St. Augustine rejected Manicheism

St. Augustine puzzled over the question of evil, as we all do. How could a perfect God create a universe in such a way that implies He created evil as well?

He wrote, “Where then does evil come from? Can it be that there was something evil in the matter from which he made the universe? When he shaped this matter and fixed it to His purpose, did he leave in it some part which he did not convert to good?”

St. Augustine was one of the Manichees at first, but when their leader Faustus was unable to make any persuasive arguments that could reconcile Manichean belief with science nad mathematics, Augustine began his journey to Christianity. He would eventually draw the conclusion that evil is “nothing but the removal of good until finally no good remains,” an idea perfectly reconcilable with a benevolent creator when free will is factored in.

Unfortunately, Augustine’s beautiful and profound meditations on evil that helped form the Christian conscience for millennia seem to be lost to our age. Instead, politicians eager to exploit Holy Scriptures for sound-bites have resurrected the Manichean belief in good and evil as personalized and equal forces, at war for the soul of the universe.

Nationalist politicians use the saying of Jesus, “He who is not with us is against us” to their partisan service. But Jesus was far subtler than this. He also told his disciples not to oppose another man they had seen casting out demons in Jesus’ name. To them he said, “He who is not against us is with us.” In short, Jesus recognized that those who take the side of good are always aligned, even when they do not at first seem totally compatible.

In short, we are called to find common ground, not enmity. And we have obvious enmities – who could imagine a Samaritan taking a Jew to an inn and binding up his wounds? But in Jesus parable, this is exactly what happens – good is found in exactly the kind of person where you do not expect to find it.

So beware politicians using the language of faith to rally you against an enemy. Jesus says, “Blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” That is a far wider and a far less exclusive club than the ones most nationalist rally leaders want to create.

After all a politician just wants to get elected. It is you, the voter, who truly can take the principled stand. Use your conscience, and listen to the words of God when you vote.

For with God, all things are possible.