Mass Shootings & The Unknowability of Evil

By Dr. William Devlin Contributor The American Dossier & CEO REDEEM! an International Humanitarian Organization We all ask during this time Why so many mass shootings? What is going on?" Many questions abound-and answers are infrequent. Where do we go with all this? Obviously the problem is evil. Evil in the world is pervasive; but so much evil within two days? Secular psychologists like Dr. Paul Thagard in a September 2017 article in Psychology Today mentions multiple explanations for why we have evil people that do evil acts like shooting total strangers: these people have neural deficits in brain areas such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex; or its parental neglect or video games or the breakdown of the family nuclear family unit. The bottom line is in this life well never be able to figure out evil. Evil is unknowable. Dictionaries define evil as anything that causes injury." That could and would include all of us. Solutions are as voluminous as there are reasons for evil-gun control; background checks; mental health interventions; waiting periods; registration of ammunition purchases; legislation. Evil however is a problem of the heart the soul the mind the conscience (or lack thereof) which then affects and effects action. We can think evil thoughts in our mind in our heart and soul; but evil only causes injury (thinking of the above definition) when those thoughts of the soul heart and mind are carried into action. Evil is also defined theologically as man being estranged from God; evil is the absence of good; God is good; therefore when one commits evil injurious acts we could say that the individual is operating without God therefore those acts are evil. Evil is not the presence of something; it is the absence of something causing injury to our fellow man. The solution to evil is a spiritual solution because legislation cannot protect everyone. The antidote for evil is me. Does it really matter how much control we have due to new laws? The problem is with my heart and your heart. Evil is inside all of us; we must have a persona spiritual revival in our lives to make sure we do not go down that path which will be injurious to others as the mass shooters have done. Reverend William Devlin is the CEO of REDEEM! an organization involved in caring for girls and women who have been human trafficked. A life-long urban Democrat Devlin is married to Nancy and they have five children and seven grandchildren. Last grandchild born on New Years Day 2019! Submitted by Reverend William Devlin RN BSN MA doctoral candidate octanefaith@yahoo.com January 9 2019