God And Evil

We had spent a pleasant day in the hills — my friend Martin and I — and discussed every topic under the sun from sporting results to spiritual realities. He brought me home, at last, to his own house, and we sat out on his verandah in the summer evening. For a time we were silent, both, I think, enjoying the quiet beauty of the hour as we watched the sun sink behind the woods. Then he knocked out his pipe, and turned to me.

“You know, John,” he said, “I’ve heard you argue very convincingly about the existence of God — and I’ll admit you have reason on your side. But for a lot of ‘infidels’ like me, the question isn’t whether God exists, but what sort of a Being He is. I know your Christian answer — you say, ‘He’s good, just, and loving.’ Very well, but all I can say is, I see precious little sign of these qualities you attribute to Him in the world around us.”