Alejandro Sills wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
- Would you please verify the scope, per Catholic theology, of the moral saying:
"The ends do not justify the means"?
Regarding the Problem of Evil, a common theological response is that God has a morally sufficient reason for allowing all of the horrid evil in this world. A related strain of thought is that God has a plan, and even had a plan from the beginning of creation, that required the occurrence of evil, or the freedom to do it.
On the other hand, Catholicism teaches that humans cannot justifiably commit evil or allow it to occur if it is in their power to stop it, in the name of some perceived good that would come out of it.
- Is the expression "The ends do not justify the means" something that only applies to created beings?
- And if the answer is yes, then how do you rebut any charges of special pleading on God's behalf?
- Why can't it be said that God's allowance of evil, or of creating a state of affairs where it could possibly occur, does not justify whatever good comes out of it in the end, no matter how wonderful?
Alejandro
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| { What is the scope, per Catholic theology, of the moral saying: "The ends do not justify the means"? } |
Paul replied:
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Alejandro,
'The ends don't justify the means' simply means we can't intentionally perform an intrinsic evil in order that good may result.
The second phrase of the first sentence of your last paragraph is not correct.
The Church teaches that while we cannot perform an evil so that good may come of it, we have the moral option of allowing evil to happen in order that good may come about.
That's what Christ did on the Cross. It's what parents do to teach their children an important lesson. It's often what comprises personal sacrifice; and it's what God does, in general, with human evil. If God stopped mankind from doing evil, we'd have no chance at Heaven. Fallen human nature needs to overcome the consequences of its collective actions in the form of penance in order to be justified and healed of our sinful condition.
- Why did God make free-willed creatures who have the capacity to do evil in the first place?
- That's like asking, why doesn't He make square circles or married bachelors?
It's contradictory and nonsensical, and God cannot contradict Himself, who is Reason and Love. Only He whose infinite and eternal essence is Love has no "ontological" space for evil. Creatures, by virtue of their being finite and temporal, inherently have the possibility to choose evil.
A poor but workable analogy: When black smoke completely fills an enclosed room, there is no room left for fresh air to flow. God, who is Love, is the smoke, fresh air is sin, and His infinite essence is symbolized in boundaries of the room. However, if the same room had only someone smoking a cigarette, there is much room for it to move in various directions within its sphere of existence. This limited smoke is finite personhood, i.e. humans and angels, who have the "room" (or possibility) to veer off course to do what it shouldn't do. Created beings are not infinite Love (as God is), but rather a finite reflection of it.
Hence, while it's impossible for God to do evil, it's entirely possible for us. And still, out of love, God still allows our evil to bring about a greater good (Romans 8:28).
Pax,
Paul |
Bob replied:
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Dear Alejandro,
Thank you for the question.
The primary difference in the two scenarios:
- Catholic moral teaching: the ends don’t justify means, and
- God permits evil to bring good ends — is agency.
In the former, God is not the agent of the evil acts, Humans are. In the “permitting” God is not an agent of an evil act, He creates out of Love, his very nature, and love requires the possibility of rejection. Evil is rejection of God and it is permitted because Love requires it.
The creation of creatures that are free necessitates the possibility of their choosing evil. There can be no other way to preclude evil unless they are automatons.
Human beings that share in the divine nature, by grace will eventually come to a place where their choices are always for good, or God essentially, and they will not partake in evil because of the grace infused in their very being. They will see as God sees, and the fullness of the theological virtues will suffice to complete their personality as children of their Father, God. They will still be free (Don’t think that saints are forced to do good in Heaven), just as the angels are totally free; there are no robots in Heaven.
Peace,
Bob Kirby
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