Quotes about Evil

St. Thomas says [I-II, Q.34,a.4] that a man is good when his will takes joy in what is good, evil when his will takes joy in what is evil. He is virtuous when he finds happiness in a virtuous life, sinful when he takes pleasure in a sinful life. Hence the things that we love tell us what we are.

If he desires what is good his temper can become the controlled instrument for fighting the evil that is in himself and helping other men to overcome the obstacles which they meet in the world. He remains free to desire either good or evil.

ANOTHER characteristic of the devil's moral theology is the exaggeration of all distinctions between this and that, good and evil, right and wrong. These distinctions become irreducible divisions.

Anger, [Evagrius] wrote, is given to us by God to help us confront true evil. We err when we use it casually, against other people, to gratify our own desires for power or control.

How many children were alive at the time of the Flood? When a civilization becomes evil, who usually pays the price first? It is the children and babies. How many ancient cultures killed or sacrificed children? Far too many! In the Bible, we find evil people like Pharaoh of Egypt trying to kill baby boys through the midwives when they were born.

But some object and ask, what about the "innocent children" — if there were any left — at the time of the Flood? First they weren't innocent (Romans 3:2329). But again, the onus would be on the parents and guardians who refused to allow their evil children the possibility of survival on the ark!

The only way I know to drive out evil from the country is by the constructive method of filling it with good.

The only way I know to drive out evil from the country is by the constructive method of filling it with good. The country is better off tranquilly considering its blessings and merits, and earnestly striving to secure more of them, than it would be in nursing hostile bitterness about its deficiencies and faults.

Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil. Our great hope lies in developing what is good.

The man who promises everything is sure to fulfill nothing, and everyone who promises too much is in danger of using evil means in order to carry out his promises, and is already on the road to perdition.

It is with you all the time and demands fulfillment. If you pretend to be blind and dumb to this demand, you feign being blind and deaf to yourself This way you will never reach the knowledge of the heart. The knowledge ofyour heart is how your heart is. From a cunning heart you will know cunning. From a good heart you will know goodness. So that your understanding becomes perfect, consider that your heart is both good and evil. You ask, "What? Should I also live evil?

A distinguishing taste of authentic Christians is their distaste for evil.