What evil is not, and good coming from evil

I’m at church, waiting for Mass to start, and I’m very exhausted.  I’m not sure why.  Other than voting and drinking coffee and going for a short walk (I can’t walk long distances) and voting, I haven’t done much, and I had actually been sleeping better. 

Before we get started, be sure to check me out on Locals; Catholicism, news, and whatever community

So, as someone with chronic pain (I’m guessing I need surgery, having a hard time getting an MRI), who has suffered through things that, quite frankly, are terrible (What my father's death taught me about redemptive suffering), and should have killed me (Survivor's guilt (6 January 2005))

I find the idea that Christians shouldn’t suffer to be reprehensible.  That’s not to say there is no joy.  There very much is. 

One of the greatest purely human joys I’ve ever had were the births of my two youngest sisters.  They’re both in their 20s now.  But, after my mother lost so many children, the fact that my little sisters survived to this day is heart-warming.

But, to even know joy, I have to feel pain.  I have to feel suffering. 

Remember, the atheist’s favourite argument is the so called “problem of evil”. 

Personally, I always thought, and still think that that’s a bad argument (I still think that). 

The antidote to the problem of evil is the problem of good.  What is evil?  Is evil the absence of good? (evil)

If that’s the case, what about purely subjective things like taste in food?

I don’t like olives, I think they have an absence of good taste. 

This does not make olives evil, does it?

I’m not sure that I have a favourite food, but I know that I really like pecan pie. 
Evil can’t simple be the absence of good. 

And there are times that God can use that which is intended for evil for good. 

Look at all the things that Joseph went through. 

Thrown in a hole by his brothers; “Come now therefore, let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.  And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.  And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into the pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; (editor’s note; the Hebrew is apparently ambiguous; Joseph in Egypt) And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

(Genesis 37:20-24)

Accused of sexual misconduct by Potiphar’s wife! (What we would call today, “false allegations”).

“And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.  And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got him out. 

And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled forth,

That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; and he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he had heard that I lifted up my voice, and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 

And she laid his garment by her, until his lord came home.

And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled” (Genesis 39:11-18), and imprisoned, “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in prison”. (Genesis 39:20).

But, with all that, God was able to turn a terrible situation into good.

Eventually, Joseph does get out of prison, (Genesis 41:14), and even became Pharaoh’s right hand man.  (Genesis 41:40).

Because of the ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dream.  (Though, in fairness, he correctly said, “do not interpretations belong to God (Genesis 40:8)?

My point is this.  Bad happens.  Good happens.  Neutrality on taste in food happens. 

And out of great evil, can come good. 

I’ll let Joseph have the last word; “But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”. (Genesis 50:20)

Adam Charles Hovey is the host of the weekly Bible Study, Coffee and Christianity and founder of the Catholicism, News, and whatever community