A Community Voice Article
By Cheryl Chandler
The tension between good and evil is not just a philosophical puzzle - it is a story we are taught from childhood, woven into the fabric of religion, culture, law, and art. Though the definitions shift across time and place, the narrative remains: good is that which nurtures life, community, and justice, while evil is that which destroys, isolates, and corrupts.
We are first introduced to the good vs. evil dichotomy through fairy tales, myths, and fables which present heroes who embody courage, kindness, and sacrifice, set against villains who represent greed, cruelty, or deception. These tales are not merely entertainment; they are moral instruction disguised as adventure. A child who cheers for the hero learns to admire generosity and bravery, while recoiling from the villain teaches disdain for selfishness and harm. In this way, society plants seeds of moral imagination long before formal education begins.
Religion deepens this narrative by framing good and evil in cosmic terms. Most are taught that good is aligned with God’s will and love, while evil is rebellion against God and Satan is real. Many religions teach similar duality, and philosophy touches these themes as well. Ancient Greek thinkers spoke of virtue as the cultivation of good habits, while vice was the failure to live in balance. Modern philosophers remind us that morality is shaped by context and power.
In everyday society schools emphasize civic values - honesty, fairness, respect - while laws structure what is considered harmful or unjust. Families reinforce these lessons teaching children that kindness is rewarded and meanness is punished. This causes us to further believe in duality.
Social media, movies, novels and video games also play a powerful role by dramatizing moral conflict, sometimes reinforcing traditional notions of heroism, other times blurring the lines with complex anti-heroes who challenge us to rethink what “evil” means.
In our teaching Ernest Holmes denied the existence of evil as an independent principle. He writes about evil, not as a cosmic adversary or villain but a misperception - a shadow cast by ignorance of spiritual truth. Holmes reframes evil as “the absence of awareness of God”. In his system, there is no eternal battle between good and evil; there is only Spirit, expressing itself either harmoniously (good) or disharmoniously (evil). This non-dualistic concept shifts responsibility from external forces to the individual’s consciousness, making spiritual practice the key to dissolving negative conditions.
Holmes emphasized transformation through realization: by affirming the omnipresence of good, individuals can dissolve the appearance of evil in their own lives. Holmes sees the ultimate triumph of good in the awakening of human consciousness to divine truth.
In today’s society, with the playing out of so much duality in our current environment, the question of good and evil is relevant. It is easy to see some public figures as villains misusing their power. Our heartstrings pull to see fairness and justice for the good of the people who are negatively impacted by situations that unfold before our eyes. Holmes said, “All evil is either a misuse of this Power or a misunderstanding of It … it is a denial of the allness of God.” So the “villains” are but lost souls playing out their own misguided understanding and ignorance of power. This calls for us to step back and refocus.
If God is all there is and God is good – and evil is simply the feeling of separation from God - Spirit gives us whatever we give out. As a human race, we are collectively giving out fear, destruction, disdain, and divisiveness – this is playing out in our collective society. Holmes said, “We shall have to learn that evil is neither person, place or thing of itself, but is an experience which we are allowed to have – because of our divine individuality.” This learning is at the individual level and any belief we may have that we are separate from God prevents such learning.
“There is no way under heaven whereby we can think two kinds of thought and get only one result.” (Holmes) So, what is ours to do? It is to remain steadfast in our conviction that God is all there is, we are one with God, God is good (therefore all is good), and everyone is on their own personal journey to express and experience life and love the way that provides them with enlightenment at the level of their understanding. We need no longer see others as victims. We can hold space for those in my inner circle – it starts within. We can pray for unification and remembrance of our oneness with all life and know that good always prevails, no matter how it appears.
Let us all hold this in consciousness and know a better love within our world.