An Acolyte’s Thesis: The Problem of Evil

[MRCHENN 4741]

An Acolyte’s Thesis: The Problem of Evil

Written by Bertrand Ashford de Rouen

Edited by Sanctimonious Derfey

 

9th of Sigismund’s End, 2019

 

The Problem of Evil presents itself as a perennial challenge to the faithful: if God is truly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, why does evil persist in His Creation? Within our doctrine, we must resolve this apparent contradiction by understanding evil not as an oversight or limitation of God. 

Evil, permitted by God yet opposed by Him, serves not as an imperfection of His creation but as a necessary condition for virtue, for through adversity alone can humanity truly grow closer to God. As stated in the Scroll of Virtue and further clarified by Blessed Pius, evil is not proof of divine neglect, but of divine wisdom.

"And as I have created for you the struggles of the world, so too do I create the struggles of the spirit. And as I have created the struggles of the world and the spirit, so too do I bring their remedies." (Virtue 5: 5-6)

The Scroll of Virtue explicitly conveys that the existence of worldly struggles is intentional and purposeful. God's design is neither flawed nor incomplete but deliberate. Just as a skilled artist employs dark shades to highlight the brilliance of brighter color, so too does God use adversity to bring about fortitude, patience, and compassion. Overcoming temptation or enduring hardship is precisely what imparts depth and sincerity to virtue.

"The Lord lasts through all adversities, for He is their source and their remedy—without Him, they are uncured." (Spirit 2:5)

Evil is not an independent force vying against the Creator, but rather a permitted phenomenon within His governance. It reminds us of our dependence on divine grace and our necessary pursuit of moral excellence. Without adversity, there would be no impetus to seek the divine remedy, diminishing humanity's spiritual awareness and its intimate relationship with the Creator.

Mother Adolpha, a respected priestess of our Canonist Church, raised the Problem of Evil during a spiritual conversation with me when exploring this theological dilemma. She posed to me a critical moral question: Would we rather exist in comforting stagnation or strive through discomfort toward authentic virtue and spiritual depth? The pursuit of truth, though fraught with discomfort and potential suffering, ultimately leads humanity toward meaningful spiritual fulfillment and closeness with God. Evil, in this view, is essential to truth itself.

Consider the relationship between virtue and vice: bravery can only exist in the presence of danger; generosity is meaningful only where selfishness might otherwise prevail. This inherent dependency illustrates a fundamental principle in our theology—the coexistence and interdependence of virtue and adversity. Without either, is this not the Void?

Evil, thus, is indispensable to defining virtue.

The promise of eternal reward and glory, as expressed in Canonism, necessitates the existence of adversity. Why did God promise eternal glory to Horen? Precisely because Horen was destined to mortality, adversity, and eventually death. It is through this temporal struggle that eternal reward gains meaning. Without these temporal challenges which humanity faces, the promise of the Seven Skies has no significance.

Just as a wise teacher permits students to grapple with difficult problems, fostering intellectual growth through their own efforts, so too does God permit humanity to face moral and spiritual challenges. It is within this context that His divine benevolence and omnipotence are fully revealed: not by removing evil, but by allowing humanity the dignity and opportunity to overcome it through free will and divine support.

Thus, evil is understood not as a divine flaw or contradiction but as an intentional component of God’s divine plan for humanity’s spirit. It is a testament to divine wisdom that true virtue, spiritual insight, and the ultimate promise of eternal glory can only be meaningfully realized through the presence and overcoming of adversity.

St. Lucien, pray for us.

Fire keep you all.

 

[Werew0lf 24180]

A golden-eyed messenger read the thesis with approval. “Good work,” 

[sergisala 3451]

Fr. Marc Galbraith applauded upon reading Bertrand Ashford de Rouen's thesis "A fine work, dear friend." the priest remarked, before signing the Lorraine cross.

[Malins Welcome 1519]

Acolyte,

 

I am pleased to declare your thesis ACCEPTED and to endorse your ordination to the priesthood.

 

James Cardinal Rhosmark