The Problem of Evil
I just watched the Boondock Saints this is a great movie. For anyone that enjoyed Lock Stock & two Smoking Barrels and you would also enjoy this movie. This is not the same as both those movies but bears similarities. The plot basically is two Irish brothers in Brooklyn receive a 'divine mandate' to hunt down evil men.
Because of the high crime in America and the fact that guilty men can walk free from the courts the brothers believe that they have the right to kill these men. This is one of the problems of evil. How come the evil prosper during this life and are free to prosper at the sake of righteous men? Or to put it more simply how come the guilty can oppress the innocent? The brothers response is the instinctive response if the courts will not give us justice then we will take it. In fact I find myself entirely sympathetic with this position. It does not seem just that the wicked can prey upon the innocent without receiving justice.
However, God declares that vengance is mine (well actually His.) It is not left up to us to judge between the guilty and the innocent but up to God. We have a legal system that attempts to make society liveable but in the end it is up to God. However, it seems that God is not taking this vengance out He seems to be sitting on His hands and letting evil men have their way. This is the eschatological solution to the problem of evil. While during this life evil men seem to get away with murder we can rest assured that in the end God will judge everyone and everyone will receive their just desserts. We can look forward to a time when all wrongs are righted and God wipes the tears from every eye.
However, it does not seem right that people can rape pillage and kill to their hearts content at the moment here on earth and nothing is done to stop them. If it is God's perogative to uphold the righteous then why does he not intervene to aid them. If it is God's perogative to stop the wicked then why does he not do it. If God is not going to exercise his vengance then I will take vengance for my own. But this response is not adequate, sure we think we can judge who is evil, but while there may be some definates there is to much gray for us to exercise justice absolutely. What is more the person who is evil in our eyes may be a saint in the eyes of another who are we to judge which point of view is correct. The brothers are named the Boondock Saints yet they commit murder which is not very saintly behaviour. Doing an action in the name of God or in the name of justice does not make it any less of a crime.
While unsatisfactory to our impatient, temporal, finite minds the eschatological solution is still the best in this circumstance. Know that an omniscient God is watching and will preside in judgement over the living and the dead. In the end all will receive justice. Including us.
Because of the high crime in America and the fact that guilty men can walk free from the courts the brothers believe that they have the right to kill these men. This is one of the problems of evil. How come the evil prosper during this life and are free to prosper at the sake of righteous men? Or to put it more simply how come the guilty can oppress the innocent? The brothers response is the instinctive response if the courts will not give us justice then we will take it. In fact I find myself entirely sympathetic with this position. It does not seem just that the wicked can prey upon the innocent without receiving justice.
However, God declares that vengance is mine (well actually His.) It is not left up to us to judge between the guilty and the innocent but up to God. We have a legal system that attempts to make society liveable but in the end it is up to God. However, it seems that God is not taking this vengance out He seems to be sitting on His hands and letting evil men have their way. This is the eschatological solution to the problem of evil. While during this life evil men seem to get away with murder we can rest assured that in the end God will judge everyone and everyone will receive their just desserts. We can look forward to a time when all wrongs are righted and God wipes the tears from every eye.
However, it does not seem right that people can rape pillage and kill to their hearts content at the moment here on earth and nothing is done to stop them. If it is God's perogative to uphold the righteous then why does he not intervene to aid them. If it is God's perogative to stop the wicked then why does he not do it. If God is not going to exercise his vengance then I will take vengance for my own. But this response is not adequate, sure we think we can judge who is evil, but while there may be some definates there is to much gray for us to exercise justice absolutely. What is more the person who is evil in our eyes may be a saint in the eyes of another who are we to judge which point of view is correct. The brothers are named the Boondock Saints yet they commit murder which is not very saintly behaviour. Doing an action in the name of God or in the name of justice does not make it any less of a crime.
While unsatisfactory to our impatient, temporal, finite minds the eschatological solution is still the best in this circumstance. Know that an omniscient God is watching and will preside in judgement over the living and the dead. In the end all will receive justice. Including us.
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