that all the problems along the way were made in a state of innocence. I have said nothing in this direction.
What I did say is this. All people are innocent in their own minds as they always make their decisions based on what is in their best interest. Their innocent intention does not mean that the result is good. Much evil results from good intentions gone awry.
What innocence is depends on how it is defined. I would guess the Book of Innocence defines it as the state of mind one is in as he makes decisions. Everyone is doing his best to serve his best interests. Even if one commits suicide, he is doing this because he thinks it will give him some peace or escape from reality.
If one defines innocence according to the law then none of us are innocent for we have all broken some law.
If one defines innocence as one who has done no harm then again, none of us are innocent.
None of these definitions tell us that there are no consequences to our actions.
Reader comment: I think there are people who are convinced mentally that one thing is in their best interest but do something quite different for various reasons, like drug addicts for instance.
JJ Let us look at drug addiction. Yes, that is definitely not in the addict’s best interest but in his altered state all he can see is that the relief he will get from the drug is in his best immediate interest. He is wrong, of course, but that’s what he thinks when he takes the drug.
Most people would rather defend to the death your right to say it than listen to it. – Robert Brault
Oct 15, 2012
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