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The Authentic Voice Project: Week 5 (Full Moon)

E is for Evil

In my opinion the most evil word in the dictionary is, well, evil. It bites, slices, crushes; it infects, sickens, kills. I believe this word is too often thrown around where it doesn’t belong. It instills fear of rejection and shame in those who do not have (or were never given the opportunity to have) a strong sense of belonging and/or self-love. And those who think themselves to be of little significance have little power and are easier to push around.

Growing up, especially during those “rebellious” teenage years (when I never actually did rebel much more than attend a high school dance that I “shouldn’t” or make out in the car after a date), I heard this phrase too often: “Don’t give the appearance of evil.” Six words that imply so much more. “Your actions, and therefore you, have the potential to be evil. So, I don’t trust you (you shouldn’t trust you either) and you also shouldn’t trust others because their opinions – what they might be thinking – is more important than anything. Bottom line: be afraid of yourself and others. Just do what is right – what you should do – not what you are inherently capable of doing, which, as we said, is evil.”

And what about all those “evils” flung around at church each Sunday? “…every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.” (Gen. 8:21) Yikes! How can anyone who has ever had or held a baby think for one moment there can be grain of evil in that precious, innocent little body? Of course we all have the potential to make “bad” decisions and we aren’t always nice. But evil?? According to the Bible-thumpers, we apparently have evil thoughts, evil ways, even evil bodies – from birth! Our basic needs are evil: eating, drinking, having sex, making money, getting educated, loving and caring for our bodies, minds, and spirits, seeking actualization and self-enlightenment… Seriously? This is evil?

Hilter was evil. Torture is evil. Child/domestic/animal/nature abuse is evil. Rape is evil. War is evil. A man,woman or child living their life according to their human nature is NOT evil. Convincing us that our nature is evil is abuse in itself. It denies us of our Mother-Earth-given right to pursue our potential, make use of our talents, and follow our bliss towards happiness and joy. Tell a child they are evil and you fill them with self-hate. Self-hate breeds Other-hate. Other-hate makes for a fear-filled and evil world.

I say: No thanks. I choose to believe that I – and others – have the potential of love.