A Melting Pot and a Nonplus Question

I went to the melting pot again today. Wal-Mart. It may truly be the one place in the United States that no matter your socio-economic tier, gender, age, religion or race all seem to visit, most weekly. I am always amazed at how much junk we all carry out of that place. I mean junk, for it always ends up in the garabage sooner or later. No matter my agenda for shopping, I leave with at least three things not needed or really wanted. This brings me to my point.

A couple of weeks ago I was standing in line waiting to check out. The lady in front of me was of middle age, and like I said we all have our vices we leave with when shopping at Wal-Mart; she bought cigarettes. I was of course buying several things with a lot of caffeine in them (for me, not the children). I looked behind me; someone else had a buggy full of non necessary stuff thrown in with her groceries. Then the cashier asked the lady in front of me if she would like to donate ONE dollar. The lady shook her head no -

Seriously?

You have all seen them. The little paper hot air balloons that you sign your name on once you agree to donate a dollar. I donated that dollar even before there was an Ivey. I did the other day too. Why? Because it is the right and good thing to do. If I can muster up enough spare change for something chocolate in the line waiting to check out, by George, I can donate one dollar.

That balloon represents The Children’s Miracle Network of Atlanta. That paper balloon represents Ivey. That paper balloon support Scottish Rite. Ivey lived there for over one month. I think I can handle one dollar. The Children’s Miracle Network is non profit. One dollar helps to provide medical facilities and healthcare for sick and injured children.

I also received this in an email from Father Peter today. It has nothing to do with the above; however, I thought it was pretty interesting. Read on...

Did God create evil?

A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question.

"Did God create everything that exists?"

A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!""God created everything?"

The professor asked."Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil.

"The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?

"The other students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

"The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

"The professor responded, "Of course it does.

"The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name -- Albert Einstein