Is Evil really all that bad?

"There is a place,/If ancient and prophetic fame in Heav'n/Err not, another world, the happy seat/Of some new race called Man about this time/To be created like us though less

In pow'r and excellence but favored more/Of Him who rules above. So was His will/Pronounced among the gods and by an oath/That shook Heav'n's whole circumference confirmed./Thither let us bend all our thoughts to learn/What creatures there inhabit, of what mould/Or substance, how endued and what their power/And where their weakness, how attempted best/By force or subtlety. Though Heav'n be shut/And Heav'n's high Arbitrator sit secure/In His own strength, this place may lie exposed,/The utmost border of His kingdom left/To their defense who hold it. Here perhaps/Some advantageous act may be achieved/By sudden onset, either with hell fire/To waste His whole creation or possess/All as our own and drive, as we were driven,/The puny habitants, or if not drive/Seduce them to our party that their God/May prove their foe and with repenting hand/Abolish His own works. This would surpass/Common revenge and interrupt His joy/In our confusion and our joy upraise/In His disturbance when His darling sons/Hurled headlong to partake with us shall curse/Their frail originals and faded bliss--/Faded so soon! Advise if this be worth/Attempting or to sit in darkness here/ Hatching vain empires." [Book II, Lines 345-378]



This quotation intrigued me immensely while reading Book II of Paradise Lost. Milton's idea of the way Beelzebub changed the direction of the fallen angels that now inhabited Hell was astounding. Beelzebub was able to stand up and demand attention, mostly because he was second only to Satan in the line of command, and politely disagree with everything said before. Beelzebub stated that, instead of waging another war on Heaven, or sitting peacefully, hoping that God would no longer punish the angels and perhaps even forgive them. In response to these ideas, Beelzebub stands against them, revenge still the only thing in mind. He decides that waging another war on Heaven would be pointless, because God already had control over the fallen angels, as they were in Hell. He could also punish them much more greatly, similar to before, when they were left chained to the lake of fire. Instead of acting on Heaven, where God held the advantage, Beelzebub suggests that the Princes of Hell instead wage their subtle war on Mankind, a new creation of God. He states that this form of revenge would hurt God much worse than another failed attack to his fortress called Heaven. By attacking one of God's creations, these fallen angels of Hell might be able to force God to abolish his own creation; his prized and favored creatures. The ability to affect those beings that God created would hurt Him much more so than anything else, which is Beelzebub's capital point. With their inability to perform any other actions against God at the present, this seems to be their best chance.



However, if God is able to control Hell as well, which is why they were sent to such a place (so that God could keep them completely under wraps), God would be able to know what exactly they were up to. On top of that, God would be able to either stop them from doing such things by punishing them or try to prevent it. The Ten Commandments would be a way of God trying prevent this from happening, but why would God allow something like that to happen to his favorite creatures? Wouldn't God want his prized creations to sore above all others; to be perfect? If yes, then why would God allow the fallen angels even the fantasy of this plan working? If yes, why would God allow it, or even allow the possibility? And if no, what does God want with the race of Man? What is their purpose, and why would he allow them to be tempted, seduced and, in turn, be damned? Is He searching to root out all evil by testing each individual? Is He trying to show the difference between good and evil and teach with this idea? Is He trying to use evil to show what truly is good, and how it can be achieved? Is God simply a tyrant and plans to create, rule, damn and destroy all? Could he possibly be trying to use this evil to show what shouldn't be done, but include enough of it so good is also known? While the motives of the fallen angels are known, God's motives are forever unclear.