Why Does Evil Exist?

For those of you who haven't read my past blogs about Betty J Eadie, years ago she had a very detailed near-death experience where she did in fact die for a matter of minutes. Within those moments she moved on to the afterlife and met Jesus  as well as others who had passed on before her. In her text Embraced by the Light she recalls the experience in as much details as she can remember. I receive Betty's e-newsletter in my inbox and wanted to share an excerpt from one of her texts, The Ripple Effect. Click here if you'd like to sign up for her newsletter. Link to her website.

I just ordered her text The Ripple Effect via the Internet over Amazon. This text has many answers that Betty Eadie has given that others have asked about her Near Death Experience. In it she shows the Ripple Effect we have on other people through our thoughts and actions. Once I receive and read this text I will review it on here as well. Let's now look at an excerpt.

"But why does evil exist at all? The answer is that our spirits grow faster and stronger through adversity. The pain of experiencing wrong doing and loss burns into our souls and encodes itself into our cells and our energy. The lessons we learn from our troubles become part of our very essence. Negative experiences also grant us the power of empathy, to see others as we see ourselves, to comprehend joys and sorrows and all the human impulses. As our eyes are opened and we grow in empathy, our ability to love unconditionally increases. To develop our highest potential, to become like God, we need to gain that love which only opposition allows us to gain. Without an opposing energy, our power to love would never be strengthened sufficiently to allow us to progress in the eternities." –The Ripple Effect, pp 81-82

This, to me, makes complete sense. As a sufferer of bipolar I can assure you that becoming homeless, bouncing in and out of the psych ward, and adult foster care have given me a whole new perspective of people with mental illness. I can now empathize with others in a whole new way. Before I was diagnosed and went manic I was an simply an only child who was raised in a lower middle class family. All my needs were taken care of. I went to college and successfully graduated with a 3.8 GPA. I got a great job straight out of college making 50k my firts year and blew through it as fast as I made it. There was no way I would be able to relate to the random homeless person on the street. Now I can.

Now, seeing things through a whole new set of eyes, I have learned how few resources are available for someone with a mental health issue. I've also learned how quickly and easily our rights can be stripped from us. It's scary. I've learned what a 5150 is and hopefully I've learned how to now avoid them. If you're personally seeking some online support I suggest MDJunction.com. It's a free support group website where you can ask and find many solutions and comfort from others going through exactly what you're going through. If you're looking for a more personal experience try searching for a local DBSA chapter (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance). I use both.

I empathize with celebrities in the news like Amanda Bynes who are struggling as well with mental health issues. My all time favorite celebrity, Britney Spears, had a notorious breakdown in 2007 after her break up with Kevin Federline and shaved her head. In an interview she denies "going crazy" but admits she was dealing with a lot and it was a form of rebellion. She the short snippet of interview here. In 2008 she was put on a 5150, an involuntary 72hr psych evaluation. Read about it here. Her father was granted guardianship, giving him control over all financial and medical decisions. Five years later it is yet to be lifted signaling there is a mental health issue present.

"However, Britney is said to have a psychological condition, such as bipolar disorder, that justifies the continued need for conservatorship. Obviously, there is a great deal about her situation that the general public doesn’t know. But many people have psychological disorders without having their most basic rights stripped away from them. The question is, for how long does her condition and past meltdowns continue to justify this extreme remedy?" Read more here.


What do you think? Why does evil and adversity exist?