About the Book

Table of Contents

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

     

Vol.9: The Flood: Local or Global?

THE PROBLEM OF EVIL:
SOME LITTLE-CONSIDERED PHYSICAL ASPECTS

Introduction
Chapter 1  The Evils Resulting from the Curse:
                     A:  Death, Thorns & Thistles
                     B:  On Animals and Mankind
Chapter 2   The Evils of Daily Life

 

Publishing History
1957  Doorway Paper No. 4, published privately by Arthur C. Custance
1979  Part III (revised) in The Flood: Local or Global?, vol.9 in The Doorway Papers Series by Zondervan Publishing Company
1997  Arthur C. Custance Online Library (HTML)
2001  2nd Online Edition (design revisions)

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     THE TITLE of this paper is a little misleading unless we understand our use of the term physical. We wanted to concentrate on those aspects of experience which are related more specifically to man's position
in nature, rather than his relationship with God.
     We therefore decided to use the word physical in contradistinction to the word spiritual as applied to evil, and then to take some liberties with this term by an extension of its usual meaning.
     This paper therefore gives some attention to the total environment in which we live, including our relationships with our fellowmen and with nature.
     Consideration is given to the place of disease and death in the scheme of things, of multiplied conception, of "thorns and thistles" and deserts, of storms and earthquakes and other seismic phenomena, of wars and wicked governments, and so forth. All these are part of the problem of evil, and at times in a very critical way.
     Certain rather satisfying principles appear which have wide application in providing an answer in part to many such situations and justify the observation made by Cabell that this may well be, in spite of all appearances to the contrary, the "best of all possible worlds."
     Even in the midst of judgment, the goodness and mercy of God are brought to light again and again.

John Greenleaf Whittier, 1872       

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