A New View of Depravity?
It's not in vogue to believe in sin these days, and even "evil" has become embattled in some circles. As Steve Turner put it: "We believe that man is basically good, it's only his behavior that lets him down." Given this state of affairs, it's fascinating that a peer-reviewed research group, the Forensic Panel, has launched a major research project to come to grips with evil's various manifestations.
The panel is currently inviting participants to help add definition to The Depravity Scale, which attempts to define shades of evil: "heinous, atrocious, vile, wanton, cruel, sadist," etc. This research will eventually be used to help decide criminal court cases. In a Psychology Today interview ("Indexing Evil"), Forensic Panel chairman Michael Welner noted,"There have been flirtations with psychiatry's ability to define evil, but that's as far as it goes. There's a sense of, 'Can we approach this, because its so theological?'"
Among the more interesting FAQ on The Depravity Scale site are those dealing with moral issues: "Isn't evil a theological concept?" "Won't this research reflect on the concept of 'good'?"
The "official" answers are oblique but guardedly affirmative, and rightly so. Evil is an insistent reality, but there is no avoiding the theological implications. Most pressing: It's impossible to posit the objective existence of "evil" unless there is an ultimate moral standard, and a good God upholding it.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Defining Evil in a Postmodern Age
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3 comments:
A "depravity scale" is in my view, a meaningless exercise. All sin separates us from God, regardless of its severity, just as His mercy allows us back into his presence regardless of the distance between us.
Cheers.
All sin separates us from God, regardless of its severity, just as His mercy allows us back into his presence regardless of the distance between us.
Well said. One of the messages of scripture is that when we compare two sinners, the difference is not the men, but the grace of God.
I sort of picture it working like the current TV ratings - I'm sorry, that sin is rated M for Mature. And to be more specific its MMAT - Mature Murder Arson and Torture, or whatever.
Then there are the guys like Hitler who'd have a whole alphabet after their names.
But then again... when did we get to decide who was evil and who was not evil? Isn't that God's decision?
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