You've Wanted to Know: Where Do Evil Spirits Come From? (An Open Question to the Western Religions)

You may well be surprised!

So, you have been led to believe that evil spirits come from the devil. Guess again. They come directly from the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god himself. Let's check out the Old Testament:

1. JUDGES: God sends an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem;
2. 1 SAMUEL: God sends an evil spirit to Saul so that he has a mental breakdown;
3. 1 SAMUEL: God makes the evil spirit leave Saul after David plays his harp;
4. 1 SAMUEL: God sends another evil spirit to Saul, causing him to prophesy;
5. 1 SAMUEL: God’s evil spirit hangs out with Saul while he has a javelin in his hand and David plays with his hand;
6. 1 KINGS: God sends lying spirits to prophets so that they speak evil; and
7. 2 CHRONICLES: God sends lying spirits to prophets so that they speak evil.

You just can't make this kind of stuff up. No matter how you slice it, evil is a creation of the Biblical god. And that includes the creation of the devil himself, who, by the way, was God's right hand man for much of the time. (Read the story of Job...)

Now, you can continue to believe that evil is a separate force from good. But, as you can see from the above set of scriptural passages, the so-called good god of the Bible is the very one who brought evil into existence.

Before you think I am actually being critical here, understand this: Good cannot exist without evil, and vice versa. They complement each other. You can only recognize good because evil exists. Nothing more, nothing less. You are as blind in all light as you are in all dark. The contrast is essential for survival itself.

The universe is created in a way that brings all opposites into play. Light vs. dark; up vs. down; in vs. out. You get the picture. Good and evil are no different. One needs the other. God needs the devil, at least in the minds of those who think God is distinct and separate from the rest of the Cosmos.

In the final analysis, evil is actually a blessing. It is the only way you can see the good. More important, it's the only way you can learn to PRACTICE the good. You are the final arbiter. You must make the choice. If evil flourishes in the world, it isn't because of the devil. It's because of you.

"You must be the change you would see in the world." Gandhi