Here is an ancient principle of philosophy: the greater the good, the greater the possibility of evil. This is because evil is not a thing, but a privation, like a cavity. So, for instance, the bigger the doughnut, the bigger the hole can be in the doughnut. To illustrate a moral case, adultery is a terrible sin, but it would far more serious if the pope committed it.
On the other hand, God can make something good come from evil. The greatest good to come from evil, of course, is the redemption of human sin by the Crucifixion and Death of Christ. Likewise, killing saints is horribly diabolical, but the glory of the martyrs is unsurpassed.
In the past year, we have seen political, legal or cultural events that were very good, but followed by very bad reactions. On the other hand, we have also seen very bad events that were catalysts for great good.
Election Fraud versus Integrity
The proof of blatant election fraud continues to be made manifest, so much so that it is questionable whether the United States is still a constitutional republic. What makes it even worse is that denial of this fraud, especially by the Left, is the reason why the J6ers have been imprisoned in a DC gulag for almost two years.
This, nevertheless, has provoked many to wake up and fight, either as individuals or organized groups, like Dinesh D’Souza who produced the film 2000 Mules, or True the Vote founded by Catherine Engelbrecht, dedicated to exposing and fighting election fraud. The result is that, in some red states, legislatures have enacted laws to secure election integrity. They may now require voter identification or prohibit the use of digital tabulators, that might be connected to the internet or rigged with weighted algorithms.
The Raid of Mar-a-Lago versus the Sympathy
Another terrible thing that occurred was the raid by the FBI of President Trump’s home in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, on August 8, 2022. They had a search warrant to find supposedly classified documents. While the most sinister snickered with glee, American patriots were shocked.
Actually, nothing was classified because, as president, he determined what is or is not. Because he took them home, he thereby declassified them. What this event proved, however, was that the Department of Justice, under the supervision of the Attorney General, Merrick Garland, had politicized and weaponized the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The scandal is that the branch of government which is supposed to defend justice is itself unjust. The result has been an outpouring of sympathy and financial support for the innocent victim and his family.
Illegal Immigration versus Patriotism
Another bad thing that led to something good is illegal immigration. Bleeding-heart liberals erroneously believe that it is compassion to welcome anyone from anywhere anytime. Globalists promote the one human family without borders. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, however, cosmopolitanism is the vicious defect of the virtue of patriotism.
Just because Governor Abbot of Texas opposes the crime of crossing the border illegally, he is not a nationalist, like the Nazis. Nationalism is the vicious excess of patriotism. No, he is a true patriot, maintaining law and order. Besides, his policy of busing illegal immigrants to the home of Kamala Harris, who is supposed to be in charge of protecting the border, is beautifully poetic justice.
Dobbs versus the Protests
Perhaps, the greatest event of 2022 was when the Supreme Court of the United States decided the case of Dobbs versus Jackson Women’s Health Organization in favor of Dobbs, thereby overturning Roe versus Wade. The court explained that the constitution does not confer a right to abortion. The people of God have been praying for this for almost fifty years. Praise the Lord that it happened!
The reaction against it, however, seemed like an attack by the hounds of Hell. Protesters even assailed the homes of justices! Although this is illegal, the corrupt government arrested none of them, except one man who threatened the life of Justice Kavanaugh with a gun.
No other issue confuses good and evil more than abortion. Killing a baby in its mother’s womb is truly an infernal practice, yet Hillary Clinton, who defends it, compared Pro-Lifers to terrorists! May God bless Bishop Joseph Strickland, nevertheless, for identifying her as an “evil woman” and saying, “Her lies and immorality need to be silenced for the good of humanity.”
Scandalizing versus Defending Children
The top of the list, nevertheless, is the corruption of education and the revolt of parents. The lockdowns and quarantines of the so-called Covid pandemic led to online “distance learning.” Suddenly, parents were aware of the propaganda with which their children were being indoctrinated, such as Critical Race Theory, which teaches that America is riddled with white supremacy and racism.
Moreover, drag queen story hours in libraries and the sexualizing or grooming of children, even the prepubescent, has scandalized every pure and modest person. Add to this the insidious way that Disney teaches homosexuality to innocent children by means of animated characters, then Luke 17:2 comes to mind: “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
If this were not enough, now there is after school Satan Clubs in elementary schools! If equity is considered to be a great value – although it is not – then even Satan should be treated as an equal to Moses, Buddha, Jesus or Muhammad. So, now, next to the Nativity scene in the Illinois State Capitol in Chicago, there is a statue of Satan!
Of course, parents descended upon school board meetings across the country. Many of these elected officials were replaced in the last election. In some places, CRT is now prohibited. Governor DeSantis has fought to eliminate indoctrination, while Project Veritas has uncovered devious teachers, leading to their termination. They just caught a perverted dean too. Meanwhile, woke companies like Disney are losing fortunes from the loss of customers.
When evil threatens little children, to whom the Kingdom of Heaven belongs (Mt.19:14), then either we fight to win the battle or expect the Lord Himself to come and settle affairs, for when the souls of children are at stake, the weeds have reached maturity and the harvest is near. It is providential that I publish this article on Gaudete Sunday, for now we begin to see among the violet, the rose.
